I’m sure evacuating didn’t seem like an option to the elderly couple.
Maybe that’s why last week, the roaring wildfire that quickly swept through their California neighborhood caught them unprepared and swallowed them up in their home — the husband found 20 feet from their front door as he abandoned his bedridden wife.
Others barely escaped with their lives as the flames forced them from their homes out onto the streets in a mad rush to grab anything they could and get the hell out of Dodge.
Same story in Arizona, where I just returned from a trip.
And recently in Alberta, flames engulfed entire towns, and people were horrified to see their lives threatened on every side of their escaping vehicle as they hit massive traffic jams of others looking to save their lives.
When it’s time to get out of Dodge… here’s how to be one of the survivors when danger is at your doorstep and you’re forced to bug out.
When You’re Told to Leave, You’re Already Too Late!
I’ve seen it time and time again in real disasters (including in my own town)…
People take a “wait and see” attitude and procrastinate until the last minute to leave their home.
Maybe it’s because they’re in denial that the threat is even happening or will affect them.
Maybe they don’t want to leave their stuff.
Or oftentimes it’s because they think they can battle whatever threat is headed their way. (Some residents in the recent fires were on top of their roof with garden hoses until they saw the seven-story wall of fire headed their way and ran like hell.)
Be the FIRST on the road — your life is more important than your stuff, isn’t it?
Have a Backup Bug-out Evacuation Plan
Even if you get out on the road first, you can suddenly find yourself stuck in a massive traffic jam of the escapees three towns over.
Or it could be a blocked roadway from a downed power line.
Any number of obstacles can suddenly stop you in your tracks.
Most people will stay there, stuck in their vehicles while they panic and pray for a miracle to come save them
For you to play it smart, you’ll need to plan alternative means of escaping the area.
Take a look at this picture I took this week from the window of the plane I was on…
When major roads are blocked (the red “X”), you must be able to quickly transition to other alternatives, such as:
1) Major power-line paths — These typically run in very wide, straight paths out of town and can have access roads along them.
2) Waterways — Depending on where you live, a boat can get you out of Dodge faster than any highway can. Look at your local map to see what paths are options for you.
3) Railroads — They’re meant to travel across the entire country and can be a lifesaver in a forced evacuation. However, you may not be able to drive the entire way as you reach water crossings or run out of vehicle access paths.
No matter what evacuation route you choose, you need to make sure you have the means to continue your bug out no matter what happens.
Which brings us to…
Prepare Your Survival Plan for All Five Phases of a Disaster
Yes, there are five phases of a disaster that you need to prepare for.
Most people aren’t preparing for ANY of the five phases… and even experienced preppers are only looking at one or two.
But these recent evacuations show that isn’t enough.
What if you’re forced from your home? What if your vehicle gets stopped? What if you only have mere minutes to make an escape decision that will mean the difference between life or death for you and your family?
The last thing you need to have your mind on is what stuff will I need?
Have your plan and all your survival gear already prepped for all five survival contingency plans and you’ll never have to worry about how to prepare.
I highly recommend you use the survival plan we lay out in our survival gear guide you can get for free right here…
Look… don’t be one of those people who puts off planning for these emergencies to the last minute.
That’s what victims do.
Now is the time to put together your “five-phase plan” so you’re not scrambling around like everyone else trying to think about what to do… where to go… and what to pack.
It’s not hard to prepare for… but if you put it off until the flames (or floods, chemicals, winds or whatever) are headed toward your door, you’re going to get caught in the trap with all the others who didn’t prepare.
And the last thing you want to do is look into your family’s terrified eyes and have nothing more to say than, “I’m sorry.”
[Editor’s note: Imagine you and your family are bugging out and you encounter a snow squall, blizzard, landslide or flash flood and all of a sudden you’re stuck in a remote area with few, if any, opportunities to flag down help. This exact scenario is why I created the R.E.S.C.U.E. Pack. It’s the gold standard of emergency car rescue kits — with 23 critical items that could save your life in an emergency. But I only have a limited number of R.E.S.C.U.E. Packs available, and I expect them to sell out quickly. Don’t wait — click here to get yours today.]
