Evacuation checklist
Be prepared, not worried. The list that fits the time you actually have
How long do you have?
If you had to leave in 10 minutes
3 people, 1 pet · by car · 6 things
In the order you would do them. The first six are on this list however long you have.
- 1Everyone in the house, counted out loudIncluding anyone who needs help moving. Count again in the car.
- 2Pets, in the carrierAnimals hide when they sense panic. Carrier out first, animal second.
- 3Medicines, in their labelled bottlesThe label is the prescription. Loose pills are hard to replace away from home.
- 4Phone and a charged power bankYour phone is the map, the radio and the way people find you.
- 5Wallet, ID, keysProving who you are is what gets you back in afterwards.
- 6Shoes you could walk a mile inPeople leave in whatever is by the door, then the road is closed and they are walking.
The other half of the answer
The list says take water. Do you have water to take?
A checklist can tell you what to carry out. It cannot tell you what is in your house, or how far it goes once you are somewhere else. Provision Planner counts that for the people who live there.
About 2 minutes
Why the order matters more than the list
Most checklists are written for the calm version of the day. They assume you read the whole thing, pack slowly and leave when you are ready. Real notice is rarely like that, and what you reach for in the first few minutes tends to decide how the rest of it goes.
If a day of warning is what you have, use it on the things that wait on other people. Somewhere to stay, a tank of fuel, a phone call to the person who should know where you went. The carrying can happen in the last ten minutes, because carrying is the part you can do fast.
Your county decides the rest. Whether to touch the gas, which roads are open, where the shelter is. This page does not replace that, and the evacuation scenario page covers the planning you do long before any of it.
Before the next warning
Most homes hold about three days of food and water.
Knowing the number before anything happens is what turns a scramble into a list you already wrote. Provision Planner counts what is in your house and keeps it current as things get used.
See how many days of food and water my house hasDays covered
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The next questions, answered
What should you take when you evacuate?
With ten minutes, six things: everyone in the house counted out loud, pets in their carrier, medicines in their labelled bottles, a phone and a charged power bank, wallet and ID and keys, and shoes you could walk a mile in. Anything else you manage is on top of those six. With an hour you add documents or photographs of them, cash in small notes, a week of medicines, and water you can actually lift.
What do you do first if you have a day's warning?
The opposite of what you would do with ten minutes. Start with whatever waits on other people: somewhere to stay, a full tank of fuel, and telling your out of town contact where you are going. Carrying things to the car is the fastest part of the job, so it belongs last. A household with a day of notice usually loses it to packing rather than to arranging.
How much water can you realistically take?
Less than most lists assume, because a gallon weighs over eight pounds. A family of four taking three days of drinking water at one gallon per person per day is carrying around a hundred pounds of water, which is a car decision rather than a carrying decision. On foot, take what you can lift and plan to refill.
Will a shelter take my pets?
Many will, and many of those ask for proof of vaccination at the door. That record belongs with your documents rather than at the vet's office, because looking it up is not something you will do while leaving. Carrier first and animal second is the usual advice, since animals hide when a house gets loud and hurried.
Should I turn off the gas before I leave?
Only if you are told to. Shutting a gas supply off is not something to do as a precaution: it often needs a professional to restore safely, and in most evacuations the guidance is to leave it alone. Your local emergency management office is the authority on that, along with whether to shut off water or power.
Provision Planner
Be prepared, not worried.
Worry is not a plan. Knowing is: how many days your household is covered, what expires next, and what to buy this month.