If You Had to Evacuate, How Would You Do It?
Thousands of people all up and down the west coast of the United States have recently had to evacuate their homes to escape the forest fires that seemed to be everywhere. I'm sure some friends of ours are caught up in that.
So my husband and I have been talking about evacuation. Our neighbors who have lived around here all their lives think it is very unlikely. That's good to hear, but not to me a reason to stop thinking about the topic.
We sold our motorhome earlier this year, and that's what we would have used while we had it. So at present our vehicular choice would be
- An old Toyota shortbed truck without air conditioning, its bed often filled with things to take to the landfill
- An old Prius in good condition
It would be the car, no question. We decided to add a cartop carrier, and I learned that most of those are now fabric bags treated to be rainproof. They vary in sizes. We ordered one that had good reviews.
We also decided to order a tent. In the case of evacuation, there would be the two of us plus a smallish dog, a medium-sized dog, a small cat. Of course there would be laptops and other electronics, some clothing, some food for all species, water. So we and the critters wouldn't all be able to sleep in the car along with our stuff. In the more likely case that we were taking off on a vacation, the critters might well all stay home.
We chose a four-person tent which was said to be easy to set up and take down. And we got an air mattress.
So our everyday car will soon also be our EscapeMobile. Hey, we will even organize some of the small household things and put them in the car.
If you had to leave your location, what would you do?
Recent Comments
27
Great advice all around. Having lived in very hot Florida, I made it through 12 years of Hurricanes. We had our share of fires until the state started some programs to contain them. California would benefit from these ideas of which are very environmental and sound. With a lower taxes they seem to take care of it good. I pray that you do not have to evacuate. My niece and her husband are out in Pasadena, and other niece is in Seattle with other issues as well as fires.
Seems every year there are so many fires, and I am sure a bag of valuables and a plan is needed.
Take care,
Bill
Pack car with dog and cat, hook up caravan, laptops,. Get animal trailer for Billy and Popeye hook up to old car we all drive to safe place, oh must not forget hay. Dog and cat food, plus food for ourselves. Have I forgotten anything, oh yes first aide kit.
It's surely my military training. I am like Jason Bourne. I have an exit planned where ever I am in case of anything.
Its difficult to decide to do when you are in the midst of an emergency. It's always better to be prepared. :-)
Thanks for sharing Rosana!
Definitely good to get this info out there.
Mel
Hopefully that will NOT happen but it's best to be prepared and not have to go. Living in FL, hurricanes were always a concern for me. As in your case, my neighbors were less concerned and pretty much thought I was funny. I have a big duffel bag already and would pack it with critical documents such as passport, have blankets, water, nonperishable food and cash. My little car holds a lot so I'd be good to pack and sleep. After that, I'd get as far away from danger as possible.
Think positive but prepare for the negative.
~Debbi
See more comments
Hi Rosana,
Having an evacuation plan is the most important 1st step in my mind and you're definitely on the right track for sure.
Communication with your family and friends... getting ideas from them especially from those who have had to evacuate.
Checking on the internet and doing some research. There are emergency procedures onsite.
Determining the reasons for evacuation, season, hazards, food (dry food, cookware), water, medication, cash... list of things to already have prepared... don't forget toilet paper...sanitizers, etc.contact list...batteries, flash lights, flint, whistle...cell phone charger, etc, etc.
If you have dogs, cats... what do they need?
Determine where you would go for safety ( best location based on why you're evacuating) and what will be there for you to get your hands on. Consider footwear... running shoes, hiking boots, backpack...
I would even have another list (a last-minute pack up).
Even do a dress rehearsal/mock drill at least quarterly... this will help you determine what you missed.
Prayers are mighty powerful during crises...
Sorry... I'm rambling.
These are just some things I would do.
Hope these help.
Monica