If You Had To Evacuate Your Home Immediately, What Would You Take With You?

[P-14]

I stopped laughing yesterday and realized that everyone needs to be prepared to evacuate at a moment's notice. If a firefighter knocked on my door and said, “Get out now,” what would I take, knowing that everything left behind could be lost?

Humans, dogs and medications are the first things into the car, followed by bank account and insurance info, passports and irreplaceable family photos from the Civil War era. Jewelry and important papers related to the house would be stuffed into the glove box, and the car trunk would have enough clothes for a week and a 40-pound bag of dog food. Any other nooks and crannies in the car would be filled with more recent family photos, quilts made by my grandmothers and great-grandmothers and as much original artwork as the car could hold. Fortunately, other than running around to fill suitcases with clothes, everything else can be grabbed in under 5 minutes unless I panic and run around like a chicken with its head cut off, which is an entirely likely scenario.

If we're smart, we plan for emergencies. Yesterday made me realize I haven't taken such planning as seriously as I should. What about you?

You have 10 minutes to grab some personal items and get out of your house: What would you take?

HERE is the Op Ed article. Homes were destroyed, but nobody was hurt. So, BOB aside, what would you take assuming you would come back to an empty plot?

 

[wolf223]

nothing but the kid.

 

[jenlynn724]

The kids, and the purse.. I'm pretty sure a family of four can live out of my purse for a week. As far as animals, I would release them, and if they were smart enough to follow, that would be great, but if not I won't look for them.

 

[xtry51]

Family, BOBs, animals, wallet/purse, jacket, shoes and sidearm are first priorities. You can get all of those out of my house in well under 60 seconds, maybe under 30 depending on how quick the adrenaline hits you when you wake up. If you have multiple young children it's a good idea to have a plan of who gets who out. Have plan and talk about it once in a while. You don't want to waste precious time both running for the same kid when you should divide and conquer.

If I could go back in:

1) all important docs and computer backup drives from safe. It's a decent fire rated one, but why take the chance with things like birth certificates/car titles/passports/etc.

2) Maybe a few important family pics on walls? I have them scanned, but would hate to lose originals for those of us that remember actually developing film and they're easy to grab.

3) Guns and ammo. They're all insured and in a safe so not really high on the list of dying for but there are a few older ones that my wife and I would hate to lose/damage.



10 minutes is a huge amount of time when you're just grabbing things to drag outside, and since I live in a single family home I more than likely wouldn't have that long if it was on fire. If smoke wasn't bad when you first became aware of the problem you might get 2 quick scurries in&out before inhalation became an issue.

 

[petertdavis]

So much of this depends on "why" that it's hard to give a single answer. I could think of some scenarios where if we were given ten minutes, I'd throw the kids in the car and be out in two just to get out in front of everyone else. I'd also use those ten minutes differently if there was a flood, or fire coming. With a fire, I'd grab irreplaceable items, insurance is going to cover everything else. With a flood, I'd focus on valuables that are on lower levels in the house as well as grabbing a few irreplaceable items. With a gas leak problem like in the story, I wouldn't be too worried since I don't have gas service to our house.

 

[OPM]

The kids, and the purse.. I'm pretty sure a family of four can live out of my purse for a week. As far as animals, I would release them, and if they were smart enough to follow, that would be great, but if not I won't look for them.

That’s a one nice purse! Can I come and live in it for a week?

 

[KMM696]

My brother had to accomplish this during the Boulder CO Four Mile Canyon fire last year. The good news was he anticipated the evacuation by an hour, so he did have some time. He said it wasn't too bad for his own stuff.

The bad news was that his wife and their housemate were both out of town and communication, and they had never discussed what they considered most important. He had to take his best guess what to salvage from two other peoples lives - that was the worst part for him. They now each have an evac list and meeting spots for if (well, when) something happens next time.

Better news was the fires stopped 50 yards up the hill from their house. Aside from the basement stinking up from the venison and elk in the freezer, the house and contents were fine.

 

[P-14]

Passports, insurance papers, back up external hard drive, BOBs, guns, ammo, original artwork (if time allowed), and family photos. The car always has at least 1/2 a tank to get us at least 200 miles away.

