Evacuation Preparedness Tips from FlyLady

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We had quite an exciting morning. To make a long story short, there was a very minor issue at our local nuclear power plant during the night. We got an early-morning phone call from the powers-that-be asking us to keep our kids home until we knew the problem had been fixed. Soon after, we got another phone call letting us know that everything was fine and school would start two hours late. I appreciate the cautiousness—it’s better to be safe than sorry, especially where our children are concerned.

But while I’m incredibly relieved that everything is fine, this experience pointed out how completely unprepared I am for emergencies. Do you have a plan in place if you had to drop everything, pile into the car, and head for safety?

I remember reading an article about disaster preparedness on FlyLady‘s website ages ago, so I asked for permission to reprint her evacuation plan. Here it is:

Flylady’s 11 Points to Preparedness

Life constantly hurls unexpected challenges our way and any moment we could be faced with the threat of evacuation from our homes. We never know when this could happen because of fire, tornadoes, storms, floods, or hurricanes. It is up to us to be prepared! Don’t wait and think this can’t happen to you. We have seen power outages from ice storms, thunderstorms, and raging fires. Please take this plan and pull it together to help you stay calm during any disaster.

• PEOPLE: Have a plan for getting out of the house and make sure everyone knows it. Have an emergency bag of food and water for your family. Include wholesome snacks and treats for the children: dried fruit, nuts, peanut butter, crackers, and granola bars.

• PETS: Keep pet carriers and leashes readily available to lead pets to safety. Also take pet food with you.

• PICTURES: Keep negatives or CDs of pictures in a lock box or at a family member’s home. Have picture albums in one place ready to grab and go at a moment’s notice. [Shannon here: I would add that at the very least have some recent photos of all your family members and pets with you in case you get separated. Sometimes schools send fingerprinting/DNA kits home with kids, so bring those along, too, if you have them.]

• PAPERS: Have all your important papers in a lock box at a bank and only keep copies at the house. This keeps you from panicking. If you have them at home then put them in a folder that you can easily grab if you have to move fast. Color code it so you can find it! [We keep our papers (passports, birth certificates, etc.) in a fireproof box.]

• PRESCRIPTIONS: Take your medications with you. Don’t forget the ones like insulin that have to be refrigerated. Have a small ice chest and cold packs readily accessible to pack and go. If you have babies remember their formula or medications.

• PURSES and PETROL: This is where you keep your identification, credit cards, and cash. Keep a stash of cash for emergencies and grab it. You may not be able to use an ATM in the event of a power outage. Make sure your car always has a half a tank of gas.

• PROPER CLOTHES and COMFORT ITEMS: According to the weather conditions, gather up a change of clothes along with outerwear: coats, rain gear, boots, gloves, and hats. If you have babies remember diapers. Remember to grab your children’s favorite blanket, stuffed animal, or toy. A game or a deck of cards could keep them occupied and calm, too.

• PLANNER/CALENDAR/CONTROL JOURNAL: These documents have all the information you will need from phone numbers, insurance numbers, and important dates. They are small and filled with things you don’t have to try to remember.

• PERSONAL PROTECTION: Many of us still have that time of the month. Be sure and grab a box of your preferred protection. It may be hard to find if you have been evacuated. Stress can cause our bodies to do strange things too. So be prepared. Take medication for cramps, too.

• PHONES and RADIOS: Many of us have cell phones now. Always keep them charged up and have a charger in the car or an extra battery. They may not work in the event of power outages, but then they might. Know which local radio station has emergency bulletins. Keep your battery-powered radio tuned to that local station and have plenty of batteries for it.

• PATIENCE: This is one of the most important things to pack. Keep it inside of you so that you have a clear, calm head. Having your P’s to Preparedness list guiding you will keep you patient. In the event of an evacuation there will be lots of displaced people. Being patient will make things less stressful. Your children need to see you calm and collected. This will help keep them calm too.

Thank you, FlyLady! I’m going to print out the plan and start chipping away at the list. And then hope I never have to use it!