Tag: evacuate

Over the past several weeks my neighbors and I have been caught up in the aftermath of our “almost evacuation.” (The next zone to evacuate was across the street, and we were just waiting for the police call.)

While I was fighting gusty winds and dust to get my own stuff packed up, I was particularly conscious of all my neighbors who have pets. In our senior community, pets are small. But many dogs are astonishingly aggressive. Few dogs and certainly no cats have any obvious obedience training. Many don’t seem to like a leash.

How would these pets and their owners fare in an evacuation?

Well, the threat never materialized for us. We were lucky. But as our neighborhood emergency response group continues to examine what should have gone better, pets take their place among the concerns at the top of the list. So today, let’s take a closer look at how to evacuate with your pet!

As it turns out, over this very same period I was putting finishing touches on the last book in our Mini-Series – entitled Protect Your Pet. Our booklet goes through fully a dozen situations that help define what it takes to be a responsible and loving pet owner. Throughout, it focuses on what really happens to pets in emergencies.

As far as this Advisory goes, though, I’d like to focus on just two things.

1- Does your pet have what it needs to evacuate with you or with someone else’s help?

A pet go-bag.

Just as you need a custom go-bag for yourself, each of your pets needs one too. It contains basic food supplies, water, a dish, medicines and identification. Yes, the pet go-bag can contain a lot more, but these are the absolute essentials. (We have a whole chapter on pet survival kits in the Mini-book.) The go-bag accompanies your pet and . . .

Your pet’s travel carrier.

One of my neighbors contemplating being bussed to a shelter said, “Oh, I’ll just take my cat with me, on her leash.”

Here’s the problem with that. Vehicles sent to pick up senior evacuees can’t manage loose animals! Can you imagine being on a crowded bus with a dozen or so pets pulling, twisting, climbing, barking, etc.?  

To be confident your pet will be allowed to accompany you, and to be sure it will be safe during the trip, it needs its own familiar and comfortable carrier. And you need to be able to manage that carrier yourself or have arranged with a partner to help.

There are hundreds of pet carriers on the market. If you don’t have a carrier for each of your pets, you really need to consider getting one. Here are some things to look for:

• Size. Is the carrier the right size for the pet? Some pets will feel comforted by a snug, closely fitting carrier, but most will want to be able to turn around and lie down. (Some carriers even have expandable sides to add extra room.) Before you start your search, measure your pet’s shoulder height and length in addition to knowing its weight. (Remember, only one pet to a carrier.)
• Weight. Some fabric carriers weigh less than 3 lbs; hard-sided plastic crates can easily weigh as much as 10 lbs. Add the weight of your pet. Remember, you will be carrying this! (You’ll see one option below that doesn’t require too much carrying!)
• Balance. A child strapped to your chest is easy to manage. So is a pet – and yes, there are chest pet carriers! But a small pet in a large backpack with a solid bottom may move around so much that you find it hard to walk safely. Moreover, while a pet may ride happily in a backpack, it can’t be left on the floor inside that soft-sided pack. Think about where you might be going and how you’ll carry your pet.
• Airline approved. If you think you might be flying with your pet, check now to find out the size and weight limitations placed on travelers by the airlines. In-cabin pet travelers must stay in their carrier the entire time, and that carrier must fit under the seat in front of you. Caution: Not all airlines have the same restrictions! 

Below you’ll find some examples of carriers. But first,

2- Does your pet know HOW to evacuate?

Every dog we’ve had has loved “taking a ride.” From what I hear, though, other animals absolutely HATE it! Some like to be able to see out, some cower under a blanket. Some pets welcome being in a crowd of strangers, others get aggressive or frightened.

If you want your pet (and yourself) to make it through the stress of evacuation travel and perhaps prolonged confinement, you need to train your pet HOW to evacuate! This involves obedience training and crate training. We offer suggestions in the booklet. Suffice it to say for this Advisory that as a beloved member of your family, your pet deserves these trainings!

Now, some examples of carriers and crates to help you evacuate with your pet — safely and comfortably.

Click on the links beneath the images to get to Amazon where you can get full details and prices, and compare with other similar styles. As you know, we are Amazon Associates and may get a small commission if you buy through our links.

Rolling Pet Carrier. I would choose this carrier immediately for one reason – I wouldn’t have to carry it! The telescoping handle doesn’t take up much room but would make walking through airports or bus stations or a high school gym shelter a whole lot easier. This carrier also includes washable mattresses to keep it clean and comfy for your pet.

