Here’s why every family needs to have a bug out or go bag.

• A bug out bag is essential when an evacuation is advised or recommended for a potential disaster. Which disasters?
  • A hurricane is forecasted.
  • A wildfire is approaching.
  • Your area has received a flood or flash flood warning.
  • A water control structure (dam or levee) failure/breach warning has been issued.
  • There is a hazardous material spill in your area.
  • There is a transportation incident (railroad or airplane crash) in your area.
  • There is a bomb threat near where you live.
  • There is a nuclear power plant incident in your area.

Any evacuation (advised or enforced) requires planning. Winging it at the last moment just won’t work because:

• Where will you go that’s safe?
• What will you take with you?
• What will you dare leave behind?
• What if you weren’t able to return to your home for months, not days?

Not sure you or your family needs to have an evacuation plan? Got $2000 lying around? According to National Public Radio “For a family of 4 without relatives nearby, a 7-day evacuation can cost up to $2000!” Here’s an easy way to learn if your family is prepared enough to evacuate. Take our evacuation Plan Quiz. It’s only 10 questions.

If you are really serious about having this essential preparedness plan, its time to act on purchasing or building a go kit or bug out bag. A go kit or bug out bag is a portable bag that contains one or all items that might be needed in an evacuation disaster. It needs to be light enough to carry, large enough to hold everything you need and be adaptable for the make-up of your family (kids, infants and babies, pets, others living with you, etc.). If you want to learn what to put in your evacuation bag(s) check out our Evacuation webpage here: https://family-preparedness.com/run-evacuate/. On this webpage we recommend that there are 10-12 basic items to put in a single family go bag. Each family needs to choose those essential items from the following go kit categories: food and water, communication, safety and first aid, hygiene and sanitation, clothing, and don’t forgot cash money in case ATMs aren’t functioning.

Here’s that short list of what NOT to do:

• Don’t carry things you don’t need.
• Don’t make it too heavy.
• Don’t pack it so full that there’s no extra room to add more or different essential items.
• Don’t pack too many clothes.
• Don’t forget essential family medications.
• Don’t forget to take a resource that holds documentation of your owned assets.
• Don’t forget to take extra cash.

Be safe! Be prepared! Take action and be prepared for the next potential evacuation disaster!