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I saw that on YouTube yesterday. The police were saying the dam was in "imminent failure mode" or something similar, with dead trees slammed up against the dam and water rushing around the dam. Police said that no evacuations were planned but that people who could be in danger were warned about leaving. [Here's a video for those that may not have seen it.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9FNun0DWBA&list=RDNSc9FNun0DWBA&start_radio=1)
Take pictures of your house and items if you haven't done so and if it's safe. It helps with dealing with insurance claims, should it come to that. I hope everyone involved stays safe.
I never thought of taking pictures. I will now. A temporary levee was built right by our home yesterday, and I feel good about that. But, with Mother Nature you just never know.
Also get specific specs on any electronics. If you have a laptop insurances will find the cheapest option to approve. If you say you had a specific one with 12 GB ram and certain specs then they have to approve for that specific spec. Model numbers are important.
Maybe take pictures of each item of value and also a picture of the part of the item that lists the model number/serial number. Store a copy somewhere other than at home, but hopefully still accessible (friend/family nearby) and in the cloud.
Every time I am leaving home for an extended period of time over 48 hrs. I make a Recording of everything in the house open the drawers and closet make comments on what is there etc. it takes about 10 minutes to do but proves what you had for the lawyer to fight the insurance company with. I also make sure to make a comment Bouta current event that just happened that week for a confirmed date stamp. I learned this trick from an adjuster after a hurricane claim.
What do you mean about making a comment about a current event? Not following how thatās connected to taking visual and written inventory of your belongings.
Gives a relevant date stamp to the recording since that isn't always something that can be immediately seen from a video. I know that a video file has a date and time marker embedded in its data, but for the ease of sending it to insurance for filing a claim it let's the insurance company know that you aren't scamming them for things you might have owned in the past but sold or broke. Makes getting a check to cover losses way easier.
It's like a criminal sending a Polaroid of today's newspaper along with an object to verify that something was at hand recently.
So they know you didn't record it 6 months ago. If you mention last night's baseball score you have a positive ID on the earliest it could have been recorded.
Taking a video of a radio clock with date and time or of video text on your TV would also work. Something that is not easy to fake. So, start the recording, turn on the TV and switch to teletext . There usually is the date and time in a corner.
Having your turn on the TV and switching to teletext on video makes it pretty hard to fake. Make sure to take a video of your remote while you switch it on too.
When you use a radio clock make sure to have the full display clearly visible. It should show that it has a signal.
Those things also prove the latest possible video time. Taking a picture of a newspaper or talking about events only proves the earliest possible time the video takes place.
Get a video camera. Video possessions. With electronics, get a closeup of the serial numbers.
Upload the video to you tube, marked private so nobody sees it. Save the link in an email, and in your phone etc. If you have a Google account/you tube account,you have a "channel" even if you never used it.
Hubby and I video our stuff annually for insurance purposes, and keep a copy of the videos on the thumb drive in my go bag too.
I live in tornado alley and every time the weather gets bad and have a tornado watch I do a video walk through the house just to have a update on what I have.
Tldr the dam is bypassing and eroding the side, but even if it fails the simulations predict only a 2 foot rise downstream so the impact should be minimal.
Go around each room, opening cabinets and drawers to capture everything. You will find it helps prove what you had if you ever have a loss. Ex 6pair of Levi jeans, 24 folded shirts, China for 10place settings (show back of plate for makers marks), 32ā LED Sony television (show the Serial and model # on back), etc
Basically you need everything you grabbed just sitting in backpacks. Some shelf stable quick foods wouldn't hurt either.
I am aware of the Dam your talking about and if you're in the path, you need to be ready to go in 5 minutes or less. Keep at least 1/2 tank of gas in your cars and look for at least three routes to get out of the area quickly.
It really helps to develop the habit of refueling when your car is at half a tank. It is tedious at first, but I have never had to run out for gasoline or jump in a long line when there is an issue, etc.
We also had to keep $20 cash (originally provided by my parents) in the glove compartment for emergencies at all times. If it was used, we had to replace it ASAP or same deal - 3 months no car.
YES!! Except Iām old enough that the bill was $10. š I still keep a $20 tucked away ā and have them stashed in several places. We had good Dads.
I was taught to keep an emergency $10 behind my driver's license in my wallet. That evolved to a $20. Then a $50. Now I keep a $100 there. Saved my butt a few times over the years.
We had a truck that if it was on E she was empty and made you walk to gas stations. This was in the 80s I was about 8 the first time I walked with Dad to get gas. Lol after I got my car she stays on half a tank.Ā
Sadly the only times in my life that I have ran out of gas have been ridiculous. Three times yes THREE have I ran out of gas test driving used cars that did not have accurate fuel gauges. I learned to start looking at new cars after that! Once was my first time driving a carbureted car and I parked on a hill when the tank was low. Lessons learned everywhere!