There are other rolling carriers, of course. It looks to me as though the simple ones with just two wheels won’t stand up by themselves if you need to have both hands free for a moment.  

Katziela Pet Carrier with Removable Wheels – Soft Sided, Airline Approved Small Dog and Cat Carrying Bag with Telescopic Walking Handle, Mesh Ventilation Windows and Safety Leash Hook (Black)

Something a bit more fashionable!

This classic bag from well-known manufacturer Sherpa looks very secure and comfortable, even stylish, with quilted sides and flexible leather handles (and additional carrying strap). It has side plus top entry – absolutely something I’d want.  Flexible frame helps bag keep its shape, adjusts to fit under an airline seat.   

Sherpa Original Deluxe Charcoal and Camel Pet Carrier, Large, Gray

Yes, a hands-free pet carrying sling!

I carried my baby boy with a sling – so convenient! This one for pets comes in a variety of colors, three sizes to fit pets up to 14 lbs. Obviously, your pet can’t stay in the sling in an emergency shelter, but this would be excellent for quickly getting out of an emergency situation.

YUDODO Pet Dog Sling Carrier Breathable Mesh Travel Safe Sling Bag Carrier for Dogs Cats (S up to 5lbs Pink)

Very basic folding crate.

Mesh all around for plenty of visibility – and so you can see instantly how your fur-baby is doing. Removable stiff floor; plush blanket included. This one comes from the Amazon Basics collection.

AmazonBasics Soft-Sided Mesh Pet Travel Carrier, Medium (17 x 10 x 10 Inches), Black

Portable dog house!

During the recent evacuation members of our family had to remove by car to a hotel with their LARGE dog. He traveled with his wire crate. Something like this soft-sided crate might have been far more convenient and comfortable. (And would look a lot nicer as a piece of furniture in the house while he’s getting crate trained.)

EliteField 3-Door Folding Soft Dog Crate, Indoor & Outdoor Pet Home, Multiple Sizes and Colors Available (36″ L x 24″ W x 28″ H, Navy Blue)

One last thought about evacuating with your pet.

In reviewing articles and comments about pet owners and their experiences with carriers, it seems that some pets are simply determined to escape. They claw, chew, scratch, pull and twist until they are FREE! So keep pet and carrier under close watch until you are sure everything is secure!

Do you have experience evacuating with a pet? Share your story below in the comments. Everyone will appreciate it!

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide team

---

Staying at home has stopped so many of our ordinary activities!

At the same time, it’s opened the door to new activities.

Have you started exercising in new ways? Are you learning – or teaching! – in new ways? What about finding time to reflect on what’s really important?  And have you found new ways to be help meet needs of people outside your immediate family?

So at the same time that staying at home feels like everything has slowed down, it has also been a . . .

Time to start or re-start some new activities.

Here are a few that we’ve been focusing on.

Start calling.

Our communications with family members, particularly younger ones, seem to have become ever shorter. In fact, many of the digital messages I get are made up almost exclusively of a photo, abbreviations and emojis!  So we’ve started telephoning much more frequently. We’ve also started participating in more Zoom calls. My calendar is filling up with calls!

Start your car.

Even if you are not a member of a “vulnerable population,” you may not be going out regularly.  In fact, some of our neighbors haven’t budged for weeks, now. So for them and maybe for you, it’s time to start and run your car! (Take it up to 50 mph on the highway; don’t just creep around the block.) If you don’t, a car website called Drifted says:

• Your car battery could lose its charge.
• Tires can develop flat spots.
• The gas tank can develop moisture.
• Animals can build comfy nests in your car. (Rats particularly like the rubber on electrical wires.)

You can check out recommendations for “cheap drifting cars” at that website, too! (If you haven’t ever drifted, well . . . you have missed out on one of the most exciting things ever!)

Start exercising.

You can walk and walk inside the house but that’s not the same as exercising. Now if you have room and energy you can bounce around as part of a YouTube exercise class. (There are great ones there. Just type into your browser: “Best exercise videos for _____ ” (kids, seniors, etc.)

But everyone can do simple modified squats in front of a chair, using the arms of the chair for extra support (and then turn around and sit down to rest when you’re done!) Or try simple push-ups. You don’t have to get down onto the floor. Do push-ups against the wall, or use the edge of a sturdy table or even the kitchen counter to make push-ups easier! The point is to get your blood moving!

