by Lisa Bedford
In hindsight we came out okay. Insurance covered a bit, enough to help us buy the most important necessities for re-establishing a household, but the money wasn’t nearly enough. Smoke damage is terrible and almost impossible to get out of any belongings.
My main regret is that I didn’t accurately assess the people I lived with to have an idea of how they might react under intense pressure. This would hold true in any emergency, and is something I definitely do much better now!”
Tip: Marilyn’s tip for working with people unable to cope in a crisis is to give them a single, simple direction, such as, “Go outside and wait for the ambulance,” or “Bring me the first aid kit.” This gets the traumatized person away from the immediate situation, gives them something simple on which to focus, and provides time to calm down and, hopefully, begin to think clearly again.
When is it time to leave?
This really is the $40,000 question, isn’t it? Sometimes it’s painfully obvious that it’s time to leave, such as when the walls of your home begin collapsing after an earthquake. Other times, it’s hard to tell when to make the call.
Unless your emergency is one that requires racing out of the house with nothing more than the clothes on your back, you’ll likely have time to consider whether it’s smarter to stay put and hunker down or leave. The answer to this question isn’t as clear cut as it may seem.
I’ve heard it said that once the authorities give the word to evacuate, it’s already too late. Like hundreds of others, perhaps hundreds of thousands of others, you’ve waited for the official go-ahead and now you’ll be fighting everyone else for the few routes available that will take you away from the danger zone.
While it’s vital to pay attention to official sources, it’s just as important to rely on your own eyes, ears, and common sense to know when it’s time to leave or whether the safest choice is to stay.
At times like these, pay attention to the neighborhood or workplace rumor mill. I’m a fan of getting news from alternate sources and often news leaks from official sources can be helpful. Keep in mind that your safety and that of your loved ones will be determined by the decisions and actions you take and evaluate the sources carefully. Be careful about making decisions based on something that a friend of a friend reports.
Once you leave home, especially in a dire emergency, you’ve become just another refugee. You’ve probably seen news footage of desperate refugees from around the world, carrying pillow cases and plastic trash bags filled with the only belongings they could grab at the last minute. If these refugees are lucky, their path will take them to a tent city set up by emergency relief workers. In many cases, though, their trail ends in starvation, injury, and often, violence and death.
It may sound far-fetched that this could happen to you, but Hurricane Katrina didn’t exactly bring out the best in many people, and those who were most affected were the ones who didn’t leave their homes in time and ended up relying on others for even the most basic supplies, such as water and toilet facilities.
Key word: imminent
The key factor in knowing when it’s time to leave is the word “imminent”. Are you and your loved ones in imminent danger? A household fire presents an imminent danger, but a wildfire burning up acres of forest land 50 miles away isn’t quite an imminent threat and may never become one.
An earthquake or tornado that leaves your home severely damaged requires a quick evacuation because it no longer is a safe refuge. There’s imminent danger if you stay put because the structure itself presents serious danger.
When evaluating the need to evacuate, ask, “Is the threat imminent?” Err on the side of safety by overestimating the level of imminent danger in order to give yourself a margin of time to make decisions, prepare, and leave.
Hunkering down may not be the best choice
If you decide to stay at home and not evacuate after all, you are gambling that you’ll be able to get out at some point in the future. A danger may not be imminent now but that could change, and by the time you make the decision to hit the road, you could very well find yourself in the midst of a horde of people who also postponed their departure, or trapped by damaged roads, destroyed bridges, and impassable highways.
Staying home also presents the possibility, however remote, that there will be food, gasoline, and supply shortages; a long-term power outage to endure; and even a lack of fresh water and operating sewer systems. If you have septic and / or well systems, a power outage means those won't work, either.
On the other hand, at home you’re in familiar surroundings with neighbors and loved ones who, hopefully, will be willing to join with you in sharing resources and protecting property. All your stored gear and food will be in one place, and you know the lay of the land. If you have kids, remaining in their own home, as long as it’s safe to do so, will surely be less traumatic.
Staying informed to make an informed decision
Information is going to be your most important ally in the first moments, hours, and days of an emergency. If you or your kids have a smartphone or tablet, install apps that provide alerts for inclement weather, tornadoes, earthquakes, and hurricanes. If, during your evacuation route, you must pass through or near a major metropolitan area, a traffic-tracking app would also be helpful, as well as one that helps you find gas stations. If you have a GPS that tracks this information, don't forget to keep the maps updated and bring it along.
