Getting Out: Go-Bags, Routes and When to Leave
What to pack, where to go and how to leave early and calmly if you're told to evacuate.
⚠ If officials tell you to go, go
If local authorities advise or order you to evacuate, grab your kit and leave right away.[2] Stick to official evacuation routes, since shortcuts may be blocked, and never walk, swim or drive through floodwater.[2] In fast events like wildfires you might not get an official notice, so leave if you feel you're in danger.[9]
Evacuating goes smoothly when the decisions are made ahead of time: what's in the bag, where you'll stay, and which roads you'll take. Do that thinking now, on a calm day, and leaving becomes a checklist instead of a scramble.
How much do I need?
Water for a go-bag is one gallon per person per day for 3 days.[1] So a household of 3 needs 3 × 3 = 9 gallons. That's heavy, so many families keep a few gallons in each bag and the rest ready to load into the car. Medications: at least 7 days' worth per person in the bag.[1]
Pack a go-bag
A go-bag holds about 3 days of supplies you can carry.[2] The Red Cross basic list includes:[1]
- Water (one gallon per person per day) and easy, non-perishable food
- Flashlight, battery or hand-crank radio, extra batteries
- First aid kit, a 7-day supply of medications and medical items
- Multi-purpose tool, hygiene and sanitation items
- Copies of key documents: medication list, proof of address, deed or lease, passports, birth certificates, insurance policies
- Cell phone and chargers, family contact info, extra cash, emergency blanket, local maps
Add what your household needs: glasses, hearing aid batteries, baby supplies, pet supplies, and spare car and house keys.[1] Pack chargers and backup batteries for medical devices too.[2]
Stock the car
Keep a small kit in the vehicle. The Weather Service's winter car kit makes a good base: phone charger, blankets, flashlight and batteries, high-calorie snacks, extra dry clothes, a water container, tool kit, tow rope, jumper cables, and paper road maps so you aren't relying on a dying phone.[4]
Fuel: keep the tank at least half full so you can leave without stopping.[3] Before winter trips, the Weather Service says to keep it near full.[4] Many people also top off as soon as a storm shows up in the forecast, before lines form.
Know your zone and plan two routes
If you live near the Gulf or Atlantic coast, find out whether you're in a hurricane evacuation zone. Your local emergency management office sets these zones.[6][5] If you are in one, decide now where you'd go and how you'd get there.[5]
- Plan a main route and at least one backup in case roads are closed.[7][9]
- Save the routes on your phone and on a paper map.[7]
- Drive the route as practice. The Red Cross suggests practicing evacuation twice a year.[7]
Decide where you'll go
Pick your destination before you need it: the home of friends or family a safe distance away, a hotel, or a public shelter.[7] If you're not in an evacuation zone, you might be the safe inland place for someone who is, as long as your home is safe from wind and flooding.[5] If you'll need help leaving or rely on public transit, plan that well ahead.[2]
Bring your pets
If it isn't safe for you to stay, it isn't safe for your pets either, so take them with you.[8]
- Many hotels and shelters only accept service animals, so keep a list of pet-friendly hotels and boarding options along your route.[8][7]
- Pack leashes or carriers, food, water, bowls, medications, vet records in a waterproof bag, and a current photo of you with your pet.[8]
- Keep vaccinations current and ID tags on collars. Many shelters ask for proof of vaccination.[8]
Leave early
Leaving early means lighter traffic, open gas stations and more choices for where to stay. In a hurricane, roads can be impassable for days afterward, and people who stay may be stuck without power or water.[2] For animals, especially large ones, the Red Cross advises leaving early, since waiting until the last minute puts both of you at risk.[8]
Checklist
Mistakes to avoid
- Waiting for the last minute and hitting jammed roads and empty gas stations
- Running the gas tank low during storm season
- Planning only one route
- Not knowing whether your home is in an evacuation zone
- Assuming every hotel or shelter will take your pet
- Packing a go-bag and never checking it again as meds and food expire
Do this this weekend
Look up your evacuation zone through your county or city emergency management office, then pick one place you'd go and drive the route there and back.[6][7] Write the route and the address on a card for your go-bag.
Gear that helps
Affiliate links: we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. We list items for why they matter, never by price or ratings. Disclosure
- Water storage7-gallon water containerOne container holds a week of drinking water for one person at 1 gallon a day.Check it (opens retailer site)
- Water storageStackable water storage containersStack under a bed or in a closet to build up two weeks of water.Check it (opens retailer site)
- Long-term food kitsLong-term food storage kitEasy shelf-stable backup. Compare total calories, not servings, and remember most kits need water and fuel to cook.Check it (opens retailer site)
- First aid kitsHome first aid kitCovers cuts, burns and sprains; check it against the Red Cross list and add your own medicines.Check it (opens retailer site)
- First aid kitsBleeding-control kitPairs with free Stop the Bleed training for serious injuries.Check it (opens retailer site)
- Headlamps and lightsLED headlampKeeps both hands free and is safer than candles in an outage.Check it (opens retailer site)
Sources
- What Do You Need in a Survival Kit American Red Cross
- Hurricane Safety American Red Cross
- Power Outage Safety American Red Cross
- Before a Winter Storm NOAA National Weather Service
- National Storm Surge Hazard Maps NOAA National Hurricane Center
- What to Do Before a Tropical Storm or Hurricane NOAA National Weather Service
- Make a Disaster Preparedness Plan American Red Cross
- Pet Disaster Preparedness and Recovery American Red Cross
- Wildfire Safety American Red Cross
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