5 Steps to Create the Perfect Hurricane Evacuation Plan
Hurricanes don't happen randomly, but they can form so quickly that it may feel like you have little to no time to prepare your home or draft an evacuation plan.
For people who live along the coast or in areas prone to hurricane strikes or flooding, hurricane preparedness isn't something that happens once a storm is en route – and the same is true for forming your hurricane evacuation plan.
In addition to a standard hurricane prep list, it's crucial to prepare for a worst-case scenario evacuation. When a storm has reached critical wind speeds, and it's no longer safe to stay home, or in a shelter, evacuation can be the difference between life and death.
From what to pack and where to go, here are five simple steps for making sure you're ready to evacuate during a storm.
Understanding a Hurricane Evacuation Zone
If you live close enough to the coast, you could be in a perpetual evacuation zone. According to the National Hurricane Center, hurricane evacuation zones are ranked by levels of severity, with Zone A being most likely to evacuate first and Zone F last.
If your city or neighborhood isn't already identified as an evacuation zone, a dangerous enough storm could still force you to relocate anyway. In some cases, families chose to evacuate without being instructed to do so.
Organizing Your Hurricane Evacuation Plan
When a significant storm is approaching, state and city officials will announce evacuation guidelines based on a hurricane's strength, direction, and rainfall. These can be found on the local and nationwide news, in newspapers, and through the National Hurricane Center.
If evacuation becomes necessary, it can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars to pack and relocate your family for the storm's duration.
As a part of everyone's hurricane preparation checklist, these five simple guidelines will help ensure you're ready to hunker down or evacuate at a moment's notice.
1. Designate Meet-Up Locations
Before you evacuate and before a storm becomes an immediate danger, you will want to designate a few locations in your city and outside your city as meeting points for your friends and family in case anyone gets separated. You should have a friend or family member outside your community who knows these meeting points in case someone gets separated during an evacuation.
If your child's school has a disaster plan, ensure they know your family's designated meeting spots.
It's a good idea for each family member to carry a card with significant phone numbers, such as the point of contact outside your community, and the designated meet-up spots on them at all times. This way, they will always have something for a search-and-rescue team to work from if you get separated.
2. Pick an Evacuation Destination
Once you decide to evacuate or get the instruction to evacuate from your local government officials, the next step on your hurricane evacuation plan is deciding where you'll go to wait out the storm. You may choose to stay with family or friends outside of town or rent a hotel room based on distance or location in proximity to the storm. In either scenario, your exact destination must be mapped out in advance.
If you have pets, it's also essential to consider their safety and shelter. Some states have passed legislation on leaving animals behind during a storm – largely regarding the act as animal cruelty. So if you have pets, you must ensure your emergency lodging includes them.
3. Know Your Routes and Plan Accordingly
After you've picked a final destination for your emergency hurricane evacuation, don't assume you know the best way to get there. If a storm is en route, you may find certain freeways and highways bogged down with traffic or cut off completely.
Instead, ensure at least three options for getting to your evacuation destination and twice as much gas as you would typically need to make the trip. Gas stations will likely be jam-packed and may sometimes run out of gas, so be sure you get the amount of fuel you need before it's too late. You can't predict the kind of traffic you'll encounter, so preparing for the worst will help ensure you're ready for any scenario.
4. Create a Separate Evacuation Hurricane Prep List
When you're evacuating during a storm, your hurricane prep list might look a little different because you don't have to stockpile for an extended period like you would if you were staying home to ride out the storm.
You should create a list of all the things you need to do before you evacuate your home and a list of all the supplies you will need on the road and away from home.
You will also want to prepare your car by getting gas in advance and possibly bringing an extra gas canister. You will likely sit in traffic for a while, depending on how far you must travel to get to a safe area, so it may be hard to anticipate when you will have the chance to fuel up again without causing a major delay during your evacuation.
5. Pack a Go Bag
Without knowing the condition your home will be in when you return, you should plan to pack a supply kit that's different from a standard emergency kit.
You'll still need fresh water and non-perishable foods, but you may also want to ensure that you have blankets, a change of clothes, jumper cables for your car, and trash bags in case you're on the road for an extended period.
You will want to ensure your phone is fully charged when you leave, and bring a spare power source. It's also crucial to keep your family's most essential documents in one place in case your home is flooded or damaged during the storm. If you have hurricane insurance, bring a copy of your policy with you and any other essential insurance cards, medical, and government documents.
The Importance of Hurricane Preparedness
No matter how many hurricanes you've been through, these storms are violent and unpredictable. Even with the best reinforcements, your home may not be the safest place for your family.
Everyone in your family must know the plan and their roles in making the plan run as efficiently and quickly as possible. It's always a good idea to have a hurricane evacuation plan mapped out before a storm so you and your family can do a dry run before the event of a hurricane.
A simple and effective hurricane evacuation plan is vital to your hurricane prep list. This guide will help you eliminate panic and covers the most important aspects of keeping your family safe until the weather has cleared.