Family Evacuation Plan: Preparedness Guide and Checklist

Maybe it started with a phone alert at night, or a neighbor saying the smoke is closer than it was this afternoon. Your first thought is getting everyone out. Your second is that nobody has agreed on where to go, which road to take, or who grabs the dog.

The honest answer is that a good evacuation depends on decisions you make before anything happens: where you will go, how you will leave, how you will reach each other, and who looks after the pets. Put those decisions on paper and go through them with everyone who will be leaving.

This guide sorts those decisions in the order you need them, using the official steps from Ready.gov evacuation guidance, and points you to the site’s detailed guides for each one. Evacuation is one piece of household preparedness and self-reliance, alongside your water, food, power and security.

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Step 1: Know your risks and your evacuation zone

Start by working out what could force you out and where you live. Ready.gov says no two communities face the same extreme weather, so your local risks come first.

Ready.gov points to FEMA’s National Risk Index to find your local risks. It also says many states have designated evacuation zones and predetermined routes, and you learn your own by checking your state and county emergency management websites.

Once you know your risks, the next question is where you would actually go. Wildfire smoke is a common case where the risk shows up before the order does, so read the wildfire smoke readiness guide too.

Step 2: Choose where you will go and how you will leave

Pick more than one place to go. Ready.gov says to identify several places in different directions, such as a friend’s home in another town, a motel, or a pre-designated shelter, so you have options if one route is blocked.

• Choose at least two destinations in different directions.
• Know your alternate routes and other ways out of the area.
• Do not take shortcuts. Ready.gov warns they may be blocked.
• If you have no car, decide now with family, friends or your local emergency management office what resources are available.

For vehicles, Ready.gov advises keeping a full tank if an evacuation seems likely and a half tank at all times. It notes that gas stations may be closed during emergencies and unable to pump during power outages. It also suggests taking one car per family to reduce congestion, with a portable emergency kit in the car.

Plan the route and the reason you chose it. The bug-out planning guide covers choosing routes and rally points, and the decision to leave or stay is the next step.

Step 3: Set up your contacts and go-bag

Your family needs a way to find each other if you are separated. Ready.gov says to make a family or household plan to stay in touch, with a meeting place that you update as circumstances change.

• A meeting place everyone knows.
• An out-of-state contact. Ready.gov says to call or email that person and tell them where you are going.
• A go-bag you can carry on foot or on public transportation, plus supplies for longer trips if you have a car.
• A clear answer to who is responsible for the bag, and where it is stored.

Ready.gov also suggests a battery-powered radio to follow local evacuation instructions, and taking your emergency supply kit with you when you leave.

For a plan you can carry, use the family communication plan guide. Keep your important papers in order with the guide to which document copies need updating.

Step 4: Set up alerts and plan for pets and people who need help

Alerts tell you when to move, so set them up before a warning. Ready.gov advises signing up for alerts from your local emergency management agency and the National Weather Service, and downloading the FEMA app for real-time weather alerts and open shelter locations.

Pets need their own steps. Ready.gov says to identify a place that will accept pets, because most public shelters allow only service animals. It also says to plan how you will care for your pets in an emergency now, not later.

• Sign up for local alerts and the FEMA app.
• Find a pet-accepting place, a friend, or a boarding option before you need it.
• Keep a pet file with records, carrier and medicines ready.
• If someone in the household cannot use stairs or needs help moving, plan that now.

For alert channels that work when one fails, read the redundant alerts guide. Households with someone who cannot use stairs should read the stairs and outage planning guide.

Step 5: Leave early, secure the house and go

When an evacuation is called, your job is to leave early enough that you are not trapped by the weather. Ready.gov lists the steps to take if time allows, and they are simple enough to do with children in the car.

• Leave early enough to avoid being trapped by severe weather.
• Take your emergency supply kit and your pets, and plan for your pets at the destination.
• Call or email your out-of-state contact and tell them where you are going.
• Close and lock doors and windows. Unplug radios, televisions and small appliances.
• Leave freezers and refrigerators plugged in unless there is a risk of flooding.
• Shut off water, gas and electricity only if you are instructed to, and only if your home is damaged.
• Leave a note saying when you left and where you are going.
• Wear sturdy shoes and clothing that protects you, such as long pants, long sleeves and a hat.

On the road, Ready.gov says to follow recommended routes, watch for washed-out roads, bridges and downed power lines, and never drive into flooded areas.

For the stay-or-go decision, use the staying put or leaving worksheet. If you are home during a fire, the home fire escape plan guide covers two ways out.

Step 6: Come back or move on safely

The evacuation is not over when you leave the driveway. Ready.gov advises checking with local officials both where you are staying and back home before you travel, and it warns that returning before storm debris is cleared is dangerous.

• Charge devices, and consider back-up batteries in case power outages continue.
• Fill your gas tank, and consider a fuel app to check for outages along your route.
• Pack water and non-perishable food for the car ride.
• Avoid downed power or utility lines. Stay away and report them to your utility company.
• Use generators only outside and away from the home. Ready.gov says never run a generator inside a home or garage.

Let friends and family know before you leave and when you arrive. Ready.gov suggests this is part of the plan, not an afterthought.

After a long outage, check food in the fridge and freezer with the refrigerator and freezer food safety guide, and plan water and sanitation with the emergency sanitation plan.

Your next step

1. Write down your top two local risks and your county emergency management website.
2. Pick two destinations in different directions and one out-of-state contact.
3. Pack a go-bag, and tell everyone in the household where it is and who is responsible for it.
4. Sign up for local alerts and the FEMA app, and keep a battery-powered radio.
5. Write your pet plan, and find a place that accepts pets before you need it.

