Prepared for Evacuation?

Coastal cities around the nation have developed evacuation procedures to help residents exit areas predicted to be affected by bad weather.  Bad weather can occur at any time, but cities that border the seas are in heightened alert during June thru November which is the hurricane season.  To be prepared for when an evacuation is mandatory or voluntary one must be a step ahead of others to avoid either running out of gas or other resources which become scarce in a crisis situation.

Residents of coastal cities are probably aware of evacuation routes in their areas, but how familiar are those routes?  Make sure the routes posted by city official are roads that will lead to the final destination in mind.  When planning an evacuation decide whether a major highway or a road less traveled like back roads will be best.  Whatever is decided, make sure there are plenty of service stations on the way and that a GPS or maps are accessible.  Remember, filling up a vehicle with fuel is very important to do before leaving on that journey.  Likewise, pack additional fuel if it can be done. 

Plan to take one car per family and make transportation arrangements.  Use public transportation if needed.  If you have enough time before evacuating, shut off all utilities. It is not uncommon for fires to occur after evacuations, due to natural gas leaks. Also, turn off electricity at the main fuse or breaker, and turn off water at the main valve.

The city of Houston faced major gridlock in 2005 when nearly 2 million residents decided to leave the city simultaneously.  All major roadways were at a complete stop and traveling one mile took almost an hour.  Motorist found themselves stranded, out of fuel and only miles away from their initial starting point.  The highway congestion finally relinquished when all major highways leading out of the city became “Contraflow Highways,” meaning the lanes going into the city were turned into lanes leading out of the city.  There was no traffic allowed to come back in on the major highways. 

Make reservations ahead of time to ensure there will be a cozy room waiting.  Hotels and Motels are probably not going to be vacant during an emergency.  Always plan ahead and reserve a place to stay even if it’s with a relative.  Keep in mind, to avoid danger get away from an area that needs to evacuate, it may not necessary to travel far.  Often times, traveling outside a city limit or just getting away from a coastline is enough to avoid danger

Comedy Driving Inc has 5 Houston Locations as well as our online defensive driving course!

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