Ready to evacuate

[Florence]

OK, the active fires are one county away so I have the house and car titles, the insurance papers, checkbooks, and credit cards packed in the van. The cats are inside and the carriers are ready; cat food and litter in the van. All our pictures are on a portable hard drive in the safety deposit box at the bank. Suitcases with clothes and shoes, quilts and pillows are ready to move. Portable radio and batteries, camera. DH medicine.
I am on a first name basis with Wendy at the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office. She says that the smoke which came rolling in about 90 minutes ago is from the fires in Montgomery county and that there are no fires currently in our area.

What am I forgetting to get ready if we do have to evacuate?

[CathyA]

Are the pics safe at the bank? You might put them on a flashdrive you take with you.
Any family videos?
Masks, in case you encounter smoke?
water?
phone and car charger
full gas tank
wet towels?
Good luck to you. Be safe.

[bke]

Damn. I hope you don't have to go anywhere. Birth Certificates, marriage license, social security cards. Momentos from deceased loved ones that are irreplacable.


I'd stash some granola bars or something and a bit of water if there was room in the vehicle. A roll of toilet paper?

Take care...

BKE

[Gina]

We have had to evacuate 3 times over the years because of wildfires. Two came within a quarter mile of our house (different houses). Hundreds of local homes have burned over the years. Considering how many more could have burned, the numerous firefighters deserve great credit.

Wear good walking shoes, and make sure you have plenty of water for you and your pets. And snacks for yourself. Make sure the gas tank in your car is full - it sounds as if you have time to do that now before there are lines. Take cash if you have it. And any irreplacable art, jewelry or collectibles that you really like. I also took my good kitchen knives.

If you have a pond or pool, you can slide indestructibles into it. I had the time and put two sets of nice dishes and a couple favorite cooking pans under the water. We couldn't carry them, but I wanted to save them. I also rolled up and took my favorite rug. It's interesting what you find you value the most. I did pack some Indian pots, but used clothing as the packing material to try to save as much as possible. The last time we had more than a day to prepare - it was on the mountain above and we just knew it would come close. It did. The two other times, just a few hours.

I also took a few non flamable things and put them out in the open on the large cement driveway so if the house burned they perhaps wouldn't be incinerated/melted. After previous fires it was interesting how much patio furniture on pool decks was left unscathed, yet houses demolished.

Good luck to you.

[Florence]

Adding to the pile:
Phone chargers
Water bottles
Birth certificates, SS cards
Portable food/snacks
Toilet paper!

Thanks. Keep them coming. I am so used to preparing for hurricanes but this is a first time for wildfire.

[CathyA]

And I guess if you're thinking absolute worse senario, and your car fails, maybe have enough backpacks and suitcases/bags to carry things in?

[Bastelmutti]

I was also thinking phone and charger, some cash, some food for the road/wherever you might have to stay for a while in case food isn't served right away. TP is a good idea - I wouldn't have thought of that.

Hoping everything turns out fine!

[Bastelmutti]

Phone nos. of everyone you might have to notify or get info from (family/friends, work, pharmacy)?

[rodeosweetheart]

Heirloom jewelry, cash in small bills, water, portable food, hand wipes.
Keep car gassed.
Fingers crossed you don't have to go.

[Gardenarian]

The number one thing the Katrina evacuees wished they had were large zip-lock bags - so throw some of those in.

[Florence]

Heirloom jewelry, cash in small bills, water, portable food, hand wipes.
Keep car gassed.
Fingers crossed you don't have to go.

No heirloom jewelry but I did add my grandmother's family Bible where she wrote in my mother's birth in 1909; I have her treadle sewing machine but that would have to be left.
Car is gassed.

Things seem to have calmed down; the smoke is quite a bit less. I guess this was just practice. I hope this was just practice.

[CathyA]

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you Florence!

[danna]

Wishing you the best and Good Luck Florence....

[Gina]

Just walk around your house and look. Not everything you decide to take will make sense, but you will want it. You don't even have to put it in the car right now. Just put it in one location near the door. (pack the essentials of course) Fires move fast, but you most likely will have ample time.

This is what one of our fire evacutations looked like a few years ago:

My current avatar is the view from our window - and what it looked like choked with smoke. The active fire was in the opposite direction.

http://www.simplelivingforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=230&d=1300476889


Why we knew it was coming - these are the moutains just behind the house, but the fire had started about 36-48 hours before. The fire burned most of the dark ridge in the fore-ground, but was stopped there. Thank goodness.

http://www.simplelivingforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=229&d=1300476869

And our neighbors leaving just after the fire folks told us it was time to go.. I had just finished taking a shower. Or home was not damaged, but we were gone for a few days. No electricity. This was daytime, but the thick smoke made it dark. The edge of the fire was just on the other side of the hill but the smoke so thick you can't see it. It thankfully was not a windy day or all our homes would've been toast - none were lost.

http://www.simplelivingforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=228&d=1300476839

[Gina]

Here's a suggestion. It sounds as if the fires are some distance from you, and if they do come your way, it would be a long time. So, fill every nook of your freezer with bottles of water (or zip lock bags) so they can freeze, and leave them there. If your power goes out and your home stays safe, that will help keep foods frozen longer. We did not have power for a few days, and the very full freezer helped.

[Bastelmutti]

Scary, scary photos. Wildfires are not a concern where I live, so I've never seen anything like that!

[Mrs-M]

Fingers crossed for you Florence.

Gina. Thank you so much for posting the pictures.

[Tradd]

Good thoughts for all of you, Florence! Stay safe!

[Spartana]

Wow Gina - scary photos! I don't live too far from you (and my Dad lived in hills near Lake Elsinore for over 35 years) and have seen wildfires like tyhat too many times! Good luck Florence!