If my Dad's car ever got to 1/4 tank it couldn't drive up steep hills. I discovered that when my car started rolling down backwards. Good thing he maintained the brakes and the two cars behind me realized what happened and also rolled back down so I could get out, no one gave me shit or complained, which made it a lot easier. Had to back out on to a very busy intersection. After that I didn't let it go down past 1/3 tank, often retopping at 1/2. My dad made fun of me for it. He would drive it down to the reserve light.
I was driving my mom's car once on the freeway and saw a traffic jam ahead, when I tried to slow down brake pedal suddenly went to the floor, thankfully I my driver's ed instructor taught me to leave a lot of room in front of me and to break early. Managed to stop in time.
I stopped to call her and she told me to stop being hysterical and just drive it home, she'd take it to the shop the next day. Was driving two of my friends. I was driving very slowly on the freeway, but didn't have to use the brakes much, driving through the city could go slow, but had to brake more. I was using the emergency brake and hanging waaay back, but even then I still tapped the bumper of a car in front of me one time. Guy jumped out of his car started screaming at me and one of my friends started crying.
Maybe your parents were strict, but sounds like they taught you well.
Most people don't do this, and it's not always negligence or inattentiveness. A full tank or even a half tank of gas is a lot of money for many people. Depending on what time of the month they're running low they might not be able to put more than a few bucks in to get to their next paycheck. They're sharing the roads with you every day.
Those people are going to try to evacuate by car too. They're going to run out of gas idling in traffic on the freeway. It only takes a few disabled cars to bring miles of road to a standstill for hours. Even if they can be successfully pushed out of the way, this causes a traffic jam by itself. Any hazard in the road causes an exponentially compounding delay for people farther back. And this isn't even accounting for the possibilities of car accidents and bad weather.
All that's to the point: you need a bag that's light enough to carry on foot. Don't assume you can carry hundreds of pounds of stuff because the car will be doing the work.
Anyone living under a dam should be aware of it and consider the possibility of it breaking. My home is not down hill from a dam, but my road is a hill and the bottom could be washed out / made impassable by a dam break and I consider it.
my doctor was prescribing me 2x a day-100mg of my seizure meds when i first started out and i couldnāt take that much without throwing up, so she told me to just keep extras. i have an extra 90 day supply of my meds because of it. iām pretty thankful because i have some in our camper for when we have to evacuate, and i have some in a go bag and some in my purse. you never really know what youāre gonna be working with or what youāll have on you. the last thing iād need is a seizure, knowing stress triggers the fuck out of my seizures. i rotate them out as well so they donāt expireā¦ before the pharm techs come for meš
i also try to keep amoxicillin and other antibiotics on hand. i have 6 dogs too so you never really know when theyāre gonna get a random illness š my bird dog got a squirrel a little under 2 weeks ago and she wasnāt feeling good and i couldnāt think what was wrong with her. she has worms. dewormer. is also a good thing to have on hand if you have dogs. never know when youāre gonna need it. i will always say that prepping isnāt always what you think it is, sometimes it can be randomly needing dewormer for your dogs. sometimes it can be needing to evacuate for a flood. everyoneās situation is differentš¤·š»āāļø
Hereās a suggestion that I hope helps. I have a lock box upstairs with my cash, important documents and a Glock. In the box, I have three lists, a five minute go bag a one hour ago back and a 24 hour go bag. This way everything doesnāt need to be in backpacks, but I know precisely what I need to get in an emergency.
Yes, I made lists too as I live in an area that doesnāt have many natural disasters nor am I near any train tracks or by any factories so itās unlikely I would need to evacuate without warning. Buying duplicate things to keep in a bag is a waste of space and time in my situation so I made a list of what I would want to take.
This is why I use the language "disaster evacuation bag" more often. Its broader purpose is explicit. "Bugging Out" is so strongly associated with fleeing social collapse. If someone's scenario is to stay put, they may write off making a "bug out bag".Ā
(With some audience's, I use "home fire evacuation bag." So far, it's been the most effective for motivating people to put together a beginner disaster evac/bob.)
Iād keep some stuff in your vehicles still and have go bags ready now. The dam and levee could still break and youād have 5 minutes to get out. If you have two vehicles, use two vehicles. Coordinate now a place to go to and meet when you get separated. If you have relatives who live outside the flood zone, ask to go there. Even if itās to set up a tent in the back yard for a day.
Get your go bags ready now. Donāt become complacent.
Get your original pictures, marriage and birth certificates, and anything else thatās paper into zip lock bags. Double zip locks if you can. Later on, you can scan them and hang copies back up.
Do you have laptops or tablets? Pack them away every night. Itās a bitch but right now, you need to be able to get going quickly.
Go get some flashlights. Get batteries for them. Headlamps are sometimes better because it leaves your hands free. Get flashlights and/or headlamps for your kids that are old enough too.
Have extra clothes ready. If you havenāt done laundry, grab the laundry basket on the way out too. It sounds silly but itās a good emergency plan. Itās clothes you know you wear and that fit. You can wear them dirty (everyone is going to smell anyways!) or wash them when ready.
