Steps for a Hurricane Evacuation Plan

Prepare an Evacuation Kit

• Prepare an evacuation or 72-hour kit for each member of your family. This kit should include clothes and enough ready to eat food and water for three days. Each kit should contain first aid supplies, contact information, and things to help keep people entertained. Keep the kit in an easy to reach place and update the kit every six months to ensure the food is fresh and to change clothes for the seasons.

Map Your Evacuation Routes

• Map out your evacuation route. Generally you will need to go inland. However, the streets may be crowded and traffic can get backed up. Map out a major highway route as well as one or two alternate routes you can use if the streets are congested. A GPS can help with this but, in the event of power outages or signal troubles, it is a good idea to have a paper map on hand.

Select a Place to Stay

• Choose several different cities you can evacuate to, taking into consideration the numbers of friends, family, or hotels available where you can stay in the area. This list should be typed out since communication can be difficult because of the storm. This list can go in your emergency kit or it can go in the glove box of your car.

Prepare Your Home

• Determine what you need to prepare your home from a hurricane. If you are in danger of flooding, you may choose to move some of your valuables and electronics to the top floor. If high winds are a concern, you may want to board up your windows before you leave. It is also important to take care of your trees on a regular basis. Trimming off dead branches and cutting down unhealthy trees can protect your home from receiving significant storm damage.

Review the Plan with Family Members

• Let your immediate family members know what will happen in the event of an evacuation. Establish a contact person who is outside of the area for family members to call if they are separated during evacuation. Review with other family members where you plan to go and how they can contact you once you have evacuated.