You probably can find your way out of your neighborhood to Highway 14 without even thinking about it.  You do it everyday and sometimes wonder how you got to the main arterial road in Skamania County.

What if there was a wildfire racing towards your home in the middle of the night cutting off your normal route?  Would you know what to do?  You have to leave fast, do you know what to grab?

Now is the time to develop an Emergency Evacuation Plan.  Here’s some steps that will assist you.  For more information see the American Red Cross.

1. Plan multiple routes.  Start out by looking at an online map source such as Google Maps of your area.  Identify evacuation routes to different areas.  Drive around and identify potential problems.  For instance, if an earthquake were to occur, roads that cross through landslide areas will most likely become impassable.  Bridges may also be damaged.  Identify at least two places you would go and communicate these to your family.
2. Make a evacuation checklist.  
3. Practice your evacuation.

In the event evacuation is required, CERT members can play a key role.

• Prior to the need to evacuate, CERT members should have a good idea which roads will be passable for evacuating in several directions from their neighborhood.
• A successful evacuation requires a destination.