Something Productive for a change - Evacuation in your town

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

I live in a coastal community. If we blew out of here we could probably easily take another person. But, I don't know who is close to me that has no alternative that I could take. I am seriously proposing here and now that cities and towns do a survey and determine for themselves who could or could not get out of town.

Then they could ask:

Would you need help evacuating? (Poor, old, no transportation, disabled, etc.)

Would you consider evacuating a neighbor?

You could simply say yes you would help or no you wouldn't. If you said yes, you could be given the name and number of the person(s) you were going to help. (You could even get into the whole pet evacuation issue if you really wanted to fine tune it.)

Wouldn't a system like this have helped in NO or anytown usa.

[niyad]

1. seems so simple, doesn't it? could even copy from churches, and various

civic organizations with their telephone trees and things.

years ago, there was a huge fire on the flood plain behind the development where I lived. the fire department was getting ready to order an evacuation if they couldn't get the fire under control (which, thankfully, they finally managed to do). At the time, those of us who happened to be at home (nobody else could come through because they had closed off the road already) were organizing our own things, and rounding up all the animals in the neighborhood we could in case we had to leave. it was just something we did as neighbors and a community, impromptu

[alarimer]

2. I think we need neighborhood plans

I think neighbors living on the same or nearby streets should make plans for themselves. Have in advance a list of where to evacuate to, if necessary and supplies held in common for all, etc. I live on the xoast too but I would go to my relatives in Austin. I would be willing to take others (although I have a small pickup and can't accomodate more than one other person safely for any distance- plus a couple of small people if they are willing to sit in the jumpseats in the extended cab).