This article was originally published by Tess Pennington at Ready Nutrition. 

Emergency evacuation plan

Advance notice is not always given when it comes to evacuations. In certain circumstances, you could be given as little as a few minutes to leave. Would you be ready? Plus, here’s a free handout that prints out easily and can be stored in your preparedness binders and/or bug out bag. Take the time and get prepped!

Hundreds of times each year, transportation and industrial accidents release harmful substances, forcing thousands of people to leave their homes on a moments notice.

Natural disasters such as fires, floods, tornadoes and hurricanes also cause evacuations. Almost once a year, people along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts evacuate in the face of approaching hurricanes.

FEMA

Advance notice is not always given when it comes to evacuations. In certain circumstances, you could be given as little as a few minutes to leave. Would you be ready?

Many preppers suggest having a bug out bag on standby when there is a threat of an evacuation. Moreover, for disasters such as earthquakes, you can prepare a bug out bag and store it outside of the home in case an earthquake causes structural damage.

Preparing a bag for evacuations takes more time than one would think. Taking survival needs into account is one thing, but trying to collect prescriptions, children’s special items, and personal documents can be frustrating if you were under time constraints. Preparing ahead of time for evacuations will cut down on the headaches, and keep you one step ahead. Likewise, keeping a vehicle evacuation-ready will minimize headaches when you are scrambling to necessary items together.

Some suggested preparedness items outlined in The Prepper’s Blueprint are:

• Backpacks for each member of the family (make sure the backpack has multiple compartments and pockets)
• Water containers for each family member. Alternatively, you can purchase water containers with filtration devices inside them.
• Water purification tablets
• Food for three days (remember foods that are lightweight and high in calories)
• Mylar blankets or bivvy for each member of the family
• Tent, tarp or some sort of alternative shelter
• Season appropriate clothing (3 days worth)
• Firestarters
• Waterproof matches and Bic lighters
• Charged cell phone or alternate communication
• Maps of the city and state (if you have not already purchased)
• Flashlights for each bag with extra batteries
• Mess kit and utensils for each family member

When Precious Minutes Count, Be Ready

While we have created evacuation checklists in the past, we wanted to provide a free handout that prints out easily and can be stored in your preparedness binders and/or bug out bag. Take the time and get prepped!

Tess Pennington is the author of The Prepper’s Blueprint: The Step-By-Step Guide To Help You Through Any Disaster.

Across the ages, in every survival story, a disaster of some sort plays a prominent role. Sometimes the part is played by the government, sometimes it is played by Mother Nature, and other times, the role is taken on by a random mishap. If we have learned one thing studying the history of disasters, it is this: those who are prepared have a better chance at survival than those who are not. A crisis rarely stops with a triggering event. The aftermath can spiral, having the capacity to cripple our normal ways of life. Because of this, it’s important to have a well-rounded approach to our preparedness efforts. Due to the overwhelming nature of preparedness, we have created the Prepper’s Blueprint to help get you and your family ready for life’s unexpected emergencies. To make a more comprehensive, easy-to-follow program, The Prepper’s Blueprint has been simplified and divided up in a way to help you make sense of all the preparedness concepts and supply lists provided. We have divided the chapters into layers of preparedness.

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