Are you prepared to evacuate your home in 15 minutes if a disaster hits near you? A 2020 Federal Emergency Management Agency household survey indicated 44% of the survey participants were prepared to evacuate their homes during a disaster.
After the recent Boulder County Marshall Fire, many residents barely had time to evacuate their home. Over 1080 homes and businesses were destroyed from this tragic fire.
Bob Larson
According to many disaster planning manuals, here are the five most important items on evacuating during a disaster.
1) Your Family: your children could be in school or day care center (have your spouse or grandparents get them); 2) Food & Water in a Container; 3) Your Pets: many pets are left behind, but why? Pets sense danger faster than humans and hide. Have your pet carrier handy! Consider dropping off your pets at a pet hotel or animal shelter. Make sure your pet has a pet collar with contact info; 4) Your Valuables: if not locked in a fireproof safe, have a Go to Container ready. Bring cash! 5) Escape Route: consider a quick escape route by calling police dept or sheriff’s dept.
Do A Trial Run! Family drills are important to prevent more tragedies!
Technology can help Your smartphone can save important numbers before or after a disaster strikes. It can take photos of your valuables too for insurance purposes.
Prioritize keepsakes (what to take with you). Digitize to safeguard your genealogy records, family estate plan. Get an insurance checkup (consider extra coverage).
Back up computer files (three methods include your main program, USB flash drive, and the cloud storage). Save passwords (Internet or banking info) in a logbook. Create a grab and go container with your valuables if you have to evacuate immediately. And last, obtain an Emergency Preparedness Guide from your local city or county Office of Emergency Management. Bob Larson is a technologist and Marketing Director for 50 Plus.