Evacuation and Emergency Preparedness

Update: November 2012 

As I prepare myself and speak with friends and family going through one natural disaster after the next, this list grows and becomes more thorough.  I have been updating this very blog post for over two years now, moving it to this new site in September. Because of all that is happening on our planet right now, I have felt this a really important step to take for myself, and am posting this for those who might find it useful.

It seems wise to prepare your evacuation kit, as well as a stay at home emergency plan, especially if you live in more volatile areas such as earthquake zones, coastal areas, flood zones, near volcanoes etc.  But since things have been so unpredictable, best to be prepared wherever you are.  As climate and earth changes escalate, there will be mass evacuations, migrations and lifestyle changes both in the short and long term. As most of you know by now, this is already happening around the world.  Please keep aware and be prepared.

Ready.gov | "World Upside Down" 

Where you will go if you evacuate, will depend on the circumstances.  It could be a large temporary shelter, a tent camp, or Fema housing for the longer term.  If you can stay with a friend or family member in a safe area, or are an experienced camper all the better.  If you can stay at home, there are many ways to be prepared.  In big picture land, intentional communities and eco-villages are good places to investigate.  As our social and economic structures are breaking down along with our changing earth, it will be most useful to live with others cooperatively, who are focused on sharing resources and who have knowledge of how to live self-sufficiently, off the grid. If community life isn't for you, then consider relocating to a safer area and making your home and property self sufficient/ off-grid ready. 
 
Evacuation and Emergency Preparedness: 

1) General Evacuation: If preparing to evacuate or living in Earthquake/Tsunami zones (where you have little to no warning), you can keep many of the following items near your car (in your garage or somewhere close by), in a box or plastic bin that you can just grab in an emergency.  Keep some essentials in your car, in case you can not get home.  If you have an RV or leisure van, another idea is to stock it up ahead of time and take the fully equipped vehicle with you to your evacuation site.

2) Gas and Electricity:  If a looming disaster is approaching and you think you may need to evacuate, keep your vehicle's gas tank full, making especially sure to top it off when returning home at the end of each day.  If you have the capability to store gas, store enough for another full tank. If you are preparing for a possible electricity outage, consider buying a generator. One option people consider, is having a generator professionally installed that will turn itself on when the power goes out. These automatic generators usually run on existing underground gas lines from the city or town, same as your stove-top and/or clothes dryer. As long as the city keeps pumping natural gas throughout your town, these generators will continue to run. But they are reliant on the pumps and machinery that the town uses to send the gas through the system. Plus, the source of natural gas is fracking, which many recognize as extremely dangerous to human health and the natural world.

Small solar/battery systems, consisting of photovoltaic panels, deep cycle batteries and an inverter to turn the DC current into AC household current are another option. It's an investment but once it's set up, there's no fuel to purchase, handle or refill, no motor oil to mix with the fuel and no exhaust smoke or loud engine noise. Diesel generators are more efficient than gasoline, but they are more expensive to purchase. Diesel generators are a good option though, considering that gas will be in high demand and most likely, there will be rationing and shortages in a longer term, more serious situation, (as we are seeing now with Superstorm Sandy).  Diesel generators can run on biofuels, like biodiesel made from reclaimed cooking oil, and can even be operated on pure vegetable oil if it's been sufficiently heated before it's sent into the engine. There are a number of fuels that will work in a diesel generator.
 
3) Water: Keep at least 5-7 gallons of drinking water (per person) stored at home or in your car, or close enough to your car that you can grab it in a hurry.   Make sure you have some for washing as well. You can purchase a water bottle with a spigot, to have running water for hand washing.  Also make sure to have water purification tablets, a water bottle with a filtration unit, a portable water filtration unit or a small pot to boil water.  Over the shoulder water bottle carriers can also come in handy if you have to walk or hike some distance.  Fill up your bathtub for toilet flushing if you know you may lose water. In a pinch you can also filter this water and use it for drinking.  Losing water can happen if you have an electric well pump or if municipal water becomes contaminated.  In the case of an electric well pump, consider solar backup for your well, or a hand pump.   

Water Boiling: 
Step one: Find a clean, non contaminated source of water.
Step two: Filter water through a cloth or coffee filter.
Step three: Boil for one minute. If you are at a high elevation, boil for 3-5 minutes, since water boils faster at higher elevations.
 
4) Food: Canned foods (tuna, chicken, soups, stews, beans, fruits, veggies) jerky, rice cakes, other non-perishable packaged goods that you don’t have to heat up.  Bring or have stored at home enough food for at least five-seven days per person.  Also, pet food if you have a pet.  Also forks, spoons, a knife to cut with, drinking cups or thermos, small pot if you are cooking, paper plates, (I use all biodegradable), a few rolls of paper towels, a sponge. And make sure to have a can opener!
 
