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Preparing for Evacuations
Evacuation plans are critical in any survival situation, and with the flood, storms and fires we have been faced with this year making an action plan is important for your family’s safety.
Before the emergency sit down with your family, talk about emergency situations that can happen in your area like, hurricanes, fires, earthquakes, civil unrest, riots, storms, etc. sketch out ideas of how your family might handle each situation until you have come to the best conclusion for evacuating.
Stay or Go?
This decision can be big and hard. Each choice has benefits and risks associated with it. Make sure to consider with your family a safe meeting place if everyone is not at home. Make it easy to find for everyone, make it age appropriate, take into account whether everyone in your family can get there walking. Also understand there will be time when your family has no choice but to evacuate.
Multiple Routes Out
Keep in mind road or highway closures. If the highways are open will they be clogged with people also trying to get to safety? Plan now and map out as many routes as possible for your family to travel once they have all met at the pre-determine place. Make sure to include hiking and driving route such as hiking trails, railroad tracks, side roads, etc…leave no stone unturned they should all be considered.
Survival Supplies you may need:
When you evacuate from your homes include your family’s 72-hour kits. Make sure your bags are designed around what you and your family’s needs might be while you are away from your home.
Where you will go?
Leaving your home without a plan is no plan at all. Make sure you know where you are going before a disaster strikes. This may include second homes, cabins, camp grounds, houses of other family members, etc.
Remember these are just ideas to get you and your family thinking about what you would do in any sort of emergency situation.
Refer to OSHA at http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/evacuation/index.html for additional ideas and helps.