Every guide on this topic

Pets and animals

• Pet Evacuation Information: one-page care and contact sheet.
• Pet Emergency Plan: identification, carriers, medicines and backup care.
• Pet Emergency Preparedness Checklist: carriers, records and shelter questions.
• Pet Evacuation Shelter Checklist: shelter questions for pets.
• Emergency Water Storage for Pets: pet water in the household supply plan.

Alerts and communication

• Radios That Work When Cell Towers Go Down: direct radios and backup options.
• Redundant Emergency Alerts: more than one way to get warned.
• Emergency Alerts Explained: WEA, EAS and NOAA Weather Radio.
• Emergency Radio Buying Guide: alerts, batteries and reception.
• Family Emergency Communication Plan: contacts and meeting places.
• Family Communication Plan for Outages: power and cell outages.
• Household Emergency Contacts Card: a printed card for when cell service fails.
• Off-Grid Communication Basics: HAM radio and GMRS.
• Amateur Radio for Emergencies: licensing and a communication plan.

Routes, go-bags and leaving

• Evacuation Route Maps: checking road closures before you leave.
• Bug-Out Planning: routes, rally points and when to evacuate.
• Bug Out Bag Essentials: weight, climate and priority items.
• 72-Hour Emergency Bag: contents, weight and overpacking.
• Wildfire Evacuation Readiness: go-bag, alerts, routes and family roles.
• Wildfire Evacuation Planning: defensible space and route mapping.
• Staying Put or Leaving Worksheet: decisions during a local alert.
• Severe Weather Action Card: watch and warning decisions.
• Basic Land Navigation: compass, map and GPS alternatives.
• Emergency Documents Kit Checklist: documents for an evacuation.
• Emergency Kit Documents: which copies to update each year.
• Emergency Documents Copies: encryption, access and updates.
• Ice Box Alternatives for Document Storage: document storage options.
• Emergency Water Planning Worksheet: household storage and rotation.

Home fire, storms and hazards

• Home Fire Escape Plan: two ways out and practice notes.
• Home Fire Prevention and Escape Planning: smoke alarms, routes and drills.
• Home Fire Extinguishers: classes, placement and when not to fight a fire.
• Wildfire Smoke Readiness: household planning guide.
• Hurricane Preparedness: windows, routes, surge and shelter.
• Thunderstorm and Lightning Safety: home, vehicle and outdoor plan.
• Tornado Safe Place Basics: where to go and what to practice.
• Earthquake Preparedness at Home: drop, cover and hold on.
• Flood Preparation at Home: utilities, vehicles, documents and cleanup.
• Flood Cleanup Safety: electricity, mold and contaminated water.
• Build a Local Hazard Map: flood, wildfire, tornado and outage risks.
• Sump Pump Backup Planning: options before an outage.
• Shelter-in-Place Basics: rooms, air and supplies.
• Shelter-in-Place Planning: room supplies and alerts.

Medical, first aid and medicines

• Emergency Medicine Go-Bag: labels, storage and refills.
• Emergency Medications: what to stock and how to store it.
• Emergency Preparedness With Medical Conditions: insulin, oxygen and medicine continuity.
• 10 First Aid Kit Items: checklist and uses.
• First-Aid Kit Expiration Checklist: when to replace supplies.
• Emergency Medical Supplies: a kit beyond the basics.
• Extended Medical and Dental Kit: what to stock beyond first aid.
• Wilderness First Aid Kit Checklist: wound care and splinting.
• Wilderness First Aid: wound care and stabilization.
• Emergency Dental Care: tooth pain and injuries without a dentist.
• Long-Term Dental Care Without a Dentist: prevention and monitoring.

Family members and special needs

• When a Family Member Cannot Use Stairs: planning for outages.
• Apartment Evacuation Without Elevators: stairs, mobility and meeting points.
• Emergency Preparedness for Seniors: mobility-limited households.
• Emergency Preparedness for Young Children: age-appropriate plans.
• Emergency Preparedness During Pregnancy: and with a newborn.
• Emergency Infant Feeding Planning: formula, water and records.
• Household Skills Inventory: what your family can do.
• Household Emergency Roles and Drills: a plan everyone can remember.

Food, water and utilities

• Food and Water Storage Guide: the household basics.
• Store Water for Emergencies: how much, containers and shelf life.
• Pantry Rotation Labels: use food before it is lost.
• Emergency Sanitation During Water Outages: household plan.
• Refrigerator and Freezer Food Safety: during a power outage.

Community and plans

• Neighborhood Preparedness Network: community emergency planning.
• Community Emergency Planning: a neighborhood network.
• Neighborhood Mutual Aid: checking on each other.
• Community Emergency Response Team: training and how to join.
• Family Readiness Plan: how to build one.

Gear and product guides

• Ice Box Review: what the product is and what to check.
• Ice Box Complaints, Shipping and Refunds: billing and refund questions.
• Tactical USA Knife Bundle Buyer Checks: what to check before buying.
• Power Blast Plus Review: claims and buyer checks.
• Herz P1 Smart Scale: Label, Price and Buyer Checks: seller and price checks.
• Herz P1 Smart Scale vs Alternatives: how formats compare.
• Herz P1 Smart Scale Review: features and fit.

Affiliate note: Some guides above are about products. Read each one’s buyer checks before you order.

By ThePreppersBlueprint.com Editorial Team