Home evacuation is not something that we’d like to think about on a daily basis. But if the worst was to happen, what would you do? It could be a natural disaster, a flood warning or a gas leak. It could be anything. In a survival situation you may have to abandon your home. For some people, having to evacuate their homes, leaving everything behind, is a reality. In some areas of Tokyo, and even closer to home in California, earthquakes are a real threat. In the Great Plains of America, tornadoes are a regular occurrence. In Australia a small fire can easily get out of control, leading to a full-scale bush fire. The truth is, in certain areas of the world, these things can happen.
Living in a metropolis or a large city carries a long list of potential dangers with it. These are largely related to crime, dangerous driving or traffic. In the case of a large scale emergency have you considered what the best thing to do would be for your family? One of the advantages of bigger cities is that are lots of places to take cover. In the second world war, the underground train network in London doubled up as a safe haven for many residents who had to take refuge underground during the Blitz. In immediate danger, cities offer many places to take your family and loved ones to keep them safe. In addition, cities offer a lot of civil services that can be deployed instantly. Most modern cities will have drawn up contingency plans for worst case scenarios. Those contingencies include deployment of police, national guard, ambulances and doctors. Being in a city is a safe place to knuckle down and wait things out.
Cities, for all their advantages, do come with some draw backs. Cities are home to millions of people. If a natural disaster like an earthquake were to strike the first instinct is to remove yourself and your family from the danger zone. In this situation cities are undoubtedly a problem. Being that millions of people will likely be having the exact same idea as you. In a state of disaster you can bet that the roads will be gridlocked, public transport shut down and all roads out of the city blocked off, either by traffic or authorities. The streets themselves can easily fall into a mass panic. As we’ve seen in recent years in London, and in New York, large gatherings of people can easily turn into riots or looting. In this case a city can be dangerous, so it’s important to keep your loved ones close by.
Suburbia tends to be an area located just outside of a city. An area where people who work in the city but don’t want to live in the city itself reside. These areas are usually characterized by a village like feel. There are shops or markets, but in general suburbia is less populated and easier to get around. Unlike in cities, the suburbs will likely lack the resources to be able to put a full scale civil service on the ground during a state of emergency. This can be a negative, particularly in cases like flooding, where you may be stranded for long periods at a time. There is also little space for shelter in suburbia beyond the safety of your home, and less opportunities for public transport. One of the big advantages of a suburban disaster is it is relatively easier to gather your family together. This is a huge benefit in times of disaster, allowing you to regroup with minimal hassle. In an emergency the first instinct is to get yourself and your family as far away as possible. Suburban environments facilitate this easily. There is not much traffic, nor is it too likely that the roads will be blocked off. When you live in suburbia, it’s easy to get your family together, put them in a car and take to the road. You may be on your own, in terms of government support, but it’s easy to put in a place a fast and effective exit strategy. Living in a suburban environment has less places to take shelter but offers better options for getting out of there.
Rural communities pride themselves on being self-sufficient. Indeed, a great deal of that pride comes from the fact that rural communities generally, are left to fend for themselves. The types of natural disaster you would expect to see in a rural community is related to flooding or wind based disasters. In these situations the first thing you have to realize is that you are on your own. The likelihood of civil services getting to rural communities in time is slim and the existing services, sheriffs department, doctors etc, will likely be thin on the ground. In a rural community you will have to rely on the help of your neighbors. You may even have to think about protecting livestock. In a rural community the biggest advantage is how easy it is to evacuate combined with the assistance of your neighbors. Importantly, you need to stick together and work together to make it through.
Another thought of survival is whether it’s better to stick together or to split up. Splitting up can often seem tempting, given you can cover more ground that way. If you live in a rural community, splitting up can be useful, because with the small populace you’re unlikely to be permanently separated. If however, you live in a suburban or city environment, splitting up is not a smart idea. With a larger populace, the best thing to do is to stick together. People can easily get lost in big cities, even without a disaster. If you have to evacuate a city, always keep your family close.
Plan, prepare, protect, get through, hold on, hold out, make it, and keep body, soul and family together. You need a plan to prepare and to protect yourself and your family. Survival is our Strategy!”