The Red Cross makes several excellent emergency apps. Even FEMA has a phone app that provides weather alerts, tips for building an emergency kit, and more. If you have a “not-so-smart phone,” be sure you are familiar with your local AM news radio station. Having a HAM radio license and operating radios would be exceedingly helpful, as well. Very often, it’s the amateur radio operators who are communicating first following a major disaster.
What if everyone isn’t all together?
Be prepared for the eventuality that your family may be separated during the time when an urgent evacuation is necessary – Dad at work, Mom at home with the little ones, older kids away at school. Have a plan in place that enables you to contact your family members, whether it is a family tracker app, such as Life360, a spare set of walkie-talkies in the car (with spare batteries), or some other method.
At this point, communication becomes most vital. In the case of an urgent evacuation, it will be enough to make a quick phone call or send a text to family members letting them know you are safe.
In a planned evacuation, though, everyone must stay up to date with the latest news and weather and have a pre-determined point at which the evacuation will move forward.
It can take days for a hurricane to pose a danger, as they often linger hundreds of miles off shore, making up their minds as to which direction they’ll travel. It wouldn’t make any sense to pack up the kids, dogs, and ice chest when the hurricane is still a Category 2 in the middle of the Atlantic.
Instead, set triggers to help you decide when your family will begin loading up the car and making final preparations to leave. In the case of a hurricane, those might be when the storm’s trajectory places your home directly in its path and you live within the evacuation boundaries.
If everyone knows those triggers, they can track them, no matter where they happen to be, so they will know when it’s time to head home.
This takes the wild guesswork out of a situation in which nerves are becoming more frayed by the hour and keeps everyone on the same well-informed page.
Getting the kids back home
Ask your child’s school teacher and administrators what their plan is for the types of natural disasters that are most likely in your area. Those plans should be available on the school’s website or in a Parent Handbook.
If your plan is to rush to your child’s classroom and grab her, your visit may not be a welcome one. A crowd of parents all intent on doing the same thing is a school administrator’s nightmare and an unauthorized person grabbing a child is entirely possible.
In a worst case scenario where you absolutely must get your child, first approach the school office and attempt to go through the official, established steps of checking your child out. Be prepared to show your ID and sign them out just like you would any other day.
If you can't personally pick them up, be sure the person you send in your place has both their photo ID and a signed, dated note from you that gives that specific person authorization to pick up your child on that day. Be sure to include the name of your child's teacher as well as the child's name to help speed the process along. If your school has a specific form for this, use it. The easier you make things on the office staff, the faster you will get your child home.
However, the very first person you should talk with about getting your child home safely in an emergency is the child herself. In the chaos and aftermath of a tornado, earthquake, or long-term power outage, the chance that she could go home with a friend, attempt to walk home on their own, or panic and run away is fairly likely.
Talk with your kids and make sure they know the plan. If you are going to pick them up, be sure they know that you will do everything you can to pick them up and they should remain at the school until you, or someone you send, gets there. If they have a close friend near the school and you are comfortable with them going home with that person, you can call or email the change to their teacher and the office on that day, but it might be missed in the hubbub so make sure your child knows to listen for it.
Here’s one possible game plan for a conversation like this one:
Talk to your kids about what types of emergencies might occur that are common to your area. Discuss how your family has weathered such events before and what you’ve done to keep the family safe.
Review with them the official school routine for checking kids out of school.
If your kids have cell phones, that phone is an important lifeline to you in case of an emergency. If the school rule is that cell phones cannot be used during school hours, let your child know that in the case of one of the emergencies you discussed, they should tell their teacher that you’ll be contacting them. It would be a good idea for you to email the teacher as well to give them a heads-up.
At the very least, they should have their phone powered on with the ringer off. Remind them to charge their phone at night so it has full power when they go to school. This way, they will still be able to receive text messages from you.
If your child doesn't normally carry a cell phone, an inexpensive "disposable" cell phone could be a good investment.
By the way, additional phones can be added to a family’s cell phone plan for a few dollars each month. I know that kids can misuse cell phones but in an emergency, nothing beats having that line of communication to the little ones in your life.
Our kids have had their own cell phones since they were 10 and 11 years old. On one occasion, my daughter was able to alert me to an extreme medical emergency she was experiencing, so I’m a fan of kids and the smart use of cell phones.
A good option to the cell phone is a set of two-way radios. These can be kept in a backpack and turned on only when needed. Add a set of spare batteries and it’s an inexpensive way to stay in touch.
For sure, don’t be shy about asking your child’s teacher about emergency plans and volunteer to participate in helping the students and school be more secure and prepared.
TIP: Have kids away at college? They, too, should have an emergency kit and know how to utilize every item it contains. Should they ever need to evacuate their campus, first find out if an official plan is in place and keep that information in mind. However, controlling the actions of thousands of young adults is something no college or university can completely put into place, so your student should also have a plan of his own.