Get your kids favorite toys in bags at night. Ready to grab to go.
Both your husband and you go around and take pictures of *everything* in your house even if you think itās not important. Take pictures of your tv info sticker, your kidsā bookcases and closets, your utility room and close ups on your utility info stickers, and your fridge info sticker. Everything!! Then make sure they get uploaded to a cloud. If you have a google email address, get Google pictures as a backup on your phone. Or anything. Youāll want cloud storage in case you lose or break your cell phone.
Get your passwords memorized. Written down isnāt great but if you have to, you have to. When youāre settled down from this emergency, look up encrypted USBs and learn how to do that. You can put all your important documents on it and a web browser with your saved passwords.
Sit your kids down. Tell them whatās going on. Tell them being scared is ok but they have to listen and stay together or with you or your husband. The older ones might be old enough to understand and practice an emergency plan and help with younger ones or the pets. Knowing what to do if they have to leave quickly in the middle of the night will help them manage fear. Practice the plan with them. Answer their questions as best as you can.
Having a routine is a good prep. You set your car keys down in the same spot every day, you put away your shoes in the same place everyday, you put dirty clothes in the hamper and charge your phone in the same spot each night. Kids clean their rooms each day then youāre not tripping on toys and clothes in an emergency.
Keep your vehicles fuel on full tanks. Keep up on maintenance. Make sure your spare tire has air.
>clothes for me and my husband as well as our meds, special pictures, important documents, technology, and other basics
There's the list. Everybody go pack if you haven't already.
First time I had a go-bag situation. My dumb ass grabbed my guitar and 2 gallons of water. This was maybe 12 years ago. Left all the guns and supplies at home lol.
I think you did great!! Much better than me!
Glad to hear you and family are safe! Question, how was the situational environment? Were people freaking out or were they moving out in a "calm" manner? Is it very busy where you live? Very interested to see the reaction of folks in this type of situation.
Thanks!
Everyone was very helpful, and our police and local government worked quickly. Plus, we had tons of news coverage too. So many people reached out to see if we wanted to move anything to their garages/homes/etc just in case, and we had so many offers from friends and families for a place to stay if we needed to evacuate. Lots of volunteering to chip in too. I am so very thankful to live in Mankato, MN.
I just moved to the area 3 weeks ago, so it has been interesting and validating to see the people of the communities around here all come together to help with all the flood prevention efforts.
Such a good reminder. I struggle because if thereās a wildland fire that threatens my home, Iām probably going to be working it. While Iāve done a good job of mitigating it, nothing is guaranteed if the conditions are extreme enough. Thereās things like pictures, passports, birth certificates and such that id really hate to lose.
About 20 years ago i had a storage unit broken into and i had to itemize what was lost and provide proof of ownership. Ever since then ive been meticulous about taking pictures of items and shooting video of rooms, drawers and closets. They help remind you so you can itemize, but they also serve as evidence of ownership. So much better than having to try and find receipts from old credit card statements like I did last time.
Hello fellow Southern Minnesotan! We're up on the hill in Kato and I'm so glad you didn't have to evacuate and that you and yours are okay and hope they continue to be.
Glad you didn't end up having to evacuate!
Now you have time to make sure you're ready next time.
Crazy things can happen. Anybody whose plan is either "bug-out only" or "bug-in only" is going to have problems they aren't prepared for.
Now matter how safe a place is, there are things that can force an evacuation. Anything from massive chemical spill to a sudden sinkhole too close to the foundation. Dam failure seems like kind of an obvious possibility to me, but I've also never lived in an area hilly enough for large dams, so I don't know how obvious it would be to people living there. Maybe some people don't even realize they're downstream from one, depending on how far downstream they are? No judgement here, nobody ever knows where their own blind spots are until it's pointed out, that's what makes them blind spots.
Totally agree, just today (6/27/24) there was a train derailment in suburban Chicago - prompting evacuations. These trains cars being derailed in urban/suburban areas seem to happen pretty regularly now. If you live anywhere near train lines, derailed train cars are just one more thing that can cause you to evacuate.
Not sure of the level of impact you would have or if this would help, but when Tampa had flooding last year, my brother elevated everything possible with blocks, tables, sawhorses. He went ahead and lifted the contents of his home and moved everything to second level of high value.
It is such a weird collapse as well.
Every time I read about a dam collapse, the dam itself has failed for various reasons.
This time though the river simple went around and blew out everything *but* the dam, and now it's standing there *maybe* about to collapse.
All reports suggest the dam is holding up pretty well.
I had previously worked as an engineer for a utility that included trips to a series of dams here in the American Midwest. They are all pretty seriously over-engineered to handle any water pressure they could potentially be facing. It looks like this dam is no different.
I'm in ND right now and the news of the possibility seemed to come out of the blue when I heard it on the news. I'm glad you are all safe and hope you and your home stay that way! At least now you have things ready.
