One thing that I have realized the last few days is that we don't have enough crates for all the pets. We could leash both the dogs but only have two small animal crates. 4 indoor cats and 3 outside cats would never fit in 2 crates.

moonie, that is so true. A few years ago we had wildfires getting close to us. I wasn't worried about that round, but I did realize that I had six cats and two crates. Luckily I found four more on Craigslist within two weeks and picked them all up for about $30. Unfortunately, that has been the extent of my disaster planning.

When I lived in an earthquake zone, I had a small wrench on a chain attached to my gas meter so I could turn that off quickly.

I have been in an evacuation situation in the past. I was one of the lucky ones who had zero damage. I learned to plan early and get your supplies before the stores are running low. Photograph your entire home, inside and out for insurance purposes. Don't forget the contents of your closets. Photos are one our most precious belongings! Scan them at a high resolution and either save them in the cloud or on flash drive to take with you. I worked with Care for Sandy in restoring damaged photos for Sandy's victims and this was their most upsetting loss. The stores are full of furniture and electronics. I worked for hundreds of hours to restore the last remaining photo of a Grandparent of a wedding photo. Heartbreaking stories.

Depending on where you are going, several days worth of water. Full gas tank.

One of the more difficult things for those of us who are older (and take more medications) is having the right about on hand, ready to go. I have meds that need to be refilled at one part of the month and others that would not be allowed (by the insurance creeps) to be filled until much later. If one is using a national pharmacy, that is fine, since those can be refilled anywhere. However, if you are using a local place, you just might have a problem if you are going to be gone for more than 14 days (for instance).

We cruise a lot; and many of those cruises are more than three weeks. Planning for 'stuff' for that long would be similar to planing for an evacuation. Think about where you will go and what the weather might be like there. That will help to determine what clothes to take with you.

Good list! Add pet supplies. Do not use use big plastic bins for valuables because they float tip over and fill with water! Everything floats! Your full fridge and freezer WILL float! Your furniture will all float so things will be all over the place. Pictures tons before and after. Fema requires them but they take so many themselves. Document everything save every receipt start a dedicated folder and notebook. If dealing with a flood use caution the water is a toxic soup. Remember my staph infections? Our neighbor died from a staph infection from the water. Invest in good gloves and protect yourself, wear mask, mold starts in seconds. Invest in antibacterial wash for body and hands, habiclens is what I use. Keeping some tools in the attic for breaking through the ceiling is a good idea. White sheet to flag rescuers, I have several battery powered lanterns and oil lanterns, I don't like candles too dangerous the water contains gasoline products from the cars. I will think on it.

Here's a good guide for 72 hour preparedness. You might not have to evacuate in an emergency, but may need to shelter in place, or just be without power, water or other services for a time.

And not just hurricanes. Think fires, massive storms both rain and snow, earthquakes (many people are unaware that they are in earthquake zones, and not just in California), chemical fumes (train or truck accidents, and who knows what else.

72 hour preparedness

Cooper, the wrench on the gas meter is a great idea.

If you don't have to leave: LOTS of D batteries, and battery flashlights/lanterns. Fill anything fill-able with tap water, don't waste money on grocery bottled water before the fact. Some containers are good from drinking from, the other sources of water will have other uses. When Hurricane Irene and then the Snowmaggedeon snowstorm hit here, we were without power for a long time each of those occurrences that year. I keep a couple months of food here. I hardly ever eat bread or drink milk, so those "staples" are not necessary. I did do a lot of grilling from the freezer after each of those storms. Note, though, I did not have to evacuate. For evacuation: my pets, for sure. Legal documents. Meds if I am on any. Some prized photos if possible -- you won't have a chance to choose in an emergency though. (Send your favorites out to a Cloud today or so, proactively.) My phone AND my laptop. A change of clothes and some drinkable water. For me, some tree-nut-free protein bars. (This will also depend on how I have to evacuate, if I can bring my car, I can bring more. Do keep a blanket and some extra supplies in your car in case you have that option.)

I do live near a gas pipeline. Every Christmas, the pipeline sends out a calendar for the next year accompanied with What To Do if the thing explodes. Which they keep saying it won't, but... they send out the message anyways...

I didn't evacuate for the flood. I have been evacuated before because something blew out and there was a chance of poison gas. My husband was at work. I had an almost 4 year old, an almost two year old, a four month old in one arm and a cat in another. I had a diaper bag with diapers and a change of clothes for the kids and my purse.