 

[davemata]

Tough one.
My rifle, shotgun, and range bag which has a few boxes of ammo for both in it. (Already ready to roll.) The rest would be very situational -
- Backpack is already loaded with my tent, most of a survival stove, my water filter, first aid kit and some clothes. I'd add in my sleeping bag and fuel. Same with the fiancee's gear.
Dog + cat + animal food. My two days worth of backpacking food.
If it's an extended "Fend for yourself" situation, fishing pole and flies.
If I can, some artefacts from my dad. I'd go through hell to save those.
If time allows, jewelry, liquor, backed up data, and my kindle. (Books + battery goodfor 2 months + whispernet for comms)

 

[Fixxah]

Baby, wife, and pants.

 

[MrsWildweasel]

My brother and I were having this discussion last friday, when he had fires on both sides of him, and he was getting ready to evacuate if necessary. Made us both realize we have to be better prepared for that scenario. My mother had to evacuate from her apartment two weeks before that and she had NO clue. She lucked out and didn't lose anything.
You hope it never happens, but sometimes it does happen.

 

[Rob Boudrie]

Dogs, guns, wife, hard drive (no order implied in that list)

 

[PaulD]

Baby, wife, and pants.

Same here. If I couldn't get to the pants though, no big deal.

But seriously, am I evacuating that second or do I have an hour? If this second, my wife and child and hopefully some pants. If I have an hour, I'm grabbing backup hard drives, laptops, a rifle and a few other items.

If I knew wildfires were in the area, I'd have some stuff ready to go.

 

[P-14]

I've added money belt (w/4-$100 bills), work briefcase with PDA, and scanner with extra batteries to the list.

 

[Coyote33]

Anything sentimental, valuable, or to provide a comfortable living for the next couple weeks (clothes, shoes, ...).

 

[wolf223]

if someone told me i had an hour to evacuate, i'd be out in like 10 seconds.

 

[Len-2A Training]

You'd be shocked to see what people REALLY DO when "doom is pending" for real.

An apartment building behind me (>30 years ago) was on fire and a guy asked me and another person to help him get his "valuables" out of his apartment before the fire spread to his unit (same building, merely a firewall separating the units). By his direction, we hauled a big-ass TV out of his apartment and downstairs to the yard in front of the building. He "saved" NO clothes, jewelry or other valuables as I recall! [The good news, the FFs were able to put the fire down. loosing only 1 or 2 apartments in the building. This guys apartment wasn't touched.]

 

[Coyote33]

 

[glostamon]

I've added money belt (w/4-$100 bills), work briefcase with PDA, and scanner with extra batteries to the list.

$100 dollar bills can sometimes be difficult to make change at many locations on a "Good Day".
Clerks hold C-notes up to the light fixture or swab their magic pens on them lookin' for counterfeits.
$50's might be a better emergency ca$h denomanation IMO.

As previous posts mention, grab important documents,deed to the house,auto titles,passport,banking & insurance info.

You should also film a video/DVD of your dwelling & its contents,store it off site .
When storing the vid of your home/belongings, include copies of reciepts for "Big Ticket" items /furnishings.
Its improves the insurance claim process during widespread damage,especially when most people won't have ANY documentation.

 

[P-14]

$100 dollar bills can sometimes be difficult to make change at many locations on a "Good Day".
Clerks hold C-notes up to the light fixture or swab their magic pens on them lookin' for counterfeits.
$50's might be a better emergency ca$h denomination IMO.

I agree, but other cash and coinage that I didn't mention will be coming along in smaller denominations ($10s and $20s). The belt money is the "hidden" reserve. 4-$100s are easier to keep in the belt than 8-$50s and they would be good for motels, etc. or big-ticket emergency items on the run.

 

[P-14]

I came up with a 10-Minute emergency evacuation checklist that I thought I'd share with the NES community. This would all go in the trusty family vehicle for a quick evacuation.

Also, for those who've read TimJ's Cold Camp (see link in checklist), attached is his BOB inventory sans weaponry. Hope these are useful.

 

[Coyote33]

http://www.fema.gov/prepared/index.shtm

http://www.fema.gov/areyouready/

http://www.fema.gov/areyouready/basic_preparedness.shtm

http://www.fema.gov/plan/index.shtm

http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=eopster...f=mema_hurricane_preparedness_tips&csid=Eeops

http://www.wickedlocal.com/melrose/...y-for-upcoming-hurricane-season#axzz1NLGp7pOG

 

[ochmude]

It depends a bit on the method of evacuation. My grandmother was plucked off of her roof by a Coast Guard Jayhawk during Katrina. There's not much room for a BOB when you're dangling from a helicopter by a bit of steel cable and a winch.