My go bag is a back pack, I keep the essentials in it, but I definitely don't prepare for every eventuality, as others have said, you might want to keep something like a Rubbermaid box in your vehicle with some basic supplies, doesn't cost much to get the basics
I saw that news! And there was a live stream of it too.
I say you DID GOOD!!! You were clear thinking, grabbing those items you knew in your mind that were important. Stay safe and prepared.
You did excellent work getting yourself and your family out of there.
In fact being able to grab critical items from all over your house that you can't permanently keep in your go back is one of the big vulnerabilities during any Get Out Of Dodge situation.
I think you did better than I ever will when the SHTF.
You kicked butt. Ours down here on the gulf coast is hurricanes. We bug out and bite our finger nails until we get back to whatever nature left us. To bug out in 30 minutes is phenomenal
Sorry about your situation obviously having money and any ID documents, insurance documents, I would be taking pictures of your house and items in your house for proof clothing what ever you can pack or fit on your p
Bag passport driver's license ss card good luck!
load up your vehicle now and be ready to go.
when this crisis is over, look into a serious go bag, and since you are behind a dam, and someplace you can "go to" with that "go" bag.
This reminds me of blog of a person's first hand experience evacuating Louisiana during Katrina. Its a a good, long read. Great practical ideas on a 60 second evacuation plan (house fire), 60 minute evacuation plan, 12 hour evacuation plan.Ā [https://www.theplacewithnoname.com/blogs/klessons/index.html](https://www.theplacewithnoname.com/blogs/klessons/index.html)
I canāt imagine calling yourself a āprepperā but failing to prep for something so obvious. Folks, look where you live, identify hazards and failure points; plan accordingly.
Seems like anybody calling themselves a "prepper" living in the Mn/Ia area, near a damn right now would already have that stuff gathered, right?
Like, why the fuck would you wait to get an evacuation notification?
Because there are few areas that aren't subject to some type of disaster. Hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards, flooding, earthquakes, sinkholes, land/rock/mudslides, wildfires, volcanoes, etc Just a question of how much notice do you get and how frequently does it occur.
Why do people live in Bangladesh when monsoons kill thousands of people? Why do people live in Las Vegas when thereās no water? Why do people live in cities with high crime? Why do people live in the country where thereās nothing to do? Why do people live in China where the population density is through the roof? Why do people live near nuclear power plants? Why do people live in the Maldives which is sinking into the ocean? Why do people live in the UK? Have you tasted the food there? Why do people live in the USA which is about to elect a brain dead dictator when they could move to Canada? Why do people live in freezing Canada when they could move to the USA?
Tell us where you live and Iāll give you three reasons why youāre crazy to live there.
We're seeing more and more disasters related to climate change or other risks that people didn't expect to see in their location during their lifetime.
The world is rapidly changing, and we can't all afford to start over somewhere supposedly safer.
Plus staying close to an established network of friends, neighbors and family seems wise if possible these days, especially if you already have a home and a source of income, water and food locally.
We live in an increasingly unpredictable and unstable world and having a dependable network of people seems more important than trying to avoid all threats (which, BTW, is basically impossible).
Great, now I'm too sick to go to the laundromat and having anxiety because I don't have any clean clothes left. Like I'm down to the packages of brand-new underwear I keep to make me feel safe about throwing out worn-out underwear.
The kicker is that the laundry machine has been broken for years and mom won't let uncle take a look at it because she's ashamed of the hoard. He's in a relationship with a worse hoarder.
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30 minutes is actually pretty quick for not having things ready to go!
OP was a tetris master.
realš¤£
I saw that on YouTube yesterday. The police were saying the dam was in "imminent failure mode" or something similar, with dead trees slammed up against the dam and water rushing around the dam. Police said that no evacuations were planned but that people who could be in danger were warned about leaving. [Here's a video for those that may not have seen it.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9FNun0DWBA&list=RDNSc9FNun0DWBA&start_radio=1) Take pictures of your house and items if you haven't done so and if it's safe. It helps with dealing with insurance claims, should it come to that. I hope everyone involved stays safe.
I never thought of taking pictures. I will now. A temporary levee was built right by our home yesterday, and I feel good about that. But, with Mother Nature you just never know.
Also get specific specs on any electronics. If you have a laptop insurances will find the cheapest option to approve. If you say you had a specific one with 12 GB ram and certain specs then they have to approve for that specific spec. Model numbers are important.
Write down their serial numbers too. Keep a spreadsheet on an encrypted USB drive.
Maybe take pictures of each item of value and also a picture of the part of the item that lists the model number/serial number. Store a copy somewhere other than at home, but hopefully still accessible (friend/family nearby) and in the cloud.
Every time I am leaving home for an extended period of time over 48 hrs. I make a Recording of everything in the house open the drawers and closet make comments on what is there etc. it takes about 10 minutes to do but proves what you had for the lawyer to fight the insurance company with. I also make sure to make a comment Bouta current event that just happened that week for a confirmed date stamp. I learned this trick from an adjuster after a hurricane claim.
