The worst case has happened… a wide-spread disaster has hit your neighborhood or town. The authorities, or the actual conditions, are demanding that anyone in the danger zone evacuate. While there are lots of instructions about what to do while the earth is shaking or the wind is howling, there are other things that need to be considered and done if you have to evacuate.
Your evacuation plan should have several key elements thoroughly discussed and agreed upon by the family. Although events may force changes to this plan, having this framework in place will give you more time to think through the changes needed in the given circumstances. Each of the main points are discussed in the following pages, but you can jump ahead by clicking the subject links below.
- Develop a Bug-Out List of what to grab, and in which order, based upon how much time you have before you must leave.
- Identify Rally Points where the family will meet up and regroup for the next phase of the evacuation. This also allows family members who were not with you a chance to catch up or know how far behind you they may be.
- Determine the Transportation needed to get as much as possible from your house to the Bug-Out Location. Determine if key items can be prepositioned there beforehand.
Having an family disaster evacuation plan in place will put you far ahead of most other people who are most likely still reeling in shock at what is occurring.
