Have you ever
thought about what would happen if you were in an emergency and you
had 5 minutes to evacuate? Because of recent fires, hurricanes, and
other natural disasters, people have found themselves in that exact
situation. If you are prepared for such a situation, you will have
what you need, and won’t lose precious items in the disaster. Here
are some tips to consider when making your evacuation list.
Parts of the House- One way
to start the process is to think about all the different areas in
your house, and the items you will need from that area. Organizing
your list this way will also help you save time if you actually end
up in an emergency. Instead of running all over the house, you can
start upstairs and work your way down. Remember to include every
room. For example, here is a list for an upstairs level.
Upstairs
Closet- Coat, External hard drive, safe
Bedroom- 72 hour kits, keys, wallet,
phone, phone charger, glasses
Amount of time- Your
evacuation list will be different if you have an hour than if you
have 5 minutes. So write a list for 5 minutes, 15 minutes, 30
minutes, and 1 hour. If you end up in that situation, you can start
off gathering the 5 minute list and work your way up getting all the
things on the lists up to the amount of time that you need to leave.
Prioritize- When you are
making your 5 minute list, you will have to prioritize strictly
based off of survival. Start thinking of the things that you need to
survive and work your way down from there. For example, in the 5
minute list you might have your 72 hour kit, in the 15 minute list
you might have your glasses or contacts, in the 30 minute list you
might include a cooler with snacks or a tent, and in the hour list
you might grab your family pictures, clothes, or an air mattress.
Consider your options-
Think about what you will do or where you will go once you have
evacuated. Consider your resources. For example, you might have a
relative in a neighboring state, a cabin that is removed from the
situation, or a shelter nearby where they house people during
emergencies.
Practice and Post- Once you
have put together your list of essentials and know the plan, it is
important to let your family know what it is. Practice with your
family only having 5 minutes to evacuate so that you know that your
list is doable. It is also helpful to have your lists posted around
the house so that you everyone knows what is needed if you suddenly
need to evacuate.
If you get
stumped, think about the things your family uses on a daily basis, or
what is the most important to you. You can also look up examples for
lists online.
Click
here to find out more about supplies for emergency situations.
Author Bio-
Dirk Puckett is an emergency preparedness expert from Sheridan,
Wyoming who loves spreading the word about how important it is to be
prepared for anything.
To learn
more about evacuation tips, click the link.