Disaster can strike at any time. Sometimes, as with a hurricane, you may get some notice; other times, in the case of a fire or an earthquake, you'll receive no warning at all.

Most of the time, the disaster will leave your home and the surrounding area more or less intact. I've been in several earthquakes that damaged the furniture and windows of my apartment, but otherwise, everything was fine. When I lived in the mountains, there were forest fires that burned close to where I lived, but fortunately, there was no damage to my residence.

Regardless of whether your residence is damaged or not, you may be required to evacuate the area. This can happen for many reasons.

When I lived in the mountains, several evacuations were implemented because it appeared to the authorities that there was some danger that a fire would burn through the town. Fortunately, the fire department was able control fire before that happened.

After a disaster like a chemical spill, the authorities may order residents to evacuate immediately. It may be several weeks or longer before anyone is allowed back into their homes.

Even local police action due to criminal activity can require a quick evacuation. Police generally ask residents to stay in their homes during these situations.

In the United States, plenty of warning is given before a hurricane occurs. In these cases, authorities may order mass evacuations of whole cities.

When you are ordered to evacuate - or if you evacuate on your own free will - you generally don't have a lot of time to gather your belongings and the things you'll need. You may have just a few minutes to get out of your home.

The best preparation for evacuation is to create what is called a bug out bag. These are also known as go-bags, as in, "grab it and go!"

If you haven't already created your bug out bag, you need to as soon as possible. Use this book as a guide.