Evacuations are more common than you might realise. A gas leak might lead the emergency services to evacuate a street. Flooding may require you to leave your house or workplace.
Not all evacuations are long term, sometimes you can return after a few hours once the emergency is over. However, just think about a chemical incident. Your house might not be habitable and you might have to be re-housed while decontamination is carried out. Therefore, it is sensible to prepare for an evacuation.
Prepare for an evacuation
You can prepare in advance by taking the following steps:
- talk with your family about the possibility of an evacuation. Plan where you would go, if you had to leave your house or even your town; plan how you would get there; remember to allow for traffic congestion, as you are unlikely to be the only person being evacuated
- if the emergency services advise you to shelter, do not evacuate - follow the ‘Go in, Stay in, Tune in’ message and listen out for advice
- plan a place to meet members of your household in case you are separated from one another
- find out where children will be sent if schools are evacuated - remember that this can change at a moment’s notice, if the allocated evacuation point cannot be used
- assemble an ‘emergency supply kit’ that you would need in a reception centre
Pets
If you have pets, plan ahead to make sure they are cared for during an evacuation:
- if you are told to evacuate, leave pets behind where possible - as long as they have a water supply they will be okay for a couple of days
- if you must take your pet with you in an evacuation, make sure you have a secure pet carrier or leash for your pet
- cater for your pet in your emergency supplies kit - think about including pet food, water, medication, veterinary records, litter box, food dishes, first aid kit, toys or other supplies that might not be available in a reception centre
- be sure your pet has a proper identification tag securely fastened to the collar (if applicable) - a current photo of your pet or a microchip insert will assist identification should it become necessary