Look, there’s no polite way to say this, so I’m just going to put it out there…
If you’re “older”… or have elderly parents or neighbors you look out for… (or even if you have young children)… then being forced to evacuate your home in a disaster could be the most dangerous task you’ll ever face!
I mean, let’s look at the stats…
- Of the nearly 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… and most of them drowned – alone and helpless – with no one to save to them.
- 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.
- 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).
The harsh reality here is that survival planning for people with limited mobility, people who are older (and even young children!) is a LOT more challenging than it is for those strapping, healthy dudes in their prime.
But there are some super smart people out there who are learning from other peoples’ mistakes and…
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.
Here are 3 lessons they discovered (the hard way) and how their plan can help YOU – especially if you’re older and/or have medical issues:
1. “Survival Stress”… It’s A Real Thing!
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”!
While they didn’t call their kits “bugout bags,” the residents of Bishop Gadsden were prepared 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!
A one-size-fits-all plan wouldn’t help these residents.
They need customized, personalized evacuation kits… and so do you.
3. Have A Plan… But Not Just ANY Plan!
The #1 lesson the staff and residents of Bishop Gadsden learned from these repeated responses to natural disasters?
That their “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 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, my friend…
Whether you’re older… have a mobility problem… have young kids… or you’re a young stud who can run marathons, your survival planning has to be detailed. . .
. . .It has to cover everything you might face. . .
. . .And it HAS to be specific to your family’s needs, desires, challenges, strengths, etc.
Unfortunately, most people are trying to to do a “one-size-fits-all” solution.
Some of them just have some cheap gear socked away with maybe a couple of water bottles, and they think that’s going to get them there.
In a real disaster, without a customized survival plan, that kind of “fantasy prepping” WON’T cut it.
I realize that customizing a plan is a lot to do. . . especially with all the misinformation on the internet from people who have never actually experienced how hard it can be to plan for – and execute – a life-or-death evacuation.
Worse yet, some of the “doomsday fantasy preppers” out there want you to pack everything but the kitchen sink.
That’s just not practical… and unfortunately, what IS practical is more detailed than I can go into in just this one article.
However, if you’re interested in the RIGHT way to set up your survival plan based on real-world scenarios, you can download a report about that right here.
This is something that ANYONE can follow to be prepared for ANY disaster, crisis, or attack — whether you’re a complete beginner, an experience prepper, or even a senior citizen living on a fixed income.
Whether your personal threats are wildfires, hurricanes, or any other crisis, you MUST have a realistic survival gear and bugout plan. . . or you can find yourself stranded, alone, and at the mercy of Mother Nature – as well as the desperate citizens all around you.
Yeah, it’s that serious my friend!