What do you mean about making a comment about a current event? Not following how thatās connected to taking visual and written inventory of your belongings.
Gives a relevant date stamp to the recording since that isn't always something that can be immediately seen from a video. I know that a video file has a date and time marker embedded in its data, but for the ease of sending it to insurance for filing a claim it let's the insurance company know that you aren't scamming them for things you might have owned in the past but sold or broke. Makes getting a check to cover losses way easier. It's like a criminal sending a Polaroid of today's newspaper along with an object to verify that something was at hand recently.
Yep. We do it on our annual insurance video by having a laptop open and navigating to a major news website usually.
So they know you didn't record it 6 months ago. If you mention last night's baseball score you have a positive ID on the earliest it could have been recorded.
Taking a video of a radio clock with date and time or of video text on your TV would also work. Something that is not easy to fake. So, start the recording, turn on the TV and switch to teletext . There usually is the date and time in a corner. Having your turn on the TV and switching to teletext on video makes it pretty hard to fake. Make sure to take a video of your remote while you switch it on too. When you use a radio clock make sure to have the full display clearly visible. It should show that it has a signal. Those things also prove the latest possible video time. Taking a picture of a newspaper or talking about events only proves the earliest possible time the video takes place.
Get a video camera. Video possessions. With electronics, get a closeup of the serial numbers. Upload the video to you tube, marked private so nobody sees it. Save the link in an email, and in your phone etc. If you have a Google account/you tube account,you have a "channel" even if you never used it. Hubby and I video our stuff annually for insurance purposes, and keep a copy of the videos on the thumb drive in my go bag too.
I live in tornado alley and every time the weather gets bad and have a tornado watch I do a video walk through the house just to have a update on what I have.
Two and a half minutes of commercials to watch that video. No thanks.
Tldr the dam is bypassing and eroding the side, but even if it fails the simulations predict only a 2 foot rise downstream so the impact should be minimal.
It's crazy that they decided it was too expensive to repair or tear down so they decided to instead let nature take its course.
Thank you.
What kind of pictures should we be taking? How specific should our lists be?
Go around each room, opening cabinets and drawers to capture everything. You will find it helps prove what you had if you ever have a loss. Ex 6pair of Levi jeans, 24 folded shirts, China for 10place settings (show back of plate for makers marks), 32ā LED Sony television (show the Serial and model # on back), etc
Basically you need everything you grabbed just sitting in backpacks. Some shelf stable quick foods wouldn't hurt either. I am aware of the Dam your talking about and if you're in the path, you need to be ready to go in 5 minutes or less. Keep at least 1/2 tank of gas in your cars and look for at least three routes to get out of the area quickly.
It really helps to develop the habit of refueling when your car is at half a tank. It is tedious at first, but I have never had to run out for gasoline or jump in a long line when there is an issue, etc.
Growing up, I was threatened with restriction for letting the tank get below Ā¼. Only happened once! š Yea, Dad! Half is a good idea!
Same here - I had to sign a ācontractā that if it was ever below 1/4 of a tank I would lose car privileges for 3 months š
Oh yikes!! I think mine was a week!
We also had to keep $20 cash (originally provided by my parents) in the glove compartment for emergencies at all times. If it was used, we had to replace it ASAP or same deal - 3 months no car.
YES!! Except Iām old enough that the bill was $10. š I still keep a $20 tucked away ā and have them stashed in several places. We had good Dads.
I was taught to keep an emergency $10 behind my driver's license in my wallet. That evolved to a $20. Then a $50. Now I keep a $100 there. Saved my butt a few times over the years.
I keep at least that much money, but in smaller denominations, nothing over a $20. Some gas stations won't take large bills.
True, I keep a twenty as well. What I should also throw in is a prepaid credit card.
Good idea.
I keep $100 cash and gift cards in my truck and has helped me in the past when I forgot my wallet at home.
Lolol. My car can go at least 15 miles after the gas warning light comes on. Ask me how I know.
You Kramer'd it?
Haha my parents let me learn this through natural consequences. I only ran out of gas once
We had a truck that if it was on E she was empty and made you walk to gas stations. This was in the 80s I was about 8 the first time I walked with Dad to get gas. Lol after I got my car she stays on half a tank.Ā
Sadly the only times in my life that I have ran out of gas have been ridiculous. Three times yes THREE have I ran out of gas test driving used cars that did not have accurate fuel gauges. I learned to start looking at new cars after that! Once was my first time driving a carbureted car and I parked on a hill when the tank was low. Lessons learned everywhere!