Start the water.

You know that if you don’t use a shower at home for a while, the drain can start to smell. What about in your business? With the business closed, water is sitting in pipes, in the toilets, in the refrigerator and air conditioning systems. Still water can allow sediments to build up, chemicals to dissipate, rust to develop and germs to spread!  Refresh the water supply in your home and your business at least once a week. Here’s a link to more info.

Start preparing for summer.

Spring has been pretty much of a blur for us – with one day blending into the next (and still no payment from the government). But warnings are becoming more frequent.

• Time to start preparing for fire season. Clean up dead branches, leaves and debris around your home. Clean out gutters and get branches off the roof. If you live in a suburban or rural area, clear out underbrush and “ladder” fuel – low bushes that allow flames to climb up into trees. Here’s more on preparing for fire season.
• Prepare for hurricanes by installing shutters – either permanent shutters or the hardware that allows you to quickly install stored shutters. Pack evacuation supplies. Review evacuation routes. (More below.)
• Floods can happen any time. In fact, some 90% of damage from natural disasters comes from flooding! What could cause flooding in your neighborhood? Flash flood from heavy rains? Hurricane surge? Tsunami? What is your “flood” plan? Does it include flood insurance?

Start improving your level of emergency preparedness.

 If you’re here at Emergency Plan Guide, you will have seen that we are constantly trying to spread the word about preparedness. You could call it a passion of ours! We do it in a variety of ways, and our current project is to develop a series of small, cheap, one-topic booklets. We call it the Emergency Preparedness Q&A Mini-Series, and we’re now up to 8 titles, with another one coming on line over the next few days!  (It always takes a while for Amazon to get everything listed and linked.)

This week we published Evacuate! So many people have questions: when to leave and where to go? But because there are never easy answers, those same people never get around to thinking it through before it happens!  If you live in parts of the country where hurricanes or wildfire make evacuating a possibility, please get and go through the questions in this little book!

(Next week we’re coming out with Emergency Cash. Also difficult to be specific about – but hardly anyone has enough. We hope this will help put a number on your need – and the booklet has ideas for options other than cash, too.)

Lots to do these days even though we are staying at home! Hope you are feeling that you’re getting things accomplished.

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide team

April – Month of Action

Surviving after a serious, wide-spread disaster

We’re not talking “emergency cash fund” here, the 6 months’ worth of savings we’re all supposed to have to carry us through losing our job.

Here, we’re talking about getting up after the storm has hit, shaking ourselves off, and taking stock of how we’re going to get through the next few days or weeks.

In most emergency situations like this, you’ll be at home – or you’ll get there after some effort.

Will I need cash if I’m sheltering in place at home?

If your stock of emergency supplies is complete, you won’t need much cash!

• You’ll have food and water, even if there’s no easy way to heat it.
• You’ll have lights, and blankets, and activities to keep you busy if not exactly entertained.
• Your battery-operated radio will keep you up with the news.

On the other hand, if you’re like half the population, your food and water supplies will be GONE within just a day or so. You’ll join the hordes of people who realize they have already run low or run completely out of . . .

• Batteries
• Bread
• Butter
• Coffee
• Milk
• Eggs
• Pet food
• Toilet paper
• Tampons
• Diapers
• Baby Formula
• ! ! !

Even more upsetting will be running out of prescription pills – the kind with the label: “Don’t stop taking this medicine.”

If you find yourself in this situation, you’re going to try to find a store to replenish your supplies. And to do that, you’ll need cash.

Think about it.  When the electricity is out your credit cards are going to be pretty much useless.  Stores – including your pharmacy or doctor’s office — may not even be open if they don’t have lights, air conditioning, etc. If they are open, they’ll only be able to deal in cash. (Maybe if you’re a particularly good customer they’ll accept your IOU.)

Moreover, to GET to a store that does have supplies, you’ll need gas. In an emergency gas pumps won’t work, so stations will be shut down until they can bring in a generator. Even then, their credit card systems won’t be operating.

Once again, cash will be the likely medium of exchange . . . and you may encounter inflated prices as business owners assess the realities of the situation.

If you’re stuck at home for a while, you may also want to pay people to help you repair damages, clear roads, etc. For sure, these neighbors or contractors won’t be accepting credit cards.