So many people were at work when this happened. Their pets were at home and they couldn't go back in to get them. Some of those pets didn't get fed for a day or two. They were at risk of dying because of the gas.

From all of that, I've learned grab the pets and family. If you need to evacuate, you have to be prepared in advance. When it's time, you can't go around looking for stuff.

In case of an emergency don't forget to have cash on hand. You won't be able to use credit or debit cards or an ATM during a power outage.

Good point maire! Lots of good points. I have an address book that has everything in it as far as passwords, acct numbers, phone numbers, etc. Also have a container with all necessary paperwork. I would grab them my laptop, cellphone and chargers, meds. More stuff if time permits.

Now I want to photograph my whole house!

"don't waste money on grocery bottled water before the fact."

Depending on the emergency, you can't count on water being available and untainted from the tap. If there's no electricity, well pumps don't work. In earthquakes, pipes come apart, in severe weather pipes can freeze, etc. Even in cities with municipal water, deliberate or accidental contamination is possible.

I think it's smart to have a few cases of bottled water - they are very inexpensive and even if they are past freshness date, they will still keep you alive. I have some gallons of distilled water, too. Just for back up.

Then, if water is available and you are sheltering in place, fill your containers (save the bottled), fill the tubs to use for flushing, dishes, sponge baths, etc.

I store a copy of my important papers and information in a briefcase, so it is a quick and easily recognized container for anyone in the family to grab during emergencies.

You are supposed to keep 1 gallon water per person per day for at least three days worth of water at all times. I keep the stackable gallon size water bottles for that on a shelf in the garage. There is a run on water when something big happens. We bought some big containers for more water for this event because if we got trapped three days worth is not enough. Some areas are now under a boil water order. Having the big bottles makes life more convenient.

I'm seriously considering getting myself a backpack to carry stuff in after this event. It will keep the hands free for other things.

My dog does well on a leash. I think I may think about getting a more portable cat carrier. If we had to be boated out, there would be a battle with the cat.

All of this and this post have got me thinking too. I prepared as much as I could because we were expecting Harvey to hit us. But after all of this I don't think I may have been as prepared as I thought. I definitely need to get more pet carriers. And I was thinking maybe something else to help would be those rafts that are confined until you pull the cord and it fills up? I don't know. :(

Keep the ideas coming!

We have bug-out bags ready to go - both in our house in in our vehicles. We also have bug-in supplies so we could be self-sufficient for two months. That's why I'm just so perplexed at the lack of preparedness of all these people who had a WEEK'S WARNING, yet they still floundered. And LEFT THEIR PETS.

We have specific plans for our cats in all possible scenarios, up to and including putting them down humanely in the event that there's zero way we could take them with us. Not likely, but it's there as a possibility.

This isn't a perfect world, chloecat. Yes, one would think people should be more prepared. It's hard to imagine leaving animals behind.

DH and I had a similar heated discussion on this topic. I was somewhat offended by him and your post is offensive, too.

How is that any help to anyone? If you aren't part of the solution, you're part of the problem.

I dont know, maybe it's just me.

I don't know if people really had a week's warning. I didn't learn about it as a possible threat until Tuesday last week. It was just kind of out there and not really on a lot of people's radars. It looked like it was going across Mexico for a while. My neighbor didn't realize there would be a hurricane until I asked her Thursday night if she had finished her preparations yet. She ran out on Friday and got non perishable food.

I think it's easy to judge people for not leaving; not everyone has a car, not everyone has access to enough money for bus tickets, even if it were possible to book a ride. What if you are elderly with no car and 3 cats. Or a young mother with a baby and a toddler or two. How would you manage? Not everyone has someplace out of town to GO! What if you had no $ for a motel room and didn't know a soul far away from the crisis? I heard more than one person interviewed who said it was the end of the month and no $ left. I am saddened by the numbers of people in this land of plenty who live on the margins with none of those options. Probably no $ for bottled water or extra groceries either. It's heartbreaking.

What to do once you do leave? How do you pay for lodging and food? I totally understand why they can't.

imstillchloecat I totally agree with you about the pets. To me leaving pets behind is just...I have no words. Especially those who left them tied up. You grab pets and kids first, any kind of emergency stuff, and everything else after or leave it behind.

