A disaster is approaching and you need to move your family to a safe location. Are you ready? A fire may allow you only minutes while a hurricane may give you days to organize. What are the most important things to do with minutes or hours until you pile into cars and leave?
If You Have Five Minutes, Gather:
- Shoes — Many people show up at shelters bare foot, especially the kids.
- Wallet/Purse — Shocking but not surprising as chaos abounds as you round up kids and pets. Many people grab the car keys and head out.
- Keys — Cars, home, storage unit, office, bank deposit box, mailbox, etc. If you grab the keys for the vehicles you will be using to leave home, do they include those other keys?*
- Cell phones
- Chargers for phones and other devices, including car charger*
- Laptop and charger
- Backup flash drive/external hard drive
- Important documents*
- Contact list*
- Proof of insurance*+
- Proof of residency*+
- Mortgage*+
- Tax returns*+
- Checkbook — You will need the routing number for FEMA claims and if power is out you may not be able to look it up.
- Cash — Aim for at least $200 in small bills*
- Medications and medical devices — Plan ahead for insulin and other medications needing refrigeration
- Five-Day Kit
- Pets and Pet Kits
- Preparedness binder
- Warn neighbors — check on elderly/disabled as you drive out
*Add to your Five-Day Kits, leaving time to grab more valuable items.
+ Needed for insurance and FEMA claims
If You Have Fifteen Minutes, Gather:
- All items on Five-Minute Warning List
- Dress in long pants and a long-sleeved shirt or throw them in the car to change into later
- Extra clothing — Just grab an armful but don’t forget underwear and socks. Grab or empty hamper for a variety of clothing.*
- Family photos
- Valuable artwork on the walls — You may think this is a strange choice but artwork can be irreplaceable. More importantly, it is valuable as your bank account gets wiped out and selling artwork can provide needed fund.
- Journals
- Baby books
- Kids favorite book and/or toy
- Firearms and ammo — If you have ammo or propane tanks, leave a note for first responders so they can protect themselves as well as your home.
- Check on neighbors, disabled, and the elderly
*Should have some in your Five-Day Kits, leaving time to grab more valuable items.
** If you cannot take all of these, warn first responders (see below)
If You Have Thirty Minutes, Gather:
- All items on Five-Minute Warning List
- All items on Fifteen-Minute Warning List
- Snack box — You may have snacks in your Five-Day kit but they will be in the trunk or car top carrier. You may spend hours stuck in traffic evacuating and snacks will make the drive less stressful.
- Bottled water
- Bed pillows
- Quilts/blankets
- Photos hanging on walls — You may think this should be in the 5- or 15-minute list but most of the photos we have can be replaced with the originals on our phones or others may also have copies. If they are one of a kind, place them on the chart you created and assign someone to grab them. See: https://latterdaysaintmag.com/oh-no-we-forgot-the-birds/
- Get out that chart (link above) and collect those items you have listed and assigned. Collect the items you prioritized.
- Travel games/art books/crayons*
- Toiletries *
*Should be in your Five-Day Kits leaving time to grab more valuable items.
If You Have One Hour or Longer, Prepare:
- All items on Five-Minute Warning List
- All items on Fifteen-Minute Warning List
- All items on Thirty-Minute Warning List
- Fill your gas tanks and park cars facing the street for quicker escape when the street gets crowded with others escaping. Plan to take as many vehicles as you have adult drivers. I know we want to be together when we are stressed, and even a little panicked, but imagine the future as you need to go to work, deal with permits and rebuilding, find temporary housing, get kids to school, go grocery shopping, etc. This would be difficult with just one vehicle if you are accustomed to more.
- Turn off gas/propane
- Move outdoor furniture indoors
- If possible, move barbecue grill to far end of property if propane.
- Do not store propane in garage
- Trim tree limbs that could hit the house in the wind or act as a fire ladder. Keep them pruned and you can skip this.
- Add tent to car or truck
- Add camp stove to car or truck
- Add sleeping bag to car or truck
- Turn on outdoor lights to help first responders see and protect your home.
- Notify an out-of-area contact about your plans.
How often have you seen survivors interviewed and they express they didn’t know what to grab so they just left. Imagine the feeling of regretting not grabbing family mementos, medications, and even the simple things such as extra clothing.
A Few Tips So You Are Ready When the Time Comes
1. Gather as many items on the Five-Minute list into one place and you really can do it all in five minutes. For example, consider a drawer where all keys are kept.
2. Gather photos, journals, and baby books into one area now.
3. If you have ammo or propane tanks, leave a note for first responders so they can protect themselves as well as your home. Make signs now and keep them in an easily accessible place so they are ready. Place note on outside doors and sheds where the dangers are. Keep it simple.
4. Create a snack box now. Purchase a plastic container with a lid that will fit on a kitchen shelf. Fill with snacks and use it every day for lunches and snacking. Keep it full and it will be easy to grab when evacuating.
5. Gather your camping supplies into one place now.
6. Create a phone list now of neighbors to warn and check on.
7. If you don’t have Five-Day Kits, make it a priority now. I’m sure you can see how it will make evacuating much quicker and more efficient, leaving more time to grab items that are truly irreplaceable.
You don’t need to show up at a shelter or hotel room with regrets. You will never be able to save everything, but you can save the most crucial items to make recovering less devastating and more hopeful. Place this article in your preparedness binder ready to pull out when the need arises.
