Evacuate
If You Are Told to Evacuate
You may be advised to Evacuate your home or business for several types of emergencies, such as a hazardous materials incident or severe flooding. You should:
Do not attempt to pick up children at school if the school has been ordered to Evacuate. Listen to EAS stations for information on what schools are affected. If your child's school is evacuated, information will be given in the messages about where they have been taken and how to pick up your child. Swift evacuation of everyone in the affected areas without delay is important to ensure the safety of children, teachers and parents.
You may be advised to Evacuate your home or business for several types of emergencies, such as a hazardous materials incident or severe flooding. You should:
- Stay calm.
- Tune your radio or TV to your local EAS station for evacuation instructions, including directions. Listen closely to these instructions.
- If you are at home, gather your family members. If some family members are not at home, do not wait for them to return to leave with you.
- Get everyone at home into a single vehicle, if possible, and leave immediately after the EAS message ends.
- Take your Disaster Supply Kit. If you do not have a prepared Kit, do not take time to gather one. But be sure to get essential items such as medications, glasses, hearing aids, etc.
- Do not waste time gathering personal items and valuables to take with you.
- If you have neighbors without transportation, offer them a ride as space permits.
- If you are not at home, do not attempt to return to your home before evacuating.
- Do not use the telephone. Doing so will delay your departure and tie up telephone lines.
- When traveling in a vehicle during a hazardous materials incident, keep car windows up, vents closed, heater or air conditioner off, and the car radio tuned to an EAS station until you are safely out of the hazard area.
- Drive safely. Follow evacuation instructions. Obey all traffic laws, guides and roadblocks.
- Do not return to the evacuated area until officials announce that it is safe to do so.
Do not attempt to pick up children at school if the school has been ordered to Evacuate. Listen to EAS stations for information on what schools are affected. If your child's school is evacuated, information will be given in the messages about where they have been taken and how to pick up your child. Swift evacuation of everyone in the affected areas without delay is important to ensure the safety of children, teachers and parents.