Now in regards to thinking people had a weeks warning this is not true. The weather reports kept saying this hurricane was going to hit San Antonio and Austin. People in San Antonio were clearing out the stores on Thursday and were told each day it's coming just wait. We got some rain and that's it. The hurricane shifted Friday night or Saturday I believe. Places like Corpus Christi were told to leave, but Port A I believe had an actual mandatory evacuation. Then Rockport was hit also. Then the storm shifted and hit Houston. They really did not have time and some said they were even told to stay put. I mean it was really a matter of some hours that the were warned.

I have a friend who keeps all of her medical records on a flash drive, either kept in her pocket, or on a key ring. I took it a step further. I scanned in all of our insurance policy for the house and car. I have my medical records on it also, though I have been lazy and not updated it, which I badly need to do, and will do within the next month or so, waiting on diagnosis and treatment information to do so. I am not anywhere where we need to worry about anything but possible tornadoes or fire, so I am not in a huge hurry right now, but it will be done.

If you have a passport, scan it in also! In fact, scan all of your ID, phone numbers for your credit cards in case they need to be cancelled. All of those family photos that you are scanning can also go on there. And while you are gathering all of this information, here is another suggestion for you. Many years ago I was an assistant Girl Scout leader. I used the overnight permission form as a guide to make my own emergency medical list. I keep a copy in each vehicle for each person who drives it, plus we each keep one in our wallet. Here is a sample:

Name:

Address:

Phone:

Emergency contact person & phone:

List each Dr you have, including dentist, chiropractor, specialist, ect.

List each surgery, broken bone, tetnus shot (I know I spelled that wrong) other vaccines you have had

In RED ink list all of your allergies, both to medications, and to food!

List all medications you take, and what they are prescribed for, as some are formulated for one thing, but prescribed for other things as well.

If you have a living will, note that on the paper also. You may not need to attach a copy of it, but at least note that you have one, and where it can be located.

Save a copy to your computer, and update it periodically. Print a copy and carry it with you.

If you travel in an RV like we do, and some who live full time in their RV, put a suction cup with a clip on it on your windshield and keep the registration slip and address of the campground clipped on there, in case of an accident, so your RV, and any pets or other people who might be traveling with you, but not be with you at the time of the accident, can be located.

I hope none of us ever need any of the suggestions that we are listing here, but I hope I have given some ideas that will help someone.

Apparently, Hurricane Rita? put too many people on the roads. More people were placed in danger trying to evacuate. I think over 100 people died evacuating. They got out there and ran out of gas and got stranded. The people were told not to evacuate because of this. So far, my understanding is less people have died.

We didn't evacuate because we had a test of 10" over a short period with the tax day flood. This neighborhood is newer and has never undergone a hurricane, but my dh had studied the topo maps before we bought so we looked at that before we bought. Some people, like Raven, wanted to stay and salvage what they could. My house did not flood, but I had a leak through my weep holes that could have destroyed some wood flooring if I weren't here to catch the leak.

I think Houston's Mayor Turner made a realistic decision when he told people to shelter in place. He could have suggested to those who have flooded before to move to higher ground. Ultimately, it is up to us to look out for our own best interests.

There was a person on the news at the very beginning who said her family could not afford to evacuate.

Yall. It's not just THIS hurricane. It's EVERY natural disaster, EVER. You (in general) need to have plans for EVERY POSSIBLE option!

If not a week, there was at least a few DAYS' notice for this one. It was a POSSIBILITY, though, a week out. Plans should have been in place and ready to activate.

Again - we have bug-out bags at home and in our vehicles so we can survive out of those for 72 hours. It won't be pleasant, but it's doable. We have a variety of meeting places, depending on our location when a disaster hits/what the disaster is/where the damage is. If we're home and it's safe to stay, we will. Otherwise, we grab our bug-out bags and our cats and GO. We also have a total of seven different destinations with a variety of routes to get there, again - depending on the type/severity of a particular event.

Everyone who lives in the household should know where the shutoffs are for electricity, water, gas, propane, etc., and how to shut them off. Depending on the emergency, leaking gas is a danger, broken pipes can flood homes, downed power lines are a hazard and so on.

We are susceptible to forest fires and snow emergencies where I live, so I keep a bag in each vehicle with a couple of changes of clothing, basic toiletries, first aid kits, a tarp, snacks and water. If we had pets, I'd also keep some supplies for them in the car. From time to time, I change out the snacks and water because the summer heat causes them to go stale. I also keep a blanket in each of the vehicles in case we ever get stuck in the snow and can't get help. I used to keep copies of important papers in the bags as well, but now with flash drives a person can just add one to their key ring with all of this information.

