14 Jul With an early Wildfire Season, you may receive an evacuation order. What should you bring with you?
Right now, across the country and the Inland Northwest, we have seen wildfires and evacuation orders on an hourly, daily, and weekly basis. An evacuation order for a wildfire is a scary thing. In a short amount of time, before you must leave, you are inundated with calls from loved ones, emergency alerts along with your entire world turned upside-down. There are so many things that you could grab in your house, how do you choose?
One of the biggest questions is: What should you take with you when you leave?
According to www.ready.gov, there are several things that should be brought with you when you ordered to evacuate:
- Important Documents that include Legal, Financial, Insurance-related paperwork that may be difficult to replace in the aftermath of an emergency. Do not forget to bring your social security card, passport, wills, birth and marriage certificates on the way out the door.
- Medications or Medical Supplies you need. While it may seem straight forward, it can slip you mind what meds you need to grab. Ensure you have all prescription medication with you, as well as, over the counter medications like inhales, EpiPens and contact lens supplies.
- Identification can be an item that is overlooked. Make sure to have digital copies like pictures of your person identification just in case.
- Its also not a bad idea to have personal hygiene items such as: hand sanitizer, toothbrush, extra underwear to name a few.
It is not easy to keep these items in mind when preparing to evacuate your home. A best practice is to have a list on your fridge as a reminder of what you need to bring with you. It could save you precious minutes while you are in a high-stress situation.
Be prepared. It will save you time and in some cases even your life.