DISASTERS

Blocked from getting Home

You were navigating traffic toward a quiet evening — then flooded streets, fire engines, police barricades, sinkholes, downed trees or a landslide blocked the way. Plan ahead for a place everyone knows if they can't get home or must evacuate locally.

Practice the routes

Knowing alternate routes on paper isn't enough — drive them so they feel familiar when stress is high. - Grandpa TJ -

Routes, meet-ups, and group texts

Familiarize yourself with alternate ways home, pick nearby meet-up locations, and use group texts to coordinate when voice calls fail.

First: multiple routes

Be familiar with different ways to get to (and away from) your house. Periodically drive alternate routes — residential streets with stop signs may beat a frozen freeway in a crisis.

Grandpa TJ: 2011 power outage

Sept 2011, a massive outage hit southern California and Arizona. Freeway-bound traffic was dead-stopped with no lights. Going the opposite direction onto the scenic route got me home ~30 minutes later while the jam stretched for miles. Always have more than one way to go!

Study a map of your neighborhood

Whether you consult a map or drive around, know more than one or two ways home. Highlight alternate routes you have actually used for traffic problems, blockages and emergencies.

Don't be stuck with no options

Your normal freeway route may become a parking lot. Pre-plan escape routes (shown in red on the live map) and drive them beforehand — don't learn them for the first time in a crisis.

Nearby Family Meet-Up Location

Like a Home Fire Meet-up, have somewhere to go if you can't reach home or must evacuate locally. Far enough to be safe, nearby if possible — plus a backup. A simple hand-drawn map with key streets and preferred routes helps kids especially.

Home Fire Meet-up

Use Group Texts to Coordinate

Old phone trees were slow. In a crisis, cellular voice lines jam — but texts often still get through (and via WiFi/desktops too). Set up family group texts on all devices. When you head to a meet-up, text your current location and destination so everyone has your plan and a timestamp.

Navigation

Home Fire Escape Plan Family Meet Up in a Disaster

Need help with your situation?

Email Grandpa TJ for free unbiased advice, or join the Inner Circle when you need a real conversation with a real person.

Email Grandpa TJ Inner Circle Home