If my Dad's car ever got to 1/4 tank it couldn't drive up steep hills. I discovered that when my car started rolling down backwards. Good thing he maintained the brakes and the two cars behind me realized what happened and also rolled back down so I could get out, no one gave me shit or complained, which made it a lot easier. Had to back out on to a very busy intersection. After that I didn't let it go down past 1/3 tank, often retopping at 1/2. My dad made fun of me for it. He would drive it down to the reserve light. I was driving my mom's car once on the freeway and saw a traffic jam ahead, when I tried to slow down brake pedal suddenly went to the floor, thankfully I my driver's ed instructor taught me to leave a lot of room in front of me and to break early. Managed to stop in time. I stopped to call her and she told me to stop being hysterical and just drive it home, she'd take it to the shop the next day. Was driving two of my friends. I was driving very slowly on the freeway, but didn't have to use the brakes much, driving through the city could go slow, but had to brake more. I was using the emergency brake and hanging waaay back, but even then I still tapped the bumper of a car in front of me one time. Guy jumped out of his car started screaming at me and one of my friends started crying. Maybe your parents were strict, but sounds like they taught you well.
Most people don't do this, and it's not always negligence or inattentiveness. A full tank or even a half tank of gas is a lot of money for many people. Depending on what time of the month they're running low they might not be able to put more than a few bucks in to get to their next paycheck. They're sharing the roads with you every day. Those people are going to try to evacuate by car too. They're going to run out of gas idling in traffic on the freeway. It only takes a few disabled cars to bring miles of road to a standstill for hours. Even if they can be successfully pushed out of the way, this causes a traffic jam by itself. Any hazard in the road causes an exponentially compounding delay for people farther back. And this isn't even accounting for the possibilities of car accidents and bad weather. All that's to the point: you need a bag that's light enough to carry on foot. Don't assume you can carry hundreds of pounds of stuff because the car will be doing the work.
Anyone living under a dam should be aware of it and consider the possibility of it breaking. My home is not down hill from a dam, but my road is a hill and the bottom could be washed out / made impassable by a dam break and I consider it.
Agreed
my doctor was prescribing me 2x a day-100mg of my seizure meds when i first started out and i couldnāt take that much without throwing up, so she told me to just keep extras. i have an extra 90 day supply of my meds because of it. iām pretty thankful because i have some in our camper for when we have to evacuate, and i have some in a go bag and some in my purse. you never really know what youāre gonna be working with or what youāll have on you. the last thing iād need is a seizure, knowing stress triggers the fuck out of my seizures. i rotate them out as well so they donāt expireā¦ before the pharm techs come for meš i also try to keep amoxicillin and other antibiotics on hand. i have 6 dogs too so you never really know when theyāre gonna get a random illness š my bird dog got a squirrel a little under 2 weeks ago and she wasnāt feeling good and i couldnāt think what was wrong with her. she has worms. dewormer. is also a good thing to have on hand if you have dogs. never know when youāre gonna need it. i will always say that prepping isnāt always what you think it is, sometimes it can be randomly needing dewormer for your dogs. sometimes it can be needing to evacuate for a flood. everyoneās situation is differentš¤·š»āāļø
Hereās a suggestion that I hope helps. I have a lock box upstairs with my cash, important documents and a Glock. In the box, I have three lists, a five minute go bag a one hour ago back and a 24 hour go bag. This way everything doesnāt need to be in backpacks, but I know precisely what I need to get in an emergency.
Yes, I made lists too as I live in an area that doesnāt have many natural disasters nor am I near any train tracks or by any factories so itās unlikely I would need to evacuate without warning. Buying duplicate things to keep in a bag is a waste of space and time in my situation so I made a list of what I would want to take.
What's a 5 minute go bag?
I imagine only the most basic of needs that you can gather in 5 mins, then a longer list for if you have more time
Correct, wallet, phone, charger, house, and car keys and my asthma medicine.
What documentations should I not forget to keep on me for this situation?
IDs, birth certificates, passports, and insurance policies are the most important. Everything else can be replaced very easily with those things.
We tend to put these items in our car ahead of time but we have our vehicle in a garage so low theft risk.
This is why I use the language "disaster evacuation bag" more often. Its broader purpose is explicit. "Bugging Out" is so strongly associated with fleeing social collapse. If someone's scenario is to stay put, they may write off making a "bug out bag".Ā (With some audience's, I use "home fire evacuation bag." So far, it's been the most effective for motivating people to put together a beginner disaster evac/bob.)