Along with a well-equipped kit, that might include a laminated map marked with multiple directions leading to safe places, a couple hundred dollars in small bills to pay for transportation, food, and lodging. Encourage your student to find others headed the same direction and travel together since there’s usually safety in numbers.
Emergency kits, packed & ready
We preppers love a good emergency kit. Whether you call it a 72 hour kit, a Bug-Out-Bag, or a Run Bucket, you should have one for each member of your family.
What is an emergency kit? It’s a collection of basic supplies that will support you for at least three days, preferably more, while you are away from home and have no other means of support. FEMA has repeatedly said that it often takes at least 72 hours before they are ready to begin services and administer relief to disaster zones. FEMA is neither the most efficient nor most reliable source of assistance, and during those first few days, you should plan to be completely on your own. You will need food, water, and other vital supplies, especially if you are away from home.
A kit is an effective way to have all those vital supplies in one place, rather than scattered around the house.
It’s possible to purchase these kits pre-made, and that is what most people do. If you do buy a pre-made kit, go through it regularly to become familiar with the contents, and be sure to add items that are unique to your needs.
One of the biggest drawbacks to most of the ready-made kits is the lack of quality found in many of the supplies. There’s also the assumption that the new owner of the kit will know exactly how to utilize each item in it. When you really, truly need an item and your life depends on it, quality counts for more than anything else, so double check each item and make sure it will do its job when it matters most and that you have some skill in putting it to use.
As easy as it might be to fork over the money for a kit that’s ready to go, I recommend assembling your own from scratch. When you put your own kit together, you can easily seek out the items that are most suitable for your use and many you probably have around the house already.
Standard supplies for an emergency kit
I like to refer to The 5 S’s when it comes to packing an emergency kit of any kind. Every kit should contain items vital to these 5 categories:
Sanitation
Sustenance
Survival
Safety
Sanity
You will need supplies in each of these and they cover the gamut from items that will help you stay calm throughout a crisis to hard-core survival supplies, such as paracord and a good knife.
When it comes to sustenance, an emergency kit should contain enough food to keep you and everyone in your group going for at least three days, preferably five. If you won't eat it, then it won't help keep you going, so be sure to pack food your family will actually eat.
Many people make the mistake of not packing enough calories in their emergency kits. Things like jerky and granola bars are good choices, but too many salty foods will make you thirsty and cause you to go through your supply of water more quickly. Thrive Life and Mountain House sell instant just-add-hot-water meals that provide more nourishment. Other good choices include:
Trail mix
Shelled sunflower seeds
Small cans of food, such as fruit, ravioli, and tuna
High calorie energy bars – Handle these with care. High energy may be the last thing your kids need, and if they contain chocolate, they can be messy!
Hard candies – Offer a prize for whoever can make their Lifesaver last the longest!
Packets for flavoring water
Oral rehydration powder – Add to water to speed recovery from dehydration. Pedialyte and RecoverORS are good brands.
Can opener – Include this even if all your cans have a pop-top because those rings can break.
Utensils: one fork, spoon and knife per person.
You’ll find more handy food options in the Evacuation Supplies Checklist in the Appendix of this book.
Other standard items for an emergency kit include:
A change of clothing, including extra socks – Bonus points if they are wool.
A portable radio – There are han
d-crank and solar powered versions as well as USB powered.
A washcloth or compact travel towel – You should always know where your towel is! This is one item with multiple purposes.
A first aid kit
Toiletries and hygiene supplies
Prescription medication for those with specific medical requirements – Don’t forget the EpiPen and/or Benadryl for allergic reactions.
Waterproof matches or lighter
Current pictures of family members – These will become important if you are separated and need assistance locating them. For kids, put pictures of you on their tablet or phone in case they wander off and need help finding you.
Smartphone/tablet chargers – Charger cord and a cube or a crank/solar charger.
Emergency kits for infants and toddlers – Be sure to include sufficient diapers for at least three days. Keep in mind that even children who are potty-trained may regress during times of emotional stress and it may be hard to find a place for a pit stop during an evacuation, so it might be good to pack a pull-up or two, just in case.
A pack of cloth diapers and diaper pins – Even if you don't have a child in diapers, they are still an absorbent fabric you can use to wipe up spills, as a sling, as a face mask, etc. (We have thirteen year old cloth diapers that never touched a babies behind, but have done massive amounts of dusting in our house.)
A flashlight
Extra batteries for each battery-powered item in your kit – Be sure to rotate and test these!