Once again, I have changed the article I was going to post this week. As I watched the horrific firestorm in southern California, I was once again made aware and saddened as I heard story after story about all the things people left behind as they fled their homes. Some had just minutes while others had hours to prepare. In either case, there are tips for saving the most important items to help emotionally as well as temporally as you move forward. As thousands of disaster survivors will tell you, yes, it can happen to you. So many who evacuate take few items because they believe they will be able to go back home. Please understand thousands will not be able to return to an intact home in southern California and maybe next time it will be you. It’s not just a firestorm. Following a hurricane or earthquake, a home may still stand but may be condemned and you will not be allowed in. A flood may cause mold and all those items must be discarded.
No matter what the reason for an evacuation, it is going to be a stressful, chaotic time and you need to be prepared so you and your family will remain safe and sane until the earthquake, landslide, wildfire, hurricane, tornado, flood, storm surge, tsunami, avalanche, or any other threat has passed.
Don’t wait. A disaster can happen tomorrow. Get started.
Gather your family and ask each member to make a list of all the important items they would want to take if they knew they would never be able to return to your home. Once everyone has a list, read each one aloud and brainstorm items that may have been left off. Ask yourself which items can be replaced. For example, maybe other family members have a copy of the picture you have on the list. Which items can never be replaced? A favorite stuffed animal that a child sleeps with every night, a journal, and grandma’s engagement ring are all items that could never be replaced. Remember this list will not be complete. Over the next several weeks you will remember items that should be added to the list.
Now it’s time to prioritize. If you have limited time which items on each list are the most important? Be sure each family member does this with their own lists. Again, think what can be replaced and what cannot. Once you have discussed your priorities, create a master list with the most important items first.
Review items and determine which can be moved to a common area making them easier to collect when the time for evacuation comes. If you own artwork that is valuable, place items and hang paintings in one or two rooms or hallways not all over the house. Small heirlooms may be placed in one display case.
Artwork should be near the top of the list if it is monetarily valuable. Insurance will never cover all your losses so art, gold coins, jewelry and other items that may not have sentimental value will be a great help as you sell them to help rebuild. Remember your home or car may be gone but those holding loans on those will want their monthly payments. Really. Our friends who lost homes to fires still received notices demanding payment.
Be sure prescriptions, eyeglasses, wallets, purses, shoes, and keys are on your list. You would be amazed how many evacuate and forget these items. Your car keys may not also have the keys to bank deposit boxes, boats, motorhomes, vacation homes etc… Be sure you have all your keys.
Now that you have a priority list, create a form with four columns. In the first column record the items to be gathered in order of importance. Next in the second column record where each item is stored. In the third column record the name of the family member assigned to gather each item and place it in the car when the time comes to evacuate. The fourth column is left blank for now and can be used to check off the items once they are safely stashed in the car. Finally, post your list in an easily accessible location making it quick to find when an evacuation is imminent.
Finally, inventory your home. Spend a few days opening closet doors and drawers in every room and take photos or record a video. Filing an insurance claim will be much easier if you have proof of what you owned. Another reason for an inventory is to help you remember. This week a news anchor was covering the Palisades fire and another anchor asked him to go to her home to retrieve items she had forgotten when she evacuated. Several years ago, a friend was in California when lava threatened her home in Hawaii. She was able to look at her inventory to make a list of things for a neighbor to retrieve. Our friend’s home is now under 70 feet of lava but she has her most important items thanks to her inventory and her neighbor.
In a month or two, arrange with another family to hold an evacuation drill. Have your friend phone your home and inform you that you have 10 or 15 minutes to evacuate. Set a timer and begin gathering your items. When the timer goes off, get in the car, no excuses, and go to your friend’s home. This is your evacuation center. Examine what you have brought with you, reevaluate your plan and record any changes you need to make. Do all the kids have shoes on for example? Do the clothes in the Five-Day kits still fit? Did you find grandma’s ring or was the laptop missing in action? How long has it been since your last computer backup?
End your evening with root beer floats and the knowledge that your family will now be more capable of handling a crisis calmly and without panicking.
I remember a survivor of one of the San Diego fires telling me how she had her car loaded with important papers, the computer and her treasured heirlooms and she had to take those heirlooms out of the car to make room for the dog. She lost all her heirlooms. If you do a trial run you will better understand your needs. Do you need a car top carrier or do you need to plan to take both vehicles?
The thought of having to evacuate is not a pleasant one. The thought of contracting the flu is not pleasant either, but we have tissues and medications on hand just in case. Studies have shown that those who think about a challenge ahead of time are far more likely to survive and even thrive, than those who have chosen not to consider the possibility.
When You Know You May Need to Evacuate*
You may know evacuation is a possibility long before the order comes. A hurricane, heavy rains forecast, a blizzard, a fire miles away and others can trigger the knowledge an evacuation may be upcoming.
Get Ready Long Before
- Gas up car(s) and back them into the driveway.
- Place all Five-Day kits in the car.
- Gather important papers and computers into the car.
- Move all outdoor furniture into your home. They often catch fire and spread it. In a flood they float away or smash into your home damaging it.
- Get all pets into one room and close the door or tie them up. They will run when feeling threatened. You don’t want to spend time looking for them if you must leave.
- If you do not have a home inventory, take your phone or camera, and photograph all the rooms, closets, cupboards, garage, etc. You will need this for insurance and if your home survives you will have it in case of looters or burglary later.
- Dress to evacuate now. Dress in long pants and good shoes. Too many people have shown up in shelters with bare feet. Place shoes on your priority list so you remember them.
- Pack extra clothing.
- If you do not have cash, get small bills: 1s,5s, and 10s.
- For fire evacuation, hose down your home and landscape but DO NOT leave water running if you evacuate. This may hamper firefighting efforts by reducing pressure.
- Get out your Totally Ready evacuation checklist and begin working on it.
- If you evacuate, leave the lights on. It helps firefighters see your home and defend it.
- Move boats, recreation vehicles and tractors to a safer location.
- If flooding is the coming disaster, move furniture to upper floor. In a single-story home, move everything you can to the counters and/or attic.
- Gather family member so you are all together when the time comes to leave.
There are so many circumstances that may require you to evacuate. Preparing now will help ensure you have the best chance of saving all the heirlooms, documents and cherished items avoiding “I wish I had…” as you arrive at a shelter or home of a friend.
Now is the time to begin. As with any project, begin with prayer. If you doubt the importance of preparing, ask yourself when was the last time that you prayed to ask? I know what the answer will be.
*Excerpt from Totally Ready Binder: Tips and Tricks for Now and When Disaster Strikes
For help with your self-reliance goals visit Totally Ready on Facebook. Or message Carolyn by commenting on this article or at: ca*****@op****************.org
If you would like to help create ornaments or make a tax-deductible donation to support disaster survivors at Christmas please visit operationornaments.org or operation ornaments on Facebook. See Operation Ornaments the Kelly Clarkson Show: Kelly Clarkson interview.