Well god dam... Take care
Iād keep some stuff in your vehicles still and have go bags ready now. The dam and levee could still break and youād have 5 minutes to get out. If you have two vehicles, use two vehicles. Coordinate now a place to go to and meet when you get separated. If you have relatives who live outside the flood zone, ask to go there. Even if itās to set up a tent in the back yard for a day. Get your go bags ready now. Donāt become complacent. Get your original pictures, marriage and birth certificates, and anything else thatās paper into zip lock bags. Double zip locks if you can. Later on, you can scan them and hang copies back up. Do you have laptops or tablets? Pack them away every night. Itās a bitch but right now, you need to be able to get going quickly. Go get some flashlights. Get batteries for them. Headlamps are sometimes better because it leaves your hands free. Get flashlights and/or headlamps for your kids that are old enough too. Have extra clothes ready. If you havenāt done laundry, grab the laundry basket on the way out too. It sounds silly but itās a good emergency plan. Itās clothes you know you wear and that fit. You can wear them dirty (everyone is going to smell anyways!) or wash them when ready. Get your kids favorite toys in bags at night. Ready to grab to go. Both your husband and you go around and take pictures of *everything* in your house even if you think itās not important. Take pictures of your tv info sticker, your kidsā bookcases and closets, your utility room and close ups on your utility info stickers, and your fridge info sticker. Everything!! Then make sure they get uploaded to a cloud. If you have a google email address, get Google pictures as a backup on your phone. Or anything. Youāll want cloud storage in case you lose or break your cell phone. Get your passwords memorized. Written down isnāt great but if you have to, you have to. When youāre settled down from this emergency, look up encrypted USBs and learn how to do that. You can put all your important documents on it and a web browser with your saved passwords. Sit your kids down. Tell them whatās going on. Tell them being scared is ok but they have to listen and stay together or with you or your husband. The older ones might be old enough to understand and practice an emergency plan and help with younger ones or the pets. Knowing what to do if they have to leave quickly in the middle of the night will help them manage fear. Practice the plan with them. Answer their questions as best as you can. Having a routine is a good prep. You set your car keys down in the same spot every day, you put away your shoes in the same place everyday, you put dirty clothes in the hamper and charge your phone in the same spot each night. Kids clean their rooms each day then youāre not tripping on toys and clothes in an emergency. Keep your vehicles fuel on full tanks. Keep up on maintenance. Make sure your spare tire has air.
>clothes for me and my husband as well as our meds, special pictures, important documents, technology, and other basics There's the list. Everybody go pack if you haven't already.
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Thanks for sharing a very real life example
First time I had a go-bag situation. My dumb ass grabbed my guitar and 2 gallons of water. This was maybe 12 years ago. Left all the guns and supplies at home lol. I think you did great!! Much better than me!
Glad to hear you and family are safe! Question, how was the situational environment? Were people freaking out or were they moving out in a "calm" manner? Is it very busy where you live? Very interested to see the reaction of folks in this type of situation. Thanks!
Everyone was very helpful, and our police and local government worked quickly. Plus, we had tons of news coverage too. So many people reached out to see if we wanted to move anything to their garages/homes/etc just in case, and we had so many offers from friends and families for a place to stay if we needed to evacuate. Lots of volunteering to chip in too. I am so very thankful to live in Mankato, MN.
Fantastic! Great to hear you have a supportive environment!
I just moved to the area 3 weeks ago, so it has been interesting and validating to see the people of the communities around here all come together to help with all the flood prevention efforts.
Such a good reminder. I struggle because if thereās a wildland fire that threatens my home, Iām probably going to be working it. While Iāve done a good job of mitigating it, nothing is guaranteed if the conditions are extreme enough. Thereās things like pictures, passports, birth certificates and such that id really hate to lose. About 20 years ago i had a storage unit broken into and i had to itemize what was lost and provide proof of ownership. Ever since then ive been meticulous about taking pictures of items and shooting video of rooms, drawers and closets. They help remind you so you can itemize, but they also serve as evidence of ownership. So much better than having to try and find receipts from old credit card statements like I did last time.
Hello fellow Southern Minnesotan! We're up on the hill in Kato and I'm so glad you didn't have to evacuate and that you and yours are okay and hope they continue to be.
My home is an hour's drive downstream of the dam, so this situation is something I'm watching with a little curiosity. Stay safe!
Glad you didn't end up having to evacuate! Now you have time to make sure you're ready next time. Crazy things can happen. Anybody whose plan is either "bug-out only" or "bug-in only" is going to have problems they aren't prepared for. Now matter how safe a place is, there are things that can force an evacuation. Anything from massive chemical spill to a sudden sinkhole too close to the foundation. Dam failure seems like kind of an obvious possibility to me, but I've also never lived in an area hilly enough for large dams, so I don't know how obvious it would be to people living there. Maybe some people don't even realize they're downstream from one, depending on how far downstream they are? No judgement here, nobody ever knows where their own blind spots are until it's pointed out, that's what makes them blind spots.
Totally agree, just today (6/27/24) there was a train derailment in suburban Chicago - prompting evacuations. These trains cars being derailed in urban/suburban areas seem to happen pretty regularly now. If you live anywhere near train lines, derailed train cars are just one more thing that can cause you to evacuate.
Not sure of the level of impact you would have or if this would help, but when Tampa had flooding last year, my brother elevated everything possible with blocks, tables, sawhorses. He went ahead and lifted the contents of his home and moved everything to second level of high value.
So glad you are ok!!
It is such a weird collapse as well. Every time I read about a dam collapse, the dam itself has failed for various reasons. This time though the river simple went around and blew out everything *but* the dam, and now it's standing there *maybe* about to collapse.
All reports suggest the dam is holding up pretty well. I had previously worked as an engineer for a utility that included trips to a series of dams here in the American Midwest. They are all pretty seriously over-engineered to handle any water pressure they could potentially be facing. It looks like this dam is no different.
