Preparedness Part 1 - Evacuation Considerations

Preparedness Part 1 - Evacuation Considerations

Don Hodge for 4^thTriage
In collaboration with Will Stewart

10/14/2010 10:51 a10/p10

To Go or To Stay?

The most important thing to consider about whether or not to evacuate is safety; the second thing is safety; and the third thing is safety. If in doubt, evacuate.

Questions to help you decide to go or stay include:

• What is FEMA and the local Emergency Management telling you to do during this crisis?
• Are there any shelters locally that will keep you safe in this disaster? This includes keeping you safe from flooding, storm surge (which can be over 20’), hurricane winds, tornados, or whatever threats come with this disaster.
• How much damage is your area and the roads likely to have?
  
• How long would it be before power, water, food, supplies, and help would be available to your area?
  
• How long before communication would be restored?
  
• How long would it be before you could safely return to and live in your home?
  
• Finally, can you evacuate – leave, travel, and arrive someplace safely?

Evacuation may be necessary with certain disasters such as a wildfire, a hurricane, an industrial accident, or after a nuclear event. That it may be necessary does not make it a great option. Problems and dangers associated with an individual or a family evacuating are:

1. How much can you carry or pack into your vehicle?
   
2. Have you ever planned out and traveled your evacuation route (and your backup evacuation routes) – especially with the roads packed?
3. Are you familiar with the territory you will be passing through enough so that you can be prepared for any difficulties, hazards, or local danger spots?
4. Will a bridge be out, roads impassible, your vehicle run out of fuel, or an accident occur that makes travel by your vehicle impossible? In those cases, will it be possible to get to safety by walking, bicycle, or other means?
   
5. Do you know where you will stay until you can safely return home? If with family or friends, have you stockpiled some things with them?
   
6. Will you have shelter from the weather during your evacuation traveling – which might take several days - until you reach your destination?
   
7. Security issues abound in evacuations. Frightened and hungry people do desperate things. The police and authorities will be busy. Even in the best of times the police react in minutes after they are notified, criminals act in seconds. Be alert.
8. Medical treatment during the trip is going to be nearly impossible to find.
   

Problems can be addressed and planned for. The key question is will you be safe if you stay where you are? Time for cold, hard logic. If the answer is “no”, evacuate.

About Evacuations:
When evacuating, probably all you can take with you is 3 days of supplies. If you have room in your vehicle, take more.


Keep the items that you would most likely need during an evacuation in easy-to-carry containers. Possible containers include a large, covered trash container (with wheels); camping backpack(s); duffle bags; and 5 gal. plastic buckets with tight fitting lids.

When evacuating, the weight of your kit is an important factor. You may have to abandon your vehicle – running out of fuel, an accident which renders your vehicle unable to move, clogged or blocked roadways, damaged bridges, etc. You may have to carry your kit. Do a test run and see if you can carry your evacuation kit for a mile. If you have to carry it, you may find items that you don’t really need. Divide and pack your evacuation kit in two sections – a second stage kit for if you must leave your vehicle and another section with as many extra items as you can pack into your vehicle. Multi-function items help you to reduce the weight and space needed for your kit – for example a hatchet can double as a hammer, a multi-tool could contain pliers and screwdrivers, waterproof matches and cigarette lighters instead of bulkier heavier fire starting kits, etc. You can save a lot of space by using a vacuum cleaner to suck out the air in special storage bags ( SpaceBag.com ). Your imagination is your limit.

If you do have to evacuate – and everyone should have an evacuation plan – have a definite location in mind. Preferably ending up with family and/or friends. If you’ve planned ahead and stored some food, water, clothes, and other things at that location, so much the better. If your destination is a public shelter, hotel, or motel, check on whether they accept pets. Not all will. Official public shelters can not refuse to allow service animals in with their owners. If you abandon your pet, you may not see your pet again. “Chip” your pets as that increases your chance of seeing your pets again. Bring food, bowls, leashes, records, carry cages, etc.

Do a trial run sometime when the roads will be crowded. Make it a learning vacation for all members of the family. Camp out for a couple of days with your vehicle and evacuation kit. Try purifying water a couple of ways, building a fire, cooking meals, setting up tents or shelter. You’ll be surprised at the changes you will make to your evacuation kit – additions and subtractions. Since you will have done it before you need to do it for real, it will be much less stressful. You may find yourself calming and helping others. That always benefits everyone.

Before you leave:

• Turn off:
  
  • Household gas - Use a shut-off wrench to turn off household gas (bronze, non-sparking)
    
  • Water heater
    
  • Water main
    
  • Electrical breakers in the fuse box
    
• If you have time, board up windows before you go and move outside furniture, etc. inside

Notes about the vehicle to be used for your evacuation:

• Keep at least ½ a thankful of fuel in that vehicle at all times. If it looks like there might be a need to evacuate, get the tank filled.
• Make sure the spare tire is in good shape. Have some fix-a-flat cans.
  
• Be sure a working jack and equipment to change a tire are in the vehicle.
  
• Have jumper cables, some emergency flares, flashlights, first aid kit, rain gear, and tools in the vehicle.
  
• In cold weather have extra warm clothes, mittens, and sleeping bag(s).
  

Special items for evacuations:

• Second stage transportation such as bicycles or mopeds, if possible
  
• Bicycle rack(s) on evacuation vehicle
  
• Trailers (bicycle) or small wagons which can be pulled in harness
  
• If you have large dog(s), saddlebag(s) to carry some of your gear
  

Pets in Disasters (see http://www.fema.gov/plan/prepare/animals.shtm )

• Shelters can not refuse to allow service animals (guide dogs/seeing-eye dogs) in with their owner.
  
• If you evacuate, do NOT leave your pets. Take them with you if at all possible. Otherwise you may not see them again.
  
• “Chip” your pets. ID chips can be created and inserted into your pets by most veterinarians. Vets and shelters have chip readers.
• Identify your destination shelter. For public health reasons, many emergency shelters cannot accept pets. Find out which motels and hotels in the area you plan to evacuate to will allow pets.
  
• Take pet food, bottled water, medications, veterinary records, cat litter/pan, can opener, food dishes, first aid kit and other supplies with you in case they're not available later. Consider making a "pet survival" kit which could be easily loaded into your vehicle if needed.
  
• Make sure identification tags are up to date and securely fastened to your pet's collar. If possible, attach the address and/or phone number of your evacuation destination. If your pet gets lost, his tag is his ticket home.
  
• Make sure you have a current photo of your pet for identification purposes.
  
• Make sure you have a secure pet carrier, leash or harness for your pet.