National Hurricane Preparedness Week: Day 2 - Develop An Evacuation Plan

 

The first thing you need to do is find out if you live in a hurricane evacuation zone. If you do, now is the time to begin planning where you would go and how you would get there. You do not need to travel hundreds of miles, but have multiple options. Your destination could be a friend or relative who doesn’t live in an evacuation zone. If you live in a well-built home outside the evacuation zone, your safest place may be to remain home. Be sure to account for your pets in your plan. As hurricane season approaches, listen to local officials on questions related to how you may need to adjust any evacuation plans based on the latest health and safety guidelines from the CDC and your local officials. - Credit NOAA.

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When it comes to feelings of dread, there are few things that can compare with the moment you realize that you must grab everything you can, and get your family, pets, and valuables out of harm's way on short notice because of a looming disaster. 

While hurricanes often produce the most frequent, and large scale, evacuations there are other equally devastating reasons to evacuate including wildfires, floods, industrial fires, chemical spills, house fires, tsunami warnings, and earthquake damage.

Depending on the situation you might have hours to prepare and leave, or you may only have a few minutes.  Having a plan before you need it, and an agreed upon rendezvous location for family members who may be separated, is imperative. 

Which is why Day 2 of National Hurricane Preparedness Week is about how to develop a plan to evacuate you, your family, and your pets to a safe location. A task that is made somewhat more challenging during this COVID-19 pandemic. 

Ready.gov has some excellent advice on how to prepare to evacuate during an emergency. 

Evacuation

Plan to Evacuate

Many kinds of emergencies can cause you to have to evacuate. In some cases, you may have a day or two to prepare while other situations might call for an immediate evacuation. Planning is vital to making sure that you can evacuate quickly and safely no matter what the circumstances.

Before an Evacuation

• Learn the types of disasters that are likely in your community and the local emergency, evacuation and shelter plans for each specific disaster.
• Plan how you will leave and where you will go if you are advised to evacuate.
• Check with local officials about what shelter spaces are available for this year. Coronavirus may have altered your community’s plans.
• If you evacuate to a community shelter, follow the latest guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for protecting yourself and your family from possible coronavirus: people over 2-years-old should use a cloth facial covering while at these facilities.
• Be prepared to take cleaning items with you like masks, soap, hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes or general household cleaning supplies to disinfect surfaces.
• Maintain at least 6 feet of space between you and people who aren’t in your immediate family.
• Identify several places you could go in an emergency such as a friend’s home in another town or a motel. Choose destinations in different directions so that you have options during an emergency.
• If needed, identify a place to stay that will accept pets. Most public shelters allow only service animals.
• Be familiar with alternate routes and other means of transportation out of your area.
• Always follow the instructions of local officials and remember that your evacuation route may be on foot depending on the type of disaster.
• Come up with a family/household plan to stay in touch in case you become separated; have a meeting place and update it depending on the circumstance.
• Assemble supplies that are ready for evacuation. Prepare a “go-bag” you can carry when you evacuate on foot or public transportation and supplies for traveling longer distances if you have a car.

If you have a car:

• Keep a full tank of gas if an evacuation seems likely. Keep a half tank of gas in it at all times in case of an unexpected need to evacuate. Gas stations may be closed during emergencies and unable to pump gas during power outages. Plan to take one car per family to reduce congestion and delay.
• Make sure you have a portable emergency kit in the car.
• If you do not have a car, plan how you will leave if needed. Decide with family, friends or your local emergency management office to see what resources may be available.

During an Evacuation

• Download the FEMA app for a list of open shelters during an active disaster in your local area.
• Listen to a battery-powered radio and follow local evacuation instructions.
• Take your emergency supply kit.
• Leave early enough to avoid being trapped by severe weather.
• Take your pets with you but understand that only service animals may be allowed in public shelters. Plan how you will care for your pets in an emergency now.

If time allows:

• Call or email the out-of-state contact in your family communications plan. Tell them where you are going.
• Secure your home by closing and locking doors and windows.
• Unplug electrical equipment such as radios, televisions and small appliances. Leave freezers and refrigerators plugged in unless there is a risk of flooding. If there is damage to your home and you are instructed to do so, shut off water, gas and electricity before leaving.
• Leave a note telling others when you left and where you are going.
• Wear sturdy shoes and clothing that provides some protection such as long pants, long-sleeved shirts and a hat.
• Check with neighbors who may need a ride.
• Follow recommended evacuation routes. Do not take shortcuts, they may be blocked.
• Be alert for road hazards such as washed-out roads or bridges and downed power lines. Do not drive into flooded areas.

After an Evacuation

• If you evacuated for the storm, check with local officials both where you’re staying and back home before you travel.
• If you are returning to disaster-affected areas, after significant events prepare for disruptions to daily activities and remember that returning home before storm debris is cleared is dangerous.
• Let friends and family know before you leave and when you arrive.
• Charge devices and consider getting back-up batteries in case power-outages continue.
• Fill up your gas tank and consider downloading a fuel app to check for outages along your route.
• Bring supplies such as water and non-perishable food for the car ride.
• Avoid downed power or utility lines, they may be live with deadly voltage. Stay away and report them immediately to your power or utility company.
• Only use generators outside and away from your home and NEVER run a generator inside a home or garage or connect it to your home's electrical system.

Last Updated: 02/18/2021

Long time readers of this blog know that in 2017 Category 4 Hurricane Irma threatened Florida for days, before slicing up the center of the state. A record 6.5 million residents were told to evacuate from coastal regions, barrier islands, low lying areas, and manufactured homes.

And yes, I was one of them. 

Because I have a small network of `Disaster Buddies', I had several places where my cat and I could go, not counting motels and public shelters. If you are interested, I detailed the experience in A Post Irma Update.

While I was lucky, and had a home to return to 5 days later, many people - particularly in South Florida and the Keys - lost everything. Sadly, at least 72 Floridians did not survive the storm.

Since I live in a coastal county, and in a manufactured home, I know there is a chance I'll have to repeat this experience again, possibly as soon as this summer.  

Although it is not a pleasant thought, the time and effort I put into preparing for that possibility now - before the season begins - can save me a lot of angst down the road. 

While this blog, and many other internet sources (I follow Mark Sudduth's Hurricane Track, and Mike's Weather page), will cover this year's hurricane season. your primary source of forecast information should always be the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida. 

These are the real experts, and the only ones you should rely on to track and forecast the storm.

If you are on Twitter, you should also follow @FEMA, @NHC_Atlantic, @NHC_Pacific and @ReadyGov and of course take direction from your local Emergency Management Office.