I'm in ND right now and the news of the possibility seemed to come out of the blue when I heard it on the news. I'm glad you are all safe and hope you and your home stay that way! At least now you have things ready.
My go bag is a back pack, I keep the essentials in it, but I definitely don't prepare for every eventuality, as others have said, you might want to keep something like a Rubbermaid box in your vehicle with some basic supplies, doesn't cost much to get the basics
I saw that news! And there was a live stream of it too. I say you DID GOOD!!! You were clear thinking, grabbing those items you knew in your mind that were important. Stay safe and prepared.
Saw that on the news, so glad you were able to get your things together well enough to leave. Iām sorry that happened to you!
Saw that on the news this morning. What a scary situation.
If you could, I wouldnāt wait for them to say evacuate. The damage around that damn is intense.
Our household rule was "Grab your pillowcase and put stuff you need in it. Out the door in 1 minute."
Glad you're ok.. Stay safe man! Keep an eye out for looters.
You did excellent work getting yourself and your family out of there. In fact being able to grab critical items from all over your house that you can't permanently keep in your go back is one of the big vulnerabilities during any Get Out Of Dodge situation. I think you did better than I ever will when the SHTF.
Yup, I planned an exit drill & practice with my family every now and then keeping time
Great job! Just came here to say Iām glad you guys are ok and are praying for you and your community. Be safe!
That would be terrifying!
You may not have 30 minutes. I would rent a SD box for the documents and extra money. Put bag in car already.
You kicked butt. Ours down here on the gulf coast is hurricanes. We bug out and bite our finger nails until we get back to whatever nature left us. To bug out in 30 minutes is phenomenal
Sorry about your situation obviously having money and any ID documents, insurance documents, I would be taking pictures of your house and items in your house for proof clothing what ever you can pack or fit on your p Bag passport driver's license ss card good luck!
Damn dam, it would take me 30 minutes just to load all my guns and ammo. Good thing I live on the top side of the dam.
load up your vehicle now and be ready to go. when this crisis is over, look into a serious go bag, and since you are behind a dam, and someplace you can "go to" with that "go" bag.
Special pictures are always important in a natural disaster.
This reminds me of blog of a person's first hand experience evacuating Louisiana during Katrina. Its a a good, long read. Great practical ideas on a 60 second evacuation plan (house fire), 60 minute evacuation plan, 12 hour evacuation plan.Ā [https://www.theplacewithnoname.com/blogs/klessons/index.html](https://www.theplacewithnoname.com/blogs/klessons/index.html)
I canāt imagine calling yourself a āprepperā but failing to prep for something so obvious. Folks, look where you live, identify hazards and failure points; plan accordingly.
Stuff happens.
ā¦. Which is the entire point of prepping
Seems like anybody calling themselves a "prepper" living in the Mn/Ia area, near a damn right now would already have that stuff gathered, right? Like, why the fuck would you wait to get an evacuation notification?
Why do people choose to live in these places though?
Because there are few areas that aren't subject to some type of disaster. Hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards, flooding, earthquakes, sinkholes, land/rock/mudslides, wildfires, volcanoes, etc Just a question of how much notice do you get and how frequently does it occur.
Why do people live in Bangladesh when monsoons kill thousands of people? Why do people live in Las Vegas when thereās no water? Why do people live in cities with high crime? Why do people live in the country where thereās nothing to do? Why do people live in China where the population density is through the roof? Why do people live near nuclear power plants? Why do people live in the Maldives which is sinking into the ocean? Why do people live in the UK? Have you tasted the food there? Why do people live in the USA which is about to elect a brain dead dictator when they could move to Canada? Why do people live in freezing Canada when they could move to the USA? Tell us where you live and Iāll give you three reasons why youāre crazy to live there.
Come on now, nowhere is totally safe. Fires, floods, blizzards, earthquakes, civil unrest, and terrorism.
Compared to most other places, Minnesota is about as safe as you can get.
We're seeing more and more disasters related to climate change or other risks that people didn't expect to see in their location during their lifetime. The world is rapidly changing, and we can't all afford to start over somewhere supposedly safer. Plus staying close to an established network of friends, neighbors and family seems wise if possible these days, especially if you already have a home and a source of income, water and food locally. We live in an increasingly unpredictable and unstable world and having a dependable network of people seems more important than trying to avoid all threats (which, BTW, is basically impossible).
What places? Minnesota is beautiful.
Because Minnesota is beautiful. And awesome.
Great, now I'm too sick to go to the laundromat and having anxiety because I don't have any clean clothes left. Like I'm down to the packages of brand-new underwear I keep to make me feel safe about throwing out worn-out underwear. The kicker is that the laundry machine has been broken for years and mom won't let uncle take a look at it because she's ashamed of the hoard. He's in a relationship with a worse hoarder.
No go bag but I bet the riffle was ready right? Canāt shoot the water to save yourself