Evacute NOW:
Have you ever had to evacuate or received a phone alert that said: “Evacuate Now”? I have personally had to evacuate a couple of times while living in California due to levee breaches and imminent flooding.
This week was different; we were alerted to a fire nearby in our neighbourhood. As we went out into the backyard, we could see a large fire just up the hill. Our next alert came around 7:30 PM, advising us to be prepared to evacuate. My heart stopped for a moment, but then I remembered where we had stored all our emergency supplies for our dogs and us. It only took us a couple of minutes to grab our go-bags and kennels and load them into the truck. I had my slip leads hanging next to the door, so if we received the next alert that said “Evacuate Now,” we could grab our dogs and head to the truck.
For instance, we have three dogs, so we keep a roller bag stocked with their supplies as well as our own. I update it once a year to ensure that #1, we have everything we need, and that nothing has expired.
Now, I would like to encourage everyone to close your eyes and imagine your phone alert going off—it’s very loud and can be a bit scary. Now, picture this: you only have a few minutes to evacuate your home. Pause for a moment…
What would you do?
What would you grab? How quickly can you get out? What does your route look like? Depending on that route, will you be able to drive out, or will you have to hike? It’s important to know what types of disasters are common in your area. You might need to shelter in place or head to the basement or a central room in your home.
For instance, we are vulnerable to fires and earthquakes, so we need to prepare for both situations. We keep a roller bag in the laundry room, which is situated in the center of our home, surrounded by load-bearing walls and without any windows. If I need to evacuate, the bag is easily accessible, allowing us to grab it quickly as we head to the front door.
Slip Leads hanging by the front door
Then our second warning came around 9:30 PM, just after dark. The wind had died down a bit, and we noticed the fire had changed direction and had come through the canyon. This warning was issued for homes just a few blocks away and up the hill, urging immediate evacuation. We were prepared if needed. We checked on our senior neighbours down the street to make sure they were ready to leave if needed.
Then our power went out around 9:30 PM, leaving us in the dark. We weren’t sure if it was a coincidence or if the power had been turned off initially. Thankfully, we had a fully charged camp lantern and several flashlights. I noticed that the dogs seemed to sense our anxiety and wouldn’t leave our sides; they were quite stressed. By 11:00 PM that night, we could see that the firefighters had the fire under control. Not long after that, all the warnings were lifted. The power was restored around 12:30 AM.
Lessons Learned:
Although it was a stressful night, we came away with a reminder of the importance of having an emergency plan and go-bags ready. You never know when disaster will strike.
