Preparing to Shelter in Place vs. Evacuate
As your friendly neighborhood readiness volunteer (hi, neighbor 👋), I want to clear up something I see all the time:
Preparing to shelter in place is not the same as preparing to evacuate.
Both matter. In the Pacific Northwest — especially here in the Portland area — we realistically need to be ready for both.
Let’s break down the difference in plain terms.
🏠 Sheltering in Place: Staying Put
Sheltering in place means you remain in your home because it’s safer to stay than to leave.
In our region, this is most likely during:
A major earthquake (like a Cascadia Subduction Zone event)
Severe winter storms
Hazardous air quality from wildfire smoke
Widespread power outages
After a large earthquake, roads may be impassable. Bridges could be closed. Emergency services will be overwhelmed. In the first 72 hours — and possibly much longer — you are your own first responder.
What You Need to Shelter in Place
Think: “Can I live safely in my home for at least 2 weeks without outside help?”
Core supplies:
Water (1 gallon per person per day)
Shelf-stable food
Manual can opener
Medications
First aid supplies
Flashlights/headlamps
Battery banks
Pet supplies
Sanitation plan (toilet backup if water is out)
But sheltering in place is also about:
Securing heavy furniture so it doesn’t fall
Knowing how to shut off gas and water
Having shoes and a flashlight by your bed
Knowing your neighbors
In a major earthquake, you are statistically likely to be