PREPARE in a YEAR

Evacuation—what does my family need to take with us?

On Whidbey, the most likely situations in which evacuation will be called for are fire or tsunami.  Sometimes, particularly in the case of fire, that call may leave you with only a few minutes to get out. What do you take?

First off, you need a backpack for each member of your family, and an extra for your pets. We call these "Go Bags".  Go Bags should be stored close to the door you are most likely to use to get out. Perhaps a front closet, or in the garage near your car. These bags get filled with the items on the list below, chosen to reflect the particular needs of your family. (We have more detailed and comprehensive lists on the website under "How to Get Prepared" (MAKE THIS A LINK TO THAT PAGE.)  

Most important:  don't overfill the backpack, and divide the weight and the items among all the backpacks. You may need to carry this some distance. You can't assume you will have the use of a car.  

If there are items you don't want to store in the backpacks, a prominent note on the backpack is very helpful. For example, you could write. "Don't Forget Cash—it's in the important document folder."

On the list below, we have a section for "Extras"—you might consider these if you can use a car to evacuate. Do remember, your Go Bags are part of your home preparation, so things like the first aid kit can live in the Go Bag and still be available at home for situations requiring bandages, etc.

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