Ok, there’s really no polite way to say this – so I’m just gonna throw it out there for you…
If you’re “older”… or you have elderly parents or neighbors you look out for… or even if you have young children or pets… then being forced to evacuate your home in a disaster could be the most dangerous task you’ll ever face!
Unfortunately, most people who fall into these categories don’t feel like “evacuating” a perfectly good home is an option for them when disaster strikes.
And I can tell you from experience – not taking the possible scenario of a forced-evacuation seriously could be a lethal mistake.
All you have to do is look at the stats…
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- Of the over 1,000 people who died as a result of Hurricane Katrina, fully HALF of the victims were 75 or older. (Most of them died the day of the storm, drowning – alone and helpless – with no one to save to them.)
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- During the “Paradise Wildfires,” most of the people who were killed were over the age of 65. (In fact, 77% of the fatalities – people who were literally burned alive – were senior citizens.)
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- Of the dozens of people killed by Hurricane Harvey in Texas, many were senior citizens who died due to lack of power for medical equipment, like oxygen tanks.
It simply can’t be avoided if you want to stay safe during a crisis…
The Harsh Reality Is That Survival Planning Is WAY More Challenging For Those With Limited Mobility, Health Problems Or Even If You Have Small Children Or Pets.
Here’s How 1 Retirement Community Mastered “Bugging Out”… And Why You Should Copy Their Evac Plan!
The staff of the Bishop Gadsden Retirement Community in South Carolina have emergency evacuations down to a science – because they were forced to…
When Hurricane Hugo hit the coast of the state in 1989, they had to evacuate all of the residents…
It happened again during Hurricane Matthew in 2016…
And when Hurricane Florence threatened residents again in 2018, nursing home staff once again had to make sure all residents were safely evacuated inland.
In other words, the nursing home’s staff and residents – unlike even most “survival gurus” – have real-world experience in how difficult it can be when you’re forced from your home in an emergency.
Whether You’re Older… Have Medical Issues… Are Responsible For Small Children Or A Challenged Family Member… Or If You Just Want To “Level-Up” Your Own Response Plan…
Here Are 3 “Bugout” Evacuation Lessons This Nursing Home Learned The Hard Way (And The Fast-Action Solutions You Can Steal From Them)
Whether your personal threats are wildfires, hurricanes, or any other crisis, you and I both know you must have a realistic plan for the worst-case scenario or you and your family can find yourselves stranded, alone, and at the mercy of Mother Nature – as well as the desperate citizens all around you.
Here’s what I noticed from this community’s well-prepared response plan that I think will help you the most…
1. “Survival Stress” – Yeah… It’s A Real Thing!
Most people don’t give this enough thought…
But the reality is something you will experience when a crisis strikes… and the stress of bugging out means you’ll need more time and resources than you think you do.
For example…
Bishop Gadsden residents used up TWICE as much oxygen during an evacuation that they used during normal day-to-day life!
They also faced far more upset stomachs… flared tempers… emotional breakdowns… and even a HUGE uptick in “bathroom trips”!
In other words, the stress and physical strain put their bodies “through the wringer”, and that’s something you’ll have to plan for if you and your family are forced from your home due to a disaster or some other dangerous crisis.
2. Personalize Your “Go-Bag”
You may think this is obvious, but I can tell you from experience in coaching citizens – both “preppers” and “newbs” – with their bugout plans that this is almost always overlooked.
But not for the staff of Bishop Gadsden…
While they didn’t call their kits “bugout bags,” the elderly residents were prepared ahead of time for evacuation with personalized, labeled suitcases.
Just like a bug-out bag, each suitcase contained all the items each resident needed to survive.
That includes specific medications, oxygen tanks, and other life-sustaining supplies and equipment that, if lost or misplaced (or left behind) could mean death for the resident in question.
There’s no room for “forgetting” something you depend on to survive!
Obviously – with so many different ailments, mobility obstacles, and levels of care needed – a “one-size-fits-all” plan wouldn’t help these residents.
They needed customized evacuation kits ready-to-go that met their own most critical, personal health and mobility needs.
So do you – and it’s not just about your bugout bag…
3. Have A Fast-Action Evacuation Plan (But Not Just ANY “Plan”)
This was the #1 lesson the staff and residents of Bishop Gadsden learned from these repeated responses to natural disasters…
The elderly residents’ “evacuation planning” needed to be a 24/7… 365 days a year… personally customized process… if they wanted to live!
I think you already know that the worst time to figure out all these details is when a disaster is already headed your way, right?
Well , staff members knew that if each and every nursing home resident wasn’t packed up and ready-to-go at a moment’s notice – with that individual’s personal needs already taken care of – then they would all be stuck in buses… trapped on a jammed highway… and residents could literally die during the evacuation without the proper supplies.
Same goes for you, Warrior..
Unfortunately, even those who are planning for a forced evacuation are using a “one-size-fits-all” solution.
They pack away some cheap gear they saw promoted online… throw in a couple bottles of water… and feel that’s all they really need to get them to safety, but…
Sorry Warrior… It’s This Kind Of Thinking Is NOT Gonna Cut It.
The Cold Hard Truth Is, “Gear” Is The Easy Part – It’s The Evacuation “PLAN” That Most People Are Screwing Up!
Whether you’re older… have mobility problems… juggling young kids… or you’re a young stud who can run marathons, your survival planning should be super detailed…
… you have to “war game” everything you might face. . .
… and it has to be specific to your family’s needs, desires, challenges, strengths, etc.
I realize that customizing your own evacuation plan is a lot to take on in a busy lifestyle – and it’s made even more complicated with all of the misinformation I see floating around the interwebs.
But just as thinking through every single “what if” scenario was an absolute must for me and my Team in our combat mission planning… not sitting down with your family and going over your specific needs and “what can go wrong and what will we do when it happens?” is a recipe for chaos, confusion, and unnecessary delays when it’s time for you to take fast, decisive action in evacuating your home during a life-or-death crisis.
This is great information for both older and younger warriors. Interesting how the Bishop Gadsden facility went through 2x the oxygen. Planning for your body to be under 2x stress makes sense.
Speaking of Senior Housing facilities, if you have a family member living in one, you can ask the Executive Director to see the Emergency Plan manual, which they are required to have and distribute upon request. Federal law requires 3 days of shelf-stable food and water per resident, do they have this? Also get details on the location of various evacuation plans, so you can reunite with your loved ones, even when the cell towers aren’t working.