Near the front door place a bag in which to toss tablets, laptops, chargers, medications so that it's ready and easy to grab as one runs out the door when evacuating.

If sheltering at home water purification tablets, bleach, disposable gloves, dust masks, bottled water, dried foods such as beans, pasta, oatmeal and rice along with canned foods (in case there is no water in which to cook the dried foods), a camp stove or grill, fuel for the stove and/or grill, tarps, battery powered lanterns and a well stocked first aid kit are all things that come in handy during emergencies. Also some basic tools such as screw drivers, hammer, shovels, axe and a chain saw are useful to have.

It's actually possible to make a portable toilet using a five gallon bucket, kitty litter inside and a toilet seat placed on top. And, don't forget to have some TP on hand because basic human needs don't stop just because a disaster happens.

I don't disagree with you on being prepared. I've never been into the bug out bags, but I have do have a lot of preparation for various catastrophes. A lot of people have never been a situation where that has caught their attention. I think maybe it's worse in a city because people have always been able to rely on someone else to help them out. I was raised with putting contingency plans in place.

I just thought of another emergency item. Cpap machines run on electricity. If you don't want to sleep with your generator, you may like to get a battery to use. My dh got one a while back to camp out with. We charged that up for in case we lost power.

This is a great thread, trying to encourage ourselves and each other to be more prepared. It seems like we have many more chances of having a natural disaster or a terrorist situation, or who knows what else that we can anticipate. The old Boy Scout motto of 'being prepared', is a good one. 'An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure'. It seems to me the last generation in this country used to have a 'saying' on the tip of their tongue, a whole lot more than we do now. And they were popular because they were so true and because we always need reminding.

If you're talking about evacuating in a hurry, you only need your wallet with the credit cards. You definitely don't need to load up food or water, because you can buy it later. You might need the food when you return. Take pets. You can get pet food later.

Somewhere recently and unrelated to Harvey, there was a video of a guy taking pictures of his stuff when he was washed away in flood waters. Unbelievable procrastination.

I made my original house inventory a few years ago. When I get new items I just add it to the file...and delete older items. If you have ever had to make a claim after a fire or burglary, it is not as easy as you might think to remember every single thing you own. Check to see if jewelry and antiques are insured at their full value and added to the policy individually.

Far too many in this country can't afford their day to day easily, and yet they're expected to manage to have things to get them through a disaster situation.

Very interesting thread. Where I live, the only threats we have ever had that would require evacuation are tornadoes (we go in our basement) and wildfires.

When the wildfires happened, there was no advance notice and evacuation was immediate. We took ourselves with kids, pets, and the home server and left.

For winter storms/sheltering in place, we have a generator, a fireplace with plenty of wood, our own well and a large stock of food.

I think what you would have ready for an evacuation is largely dependent on where you live.

Here is the government website where you can get PDFs for many types of emergency preparedness plans and lists. Https://www.ready.gov/publications

Everyone should have a quick grab and go bag to vacate house quickly in the event of fire and/or chemical spill. Any vehicle going down the road could spill a toxic gas cloud if in an accident.

Bestyears, what is your current situation? Are you still in your home? Or have boats been sent in for you?

Bestyears, that is one heckufa post--a wonderful explanation of what goes into making an evacuation decision. For someone exhausted and cranky, you wrote a much better post than I could ever write refreshed and happy. :) Thank you.

Good morning, this morning the river finally crested in our area, which means we are pretty much safe! We never got water in our house, and so have been completely fine. We have friends very close to the river whose houses have been surrounded for days and days with deep water, but they are dry and happy and having a potluck dinner tonight all together! Things are getting much better for some of us. For others, oh, we are all just heartsick. One of my best friends lost her husband very suddenly just three years ago. She ultimately had to downsize her home, which wasn't easy, as she hadn't made many big decisions in her marriage. But she did a great job. Of course, that house just flooded... I could write down sad stories all day. But honestly, the spirit around here is a renewed appreciation for each other, and a commitment that we're all in this together, whether our personal home flooded or not. In other words, this is everyone's mess to clean up. I'm thinking besides the animals, which is just kind of an ongoing thing for me, my volunteer energies might be best used trying to help people get online to get claims going, etc. So a friend and I are looking into that. So much to do....

Glad you are out of the danger zone.