5) Cooking: Small propane camping stove, wood-gas/ rocket stove, or solar cooker if you want to be able to cook. Also small camping axe, matches, lighters, and a magnesium fire starter.  You can use whatever kindling and wood is around with the wood gas/ rocket stoves.  That is my preference, because it is fast, and does not rely on fuels, batteries, or electricity, which may not be available.

6) Bathing and Personal Hygiene: Solar or battery powered showers are handy for washing.  Dr Bronner’s soap is an excellent choice for all purpose washing, and is non toxic and biodegradable.  Aluminum free baking soda and coconut oil used together make an excellent natural deodorant and baking soda can also be used for washing and for other cleaning purposes.  Also of course toothbrush, toothpaste dental floss, shampoo and conditioner, coconut oil (for deodorant or moisturizer), crystal stick deodorant, maxi-pads/ tampons, condoms/ birth control.

7) Bathroom needs: First of course bring or have many rolls of toilet paper. 
In the case of a flood, you may be unable to flush your toilets if your municipal sewage system stops functioning. Prepare for this by buying a small portable camping toilet with disposable bags; you can use this both at home or in an evacuation situation. Also a traveling plastic urinal, is good to have.  

Flushing the toilet without running water:
Use the water that you filled your bathtub with. Open the tank.  Pour in about 1 quart to 1 gallon, depending on how much there is to flush.  Then flush as normal. (Only can do this with working sewage)
  
8) First Aid kit: band-aids, first aid gauze, medical tape, tweezers, prepared alcohol pads, tea tree oil, magnets (for injuries), advil, rescue remedy, arnica, echinacea/ goldenseal, yin chiao, zan gan ling, old Indian wild cherry bark syrup, electrolytes, potassium iodide tablets and/ or natural potassium iodine supplements, comfrey salve (or other healing salves), rubbing alcohol pads, tweezers, aloe vera gel, whatever you think you might need. (I use mostly natural medicines).

9 ) Communications: Hand cranked or Solar powered Emergency radio and your cell phone.  Many of these new emergencies radios also have a place to charge your cell phone and can be used as a flashlight.  See blog post about Wood Powered Emergency Camping Stoves for another cell phone charging option.
 
10) Sleeping, Clothing, Warmth: Have a good tent ready, a warm blanket or sleeping bag, camping mats, pillow, an outfit or two of both warm and cold weather clothes, comfortable weather appropriate shoes, extra socks, underwear, a warm coat, raincoat, towel, etc.  A bucket from the hardware store comes in handy for hand washing clothes.  You can use baking soda for cleaning clothes or apple cider vinegar.  Mylar emergency blankets are very important. They can be used for keeping warm if you are stuck in a white out on the highway, or need to sleep in your car in colder weather.  They can also be used to insulate your car, so bring tape as well. Foil tape is my favorite choice. Tarps are always good to have, and some rope.  Scissors are necessary or a good knife in the case of needing to cut rope.
 
11) Special needs: Supplements, herbs, medications, stuff for baby or child or elderly person, if you have a chronic illness or a disability whatever essentials you need to have on hand.

12) Odds and Ends: Flashlights, headlamps, lanterns, extra batteries, paraffin free candles, compass, disposable vinyl gloves, all weather work gloves, travel size sewing kit, safety pins, swiss army knife, plastic ziplock bags, basic survival book, book of local edible wild foods and medicines, natural sunscreen, playing cards, favorite book, mason jars, foil tape and aluminum foil (for people with MCS), small wood cutting axe, hemp twine, duct tape, sunglasses, sun hat., safety whistle, signal mirror, fishing line and hooks,

13) Respirator masks: In case the air quality is greatly compromised or you are around other’s who are ill.  You can get paper ones from any medical supply store, or respirators from a store like Grainger’s or Lab Safety Supply.  Also consider getting an air purifier for your car, especially if you are prone to being more sensitive to contaminated or polluted air.

14) Cash and Valuables: Have cash on hand. Also put in one place, any valuables that you would want to take in a hurry, or know ahead of time where and what they are.

15) Important Documents: Make sure to have all your important documents with you and any special photos.  Passport, driver’s license, registration, insurance, social security card, birth certificate, car title, wedding or children’s photos…etc.

16) Prepare to be off the grid: Print this list out in case you can not get on-line.  Bring your cell phone, charger, and gps, but be prepared with maps and directions in case the grid goes down, and print out multiple evacuation itineraries in case roads are closed, heavily trafficked or blocked… bring your laptop, but same goes for the grid going down, backup your files on a zip or external hard drive.

Good luck and be prepared!  The best thing that can happen is nothing happens and you were prepared.  The worst thing that can happen is that something happens and you’re not prepared.  So… you have nothing to lose.

Please feel free to add suggestions if I missed something!!!
 
Click here: Preparing For Earth Changes 101 for an overall view of how to best prepare for Earth Changes.

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  Here is the FEMA website for Emergency Preparedness, with overall support as well as guidance on how to prepare for specific natural disasters. http://www.ready.gov/

In the spirit of Peace and Change~

ECN 
*Thanks to Earth Changes Network members for all of their contributions to this article.* 
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