 

[Coyote33]

delete, wrong post

 

[Iram]

Not counting what I normally carry on me and the survival gear in my truck, I'd grab (in order):

1. Gun case w/ rifle & shotgun. I've had that rifle since I was young, and I don't want to loose it.

2. Two boxes of paperwork; one recent, once from high school.

3. A supply of food. I've got about a week and a half worth of food in one bag that I can just grab & go if needed. I realize that the food is the only real survival item on this list, but if I'm bugging out from a local disaster, the three days worth of chow in my truck should be sufficient.

4. Computers; one desktop and a netbook. Not the monitors, keyboards, etc., just rip out the cables and throw the tower in the truck.

 

[tblount]

It would depend on why I was leaving and where I was going. I can only think of 4 reasons a person may have to leave there home.

1. Fire
2. Water
3. Weather
4. Hazard spill

My choice of where I lived could minimize or eliminate most of these hazards. I wouldn't live in the shadow of a nuclear power plant or oil refinery... or along the rail road tracks where major chemical disasters were more likely. I would live ABOVE a flood plane and keep my property clear of brush and timber that would support fire.


That leaves weather - which is classified as an act of God and when that kind of disaster happens we just have to deal with it.

I travel a lot and have a travel trailer that I keep stocked and road ready. As far as documents and other "valuables" ...they are all replaceable and IF I'm in a natural disaster zone I would hope my financial records got distroyed... because the IRS allows that excuse.

When I was young and my parents went out and left us alone (not at age 3 or 4) my dad would always say: "If the house catches on fire, go outside and watch it burn." I think that is excellent advice because when you think about it... the clothes you like to wear are NOT the ones on the hanger in the closet... they are the ones that are in the dirty laundry pile. So why die trying to save stuff you never use anyway?

 

[Jsfitzgerald85]

um thats tough i dont have full custody of my daughter but with excluding the obvious like her. I would say my Sigma 9mm, my Mosin Nagant, ammo, water, maybe some can food, ID. And some extra cloths for her.

 

[dcmdon]

You can't minimize the importance of non-endoftheworld type stuff.

Insurance docs, resumes, credit card account info, bank info, etc..

Fortunately, all of this and family photos can fit on a $30 USB thumb drive. This drive can also fit several hundred inventory photos of your home for insurance purposes.

If I had 10 minutes, I would first grab all the Laptops and backup drives. By grabbing these items, I'd have everything necessary to immediately restart my life somewhere else. Most of the important stuff is stored on-line and on a thumb drive being held by an out of state friend, but if I got the PCs, I could start things like insurance claims right away.

I've got a AWD volvo wagon and 5x10 utility trailer. So they would get hooked together. Once the PCs,document hard copies, food and weapons were in the car, I'd put more optional stuff in the trailer.

I really do need to make a list that will serve me better. I've found that some small items, like a power inverter that runs off your car can be a large help. But I"m getting ahead of myself.
One thing that will go in the trailer are 4 - 5gal gas cans.

 

[lord1234]

Wife, Dog, Sidearm with 3 loaded magazines(stored in same place). Ideally a sidearm for the wife. Water and Food for 3 days(minimum). First Aid bag. I have it setup so all of this can be gotten within 3 minutes(since they are all in roughly the same place.....well I might need to tell the dog to come).

Forget the computers, if you're evacing, you probably don't need them where you are going.

 

[dcmdon]

Forget the computers, if you're evacing, you probably don't need them where you are going.

Actually, the most common SHTF situations are home fires and Katrina type weather evacuations.
Neither of which will be well served by guns, ammo, and all the fun stuff that people on this board like to think about.

I'm not saying that all the kit doesn't have its value. But you are far more likely to be thanking god for a copy of your homeowner's insurance (which will typically pay for hotels if you are displaced) than you will for that AR in the back.

If you have everything on-line, then you don't need a computer. But if you don't its simply foolish to not bring important documents. And a computer is the best way to achieve that.

Don