You’ve been notified to immediately evacuate your home due to a gas leak, a wildfire, or a hurricane. What now? Preparing for an emergency evacuation before conditions worsen can reduce stress and help you safeguard important belongings, making it easier to recover after the emergency has passed. “The best time to prepare for an evacuation is before you’re told to leave,” says Holly Sacks, Director, Port UW and CAT Mgmt. “Having a plan, knowing what you’ll take, and understanding your insurance coverage can help reduce confusion during an extremely stressful situation.”
Fortunately, there are steps you can take to protect your property, household, and all your critical documents ahead of any evacuation. Here’s what you need to know about an emergency evacuation warning vs. an order and how to prepare for an evacuation.
Evacuation Warning vs. Evacuation Order
Although you may hear warning and order used interchangeably, an evacuation warning and an evacuation order each require a different response.
- An evacuation warning means there’s a potential threat to your area. While you aren’t required to leave immediately, you do need to begin preparing in case conditions worsen. This is the time to gather supplies, secure your home, and monitor official emergency alerts.
- An evacuation order means there’s an immediate danger, and you should leave as soon as possible. Delaying evacuation can put you and emergency responders at greater risk. Follow the evacuation instructions provided by local authorities and use designated routes.
What to Do When an Evacuation Order Is Issued
Act immediately when authorities issue an emergency evacuation order. Waiting to leave can mean heavier traffic, rapidly changing conditions, and closed evacuation routes. Take the following steps if it’s safe to do so:
- Grab your emergency kit and important documents.
- Shut off utilities if instructed by local officials.
- Lock all doors and windows.
- Follow designated evacuation routes instead of attempting shortcuts.
- Notify a friend or family member that you have evacuated.
- Continue monitoring official updates while traveling.
An emergency evacuation order means it’s not safe to stay at home, so once you’ve left, wait until officials lift the order before attempting to return home.
What to Take When Evacuating Your Home
You may have limited time to evacuate, so focus on gathering items you’ll need immediately after leaving, and consider bringing those hard-to-replace items. Here’s a home evacuation checklist to use when pulling together items:
- Prescription medications and medical equipment.
- Personal identification and insurance documents.
- Financial records and important legal paperwork.
- Cell phones, chargers, and backup batteries.
- Clothing and toiletries for several days.
- Food, water, and basic emergency supplies.
- Keys, wallets, and cash.
- Pet food, carriers, leashes, and any medicine.
- Infant or senior care supplies, if needed.
What to Document Before You Leave
In addition to gathering records, you’ll also want to document the current state of your home before evacuation, assuming it’s safe to do so. Ideally, it’s best to complete this step during the warning period. If time and conditions allow, this can help make any insurance claims smoother post-evacuation. Consider:
- Taking photos and videos of every room in your home.
- Recording the condition of major appliances, electronics, and other valuables.
- Saving copies of your homeowners insurance policy and contact information, and making sure you have access to these policies digitally.
- Photographing or recording serial numbers for expensive items.
- Backing up digital files and storing copies of important documents in secure cloud storage.
What to Do After You Evacuate
You’ve gotten the evacuation order and moved to a safe location. Here’s what you can do while waiting for official instructions to return home:
- Monitor official emergency alerts for updates.
- Let family members know you’re safe.
- Keep receipts for hotel stays, meals, and other evacuation-related expenses for potential reimbursement under your insurance policy.
- Contact your insurance company if your home has been damaged or if you have questions about your coverage.
- Wait until local authorities officially declare it is safe before returning home.
After returning, inspect your property carefully and watch for hazards such as downed power lines, structural damage, or gas leaks.
An emergency evacuation order can be scary, but knowing how to respond to each type of alert can help protect lives, reduce panic, and ensure that emergency responders can do their jobs effectively. Having the right homeowners insurance coverage can help you get back on your feet after a natural disaster.
Learn more about next steps at Mercury’s catastrophe claims center.
What to Do During an Evacuation Warning
An evacuation warning gives you the opportunity to prepare in the event that a situation becomes urgent. Your focus should be on securing your home and gathering everything you’ll need to evacuate.
Keep in mind the type of evacuation warning. If, for instance, you live in an area with wildfires and are under constant red flag warnings, you may focus on clearing brush away from your home and relocating any combustible materials, such as propane tanks, once you’re under a warning.
Here’s a home evacuation checklist you can use to prepare:
Step 1: Monitor Alerts
Monitor official emergency alerts through local emergency management agencies and weather services.
Step 2: Pack Supplies
Pack medications, important documents, and emergency supplies.
Step 3: Prepare Your Car
Fill your vehicle with fuel or, if possible, charge your electric vehicle.
Step 4: Charge Your Devices
Charge phones, portable batteries, and other essential devices.
Step 5: Review Your Household Evacuation Plan
Review your household evacuation plan, and identify where you’ll go in the event of an evacuation order.
Step 6: Make Arrangements for Loved Ones
Make arrangements for children, older adults, family members with disabilities, and pets.
Step 7: Secure Loose Items
Secure outdoor furniture and other loose items if your area is expecting severe weather.
Step 8: Be Ready to Leave
Be ready to leave on short notice.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you sign up for local emergency alerts?
Most communities offer emergency notification systems through local emergency management agencies, counties, or municipalities. Visit your city, county, or state emergency management website to register for text messages, phone calls, or email alerts.
What should you do if you have pets or livestock?
Include animals in your evacuation plan before an emergency happens. Keep carriers, leashes, food, medications, and vaccination records ready to go. Research pet-friendly shelters or hotels along your evacuation route, and make transportation arrangements for larger animals such as horses or livestock well in advance. Check with your vet for recommendations.
Can homeowners insurance help with evacuation expenses?
It depends. Some homeowners insurance policies may include coverage for additional living expenses if a covered event makes your home temporarily uninhabitable. Whether evacuation-related costs are covered depends on your specific policy, the cause of the evacuation, and the circumstances surrounding the loss. Review your policy or contact your insurance provider to understand what benefits might apply.
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