Annelise C. is a 30-year-old marine educator from Bethesda, Maryland.
In August 2023, she was working at a whale foundation on Maui, Hawaii.
On August 8 around 3 p.m., she smelled something burning, walked outside and saw billowing black smoke.
Within minutes, the situation turned deadly.
The Lahaina wildfire was consuming everything in its path.
Annelise ran to her car and started driving toward the escape route.
But she couldn’t see anything.
The smoke was so thick she described being “blind” behind the wheel.
She couldn’t see the road, other vehicles, or obstacles ahead.
She was driving entirely on her knowledge of Lahaina’s streets.
She drove over downed power lines and transformers without even seeing them.
A panicked tourist banged on her window begging for a ride.
She let him in, but he kept jumping out to try different escape routes, then returning when flames blocked those streets.
She did not see him again after the final time he left the car.
Annelise’s vehicle became trapped at the northern end of Front Street.
Abandoned cars caused a gridlock that made driving impossible.
She abandoned her car and ran toward the Pacific Ocean with roughly 40 other people.
She spent the next 7-8 hours moving between two deadly threats in complete darkness.
This demonstrates why learning night‑movement techniques can be crucial during disasters.
When power grids fail, wildfires create smoke blackouts, or you’re forced to move after dark, you need the ability to navigate safely without relying on clear visibility.
The challenges of moving in darkness:
Loss of depth perception:
Your eyes need light to judge distances accurately.
In darkness or heavy smoke, you can’t tell if an obstacle is three feet away or thirty.
This makes every step dangerous – you could trip over debris, fall into holes, or walk straight into hazards.
Mental stress and panic:
Darkness amplifies fear and makes rational thinking harder.
Your imagination creates threats that might not exist.
Essential night movement methods:
Build mental maps of your area:
Annelise survived because she knew Lahaina’s street layout.
She’d driven those roads hundreds of times and could go through them blind.
You should do the same for your neighborhood and surrounding areas.
Use the S.T.O.P. method when confused:
S.T.O.P.: Stop, Think, Observe, Plan.
When you realize you’re lost or confused, be still.
Think about where you are and what resources you have.
Observe your surroundings for any useful information.
Plan your next move carefully before you proceed.
Move by sound and other senses:
Annelise spent 7 hours at the ocean’s edge, moving between the water and the rock wall based on which threat was worse – fire or hypothermia.
In darkness, your hearing becomes more important than vision.
Listen for vehicles, water, voices, or other audio clues about your surroundings.
Tools and gear for night movement:
Quality headlamps with red light mode:
Headlamps keep your hands available for climbing, carrying gear, or steadying yourself.
Look for headlamps with at least 200 lumens on high mode and long battery runtime on low mode.
Carry spare batteries or choose rechargeable models with USB charging.
Compass and printed maps:
GPS and mobile apps fail when batteries die, or cell towers go down.
A simple compass and printed maps work without power.
Learn basic compass use during daylight so you can use these methods at night.
Drawbacks to night movement:
Higher risk of injury:
Even with careful movement, injury spikes dramatically in darkness.
Twisted ankles, cuts, falls, and other accidents become far more likely.
One injury during evacuation can turn a survivable situation into a deadly one.
Equipment dependence and failure:
Flashlights break, batteries die, and electronics fail at the worst possible times.
Don’t depend on a single light source – always carry backups.
Learn to move with minimal light so equipment failure doesn’t render you helpless.
Your night movement priorities:
Priority 1: Memorize your primary evacuation routes.
Walk or drive your planned escape routes multiple times during both daylight and nighttime.
Note landmarks, distances, and potential hazards along the way.
Practice visualizing these routes with your eyes closed until movement becomes automatic.
Priority 2: Stage lighting tools in multiple locations.
Keep a quality headlamp in your vehicle, bedroom, and bug-out bag.
Stock batteries in waterproof containers.
Add glow sticks to every emergency kit for long-lasting light without batteries.
Priority 3: Practice moving in darkness safely.
Shut the lights down and practice moving through your house at night.
Go on night hikes with minimal lighting to develop confidence in low-visibility conditions.
Learn to use your other senses – hearing, touch, smell – to supplement vision.
The lesson from Annelise’s terrifying escape is clear.
She lived, while 102 others died.
Her survival came down to movement methods, mental toughness, and the ability to make good decisions under impossible conditions.
Learn these night movement methods before you need them.
Your ability to move safely through darkness could protect you and your family one day.
