Leaving quickly
You have to leave in an hour
Almost everyone who has done this says the same thing afterwards. They wasted the first twenty minutes.
Uncommon but not rare. Flooding, wildfire, gas leaks and building fires move people out of their homes somewhere in Britain, Europe and the United States every single week.
The list, in order
- People. Count them. Say the number out loud.
- Medicines, and the written list of what they are.
- Documents, or the phone with the photographs of them.
- Phone, charger, power bank, cash, keys, glasses.
- Pets, leads, carriers, and a photo of you with the pet in case you are separated.
- One warm layer and one waterproof each, whatever the weather says.
- Baby things, if you have a baby. Nothing else in the house matters as much as formula and nappies.
Then, if there is time
- Turn off the gas, water and electricity at the mains if you have been told to, and if you know where they are. Find out where they are this week, not that day.
- Take a two minute video of every room, slowly, opening cupboards. It is the best insurance evidence you will ever own and it costs nothing.
- Leave a note or a message saying where you are going.
Where you are going
The best answer is a friend or relative outside your immediate area. The second best is an official rest centre, which will be announced. A hotel is a fine answer if you can afford one and you book it from the car park, not from the sofa.
Agree the out-of-area contact now. One person, ideally in another town, who everyone in the family knows to ring. It is the oldest trick in emergency planning and it still works better than any app.
The bag
You do not need a tactical rucksack. A cheap holdall in the bottom of a wardrobe, holding a change of clothes, a towel, a phone charger, a spare pair of glasses and a copy of your documents, is the entire idea.
If you have children, let them put one thing of their own in it. It is not sentimental. It is the difference between a frightening night and an adventure.
If life is at risk, call 112 first. Everything on this page comes second.