(In a big emergency, people may resort to bartering for supplies and services. The best items for bartering seem to be alcohol, commodities such as flour, rice, coffee, etc., and ammunition.)

What if I have to evacuate?

Escaping impending disaster or a disaster that’s already hit means . . . getting on the road in your car.

This puts us back to the need for gasoline.

If you’re aware of what’s happening, and you’re prepared for immediate action, you may get out ahead of the other people hitting the road.  That might put you first in line at a gas station that still has power and gasoline, and where your credit card will still work.

In the crush, however, you may find yourself competing for gas, for a motel room, even for a place to camp or park – for a week or longer! Again, you’re back to paying for these necessities, and maybe with potential bribes to get you a preferred place in line.

So how much cash do I need?

Obviously, the better prepared you are at home, the less money you need if you’re staying home. And the types of emergencies you might expect (power outage, ice storm, earthquake) will have an impact on the preparations you will have made.

On the other hand, you may live in an area where the likelihood of evacuation is high. (For example, if you live along the coasts where hurricanes threaten, where a tsunami might hit, or where flooding is common.) If so, your evacuation preparations need to be more extensive.

And, of course, ANY of us could be asked to evacuate due to a fire, explosion or other unexpected emergency.

So, the better prepared you are to evacuate QUICKLY (with supplies, maps to help you find alternative routes, etc.), the less money you need, too.

In every case, it seems as though enough to keep you fed and sheltered for a week or so would be a good idea. This could mean at least $500 and probably twice that.

What denominations should I have, and how should I carry them?

When things get frantic, people accepting money are not likely to want to make change. So, having smaller denomination bills is probably best — $5, $10, $20.

You can also assume some people will be ready to take advantage of the situation by demanding your money – or taking it. So, don’t keep it all in one place. Put some in a wallet, some in a pocket, some in the dirty clothes bag. If someone tries to rob you, they may be satisfied when they see that your wallet/pocket is empty and it looks as though you have given them all you have.

If you’re sheltering in place, follow the same suggestions. Stash your money in a variety of places in the house. Avoid the bedroom, night stands or jewelry boxes – places where thieves look first. Take some time to create effective hiding places – just don’t forget where they are!

Hiding money or valuables in plain sight

The best way to hide money in your home is in ordinary places that a casual observer wouldn’t even notice but that aren’t hard for you to get into. Some examples:

If you’re a handy-person,

• Convert a section of your wall (between the studs) into a storage cabinet. If you have paneling, a removable section won’t show.
• Set a fake vent into the floor or the wall. Use the space behind for storage. (The space below cabinets is particularly useful.)

If you’re not handy, or are in a hurry,

• Put a hollowed out book right there on your shelf with the rest of the books. Some “secret storage books” are really a simple metal safe, with keys (probably not fireproof). If you intend to put a weapon in the book, be sure to get a book that is big enough. The image shows an example that would fit nicely in our library. It costs around $12. Click the image for details from Amazon:

• Buy a camouflaged container, like a fake Clorox bottle or a can of vegetables whose bottom comes off. Here’s a picture of a fake WD-40 can! (around $17). I have several cans of WD-40 around the house so this would be totally unremarkable!)  Again, click the image for more details.

 

Children and money

Obviously, giving children money to carry can be dangerous. Be sure they understand how much they have and how to protect it. Small children who normally manage their own allowance may become vulnerable targets in a widespread emergency.

What about precious metals?

We’ve all heard the investment world talk about the value of precious metals in times of uncertainly.

As an investment, gold and silver can make sense as part of a portfolio. However, as emergency currency, they may not be so effective. Consider:

Who would accept an ounce of gold in return for supplies? Would they be able to make change? How would they (or you!) even establish its value? (Quick quiz. What’s an ounce of gold worth today?  See below for the answer!)

What about a gold coin with the stated value of $1, like in the image at the top of this article? Here, the answer is probably a lot more positive. In fact, some people might prefer the metal to paper. (These coins might also be able to be used in a dispensing machine . . . if you come across one!)

Again, your preparations depend on your own circumstances. But, as always, you want to put the thought into the preparations well before the disaster hits!

Until next time,

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide Team

P.S. The value of an ounce of gold today, July 14, 2017, is $2,012.  Care to make change for that?

 

 

Tags: