EP - Evacuation

EVACUATION

Several types of disasters may force you to be evacuated from your home. If you are told 

to evacuate, take the following steps:

• Listen carefully to instructions given by local officials. Evacuate immediately if told to 

  do so.

• If you have time, grab your portable disaster (3 day) kit. Make sure that you include any

  last-minute items, such as prescription medication, that you may need.

• Wear appropriate clothing and sturdy shoes.

• Lock your home.

• Use travel routes outlined by local officials. Do not take short cuts; they may be unsafe.

• Keep fuel in your car if evacuation seems likely. Gas stations may be closed during

   emergencies.

• If you go to a shelter, notify staff of any special needs you may have. They will try to

  accommodate you and make you comfortable.

Be prepared to leave your home if:

• Your area is without electrical power or water for an extended period of time.

• There is a chemical emergency affecting your area.

• Flood water is rising.

• A wild land fire is burning near your home.

• Your home has been severely damaged.

• Local officials tell you to evacuate.

Evacuations are more common than many people realize. Hundreds of times each year, transportation and industrial accidents release harmful substances, forcing thousands of people to leave their homes. Fires and floods cause evacuations even more frequently.