Have you Planned Ahead??

[ccxnola]

With the recent floods not too many miles away from us plus the devastation of fires in the West, I got to thinking (bit of a worry) about what to do when the call / order to evacuate hits you and your home. The RV is in a storage yard about 20 minutes away - packed with most everything we need for a week or two, including basic dry foods. So we could go there and get on the road.
BUT... if the knock on the door happens, what do you grab, what do you save and expecting that when you return everything else may be gone!!

Important papers (titles of house and vehicles, passports, etc) in a fire resistant safe (grab box) (Walmart $22),
plus any cash around the house, and guns with ammo - if you have them.

What else would you grab in a 10 minute 'leave now' situation??

[hooligan]

ccxnola wrote:
BUT... if the knock on the door happens, what do you grab, what do you save and expecting that when you return everything else may be gone!!
Important papers (titles of house and vehicles, passports, etc) in a fire resistant safe (grab box) (Walmart $22),
plus any cash around the house, and guns with ammo - if you have them.

What else would you grab in a 10 minute 'leave now' situation??

------------------
Good post-The Time to think about what you need in a Bug Out Bag is before the situation comes up.
Urgent items and a second list of nice to have, "we would really miss these" items.
Some items or copies go on every trip. (Your important papers above, Insurance, medical records, inventory of house, etc.) Easy to do with CD/DVD or thumb drive.

[JumboJet]

It is nice to live at 1300' elevation on top - looking down in the valleys.

[cjd10]

Keeping my rig fully fueled and ready to roll after returning from a trip is at the top of my list. At first word of evacuation gas stations can be very crowded and after a disaster fuel may be unavailable at all. Hurricane evacuations are usually chaotic and trying to get gas before leaving is not something I would want to do. Two years ago we spent 4 days in the MH after an ice storm took out power and shut down roads. Nice to be able to sit comfy running the generator.
I also keep a full hard drive backup of my home computer in the MH away from the house. Lots of valuable information and photos that I don't have to worry about grabbing.

[Strabo]

2gypsies wrote:
I don't think there are too many instances that you wouldn't have a pre-warning - except for a tornado. It doesn't happen instantly. We were near a major fire recently and homeowners packed their cars and drove them around like that for a couple weeks before the pre-evacuation was lifted.

Ourselves - we also kept a 'GO' bag packed and setting by the RV door - easy to grab in case of fire. We moved it to the bedroom at night - ready to toss out the window. It got to be a habit and we never thought of forgetting it. We even took it with us when we had the motorhome in for servicing. If boondocking and we went off exploring - it went with us.

"Go Bag".....Yup I have one too, my 357 auto lives in it.

[Strabo]

Our fifthwheel hauler is out front, loaded and ready to go with full batterys, fuel tanks, and propane. I need to fill water tanks tho, I don't keep them full in summer, so algae doesn't grow.

[MrWizard]

for us ?
retract the levelers and awnings and drive away
we full time
everything we own is in the RV

i do wonder, but its in dubious amazment at the burnt RV setting next to the house thats gone
why in the 'H' didn;t they drive away in the RV or hitch the TT
why drive off in the car with the tiny trunk
when they could be sitting pretty in that house on wheels

there was a news spot during the recent big fire where some people did that
they were in the Mall parking lot with the RV's and other burned out residents were there in cars

[J-Rooster]

I also have my motorhome on the ready! If I needed to get away quick I would grab my Chimo, pets, pictures, handgun, then according to time left anything, that I could grab! Important papers are in safe deposit box at the Credit Union.

[Kayteg1]

One of the reasons to switch from 40' conversion to TC is that I can keep it at home.
22 years ago we had Oakland fire in the area.
At the time I had ClassC filled up with water and facing the gate.
Did not carry about papers much at the time.
Right now, when we get older we do have 2 safes at home with > 20 minutes fire ratings.
Can always dig them up from ashes, so no worry when life is at stake.
460' above sea level, so water is not my concern.

[2gypsies1]

I don't think there are too many instances that you wouldn't have a pre-warning - except for a tornado. It doesn't happen instantly. We were near a major fire recently and homeowners packed their cars and drove them around like that for a couple weeks before the pre-evacuation was lifted.

Ourselves - we also kept a 'GO' bag packed and setting by the RV door - easy to grab in case of fire. We moved it to the bedroom at night - ready to toss out the window. It got to be a habit and we never thought of forgetting it. We even took it with us when we had the motorhome in for servicing. If boondocking and we went off exploring - it went with us.

[ccxnola]

booty - Thanks for your consideration!! Yes, the folks recently hit with a '100 year flood' need all of the help and assistance we can provide.

FWIW - I have recently developed a single page of items in priority order as my 'get outta Dodge' list.
Based on the time allocated, I'll go down the list as far as I can and then the rest is left behind!

It is a real 'eye-opener' to construct such a 'getaway' list!!

[booty51]

any medications you may need for the next few days! Insurance policies. Any pets you may have and supplies for them! If bugging out in 10 minutes the list is short. May be some experts could chime in that have had training or dealings with such a thing. I have bugged out with three days warning of a hurricane that flooded the house. No matter how you prepare you cannot win against mother nature. Or acts of God. My heart goes out to those people who were flooded. Until you go through it you just cant comprehend it. They need help so any donation that we could make will go along way.

[wallynm]

Sitting in the side yard, fueled up and ready to go most of the time. We did a fire evacuation once on two hours notice. Family history , pictures, some financial records and a few more clothes.

ccxnola wrote:
With the recent floods not too many miles away from us plus the devastation of fires in the West, I got to thinking (bit of a worry) about what to do when the call / order to evacuate hits you and your home. The RV is in a storage yard about 20 minutes away - packed with most everything we need for a week or two, including basic dry foods. So we could go there and get on the road.
BUT... if the knock on the door happens, what do you grab, what do you save and expecting that when you return everything else may be gone!!

Important papers (titles of house and vehicles, passports, etc) in a fire resistant safe (grab box) (Walmart $22),
plus any cash around the house, and guns with ammo - if you have them.

What else would you grab in a 10 minute 'leave now' situation??