Different natural disasters will give you different time frames for preparation. Although the certainty of landfall location varies with hurricanes, often residents in hurricane-prone regions may have up to 1 week to prepare to evacuate. Wildfires and home fires develop without warning, and evacuation is often immediate without even a moment for preparation.

In most cases you will have some warning from a few days to a week to plan to evacuate in the event of a hurricane. Weather forecasters are able to target a zone of potential hurricane landfall with increasing accuracy as the time of landfall approaches.

If you live in part of the country where hurricanes are possible, it is important to always be aware of future weather conditions. Monitor changing conditions and predicted landfall areas with your local news, The Weather Channel, and other weather resources. Phone apps are also available so you can stay informed about changing weather wherever you are.

If a hurricane is possible, pack for an evacuation. If you are fortunate enough to miss an evacuation when the storm track is better defined, you will have prepared your family and can be ready in case of another hurricane later in the season. If you are in a zone of evacuation, you will be organized and prepared to leave so you can get on the road to miss traffic, and find some place to stay until the storm has passed and you can return home.

All of the modules contained in the Disaster Docs to Go organizational system can be used to help you plan to evacuate in case of a hurricane. In addition, you will want to ensure you pack appropriate clothes and items for the rain, wind and potential tornadoes that develop with hurricanes.

• • • ALWAYS follow evacuation orders.
    • Familiarize yourself with hurricane evacuation routes in your area before you have to evacuate.
    • Try to leave early enough to avoid gridlocked roads and freeways,
    • Always make sure your cars and vehicles are filled with gas because gas stations often run out of gas during a mass evacuation event.
    • Unrelenting winds, torrential rains, and rising storm surge are all weather factors that can make your home unsafe and can render any automobile evacuations during a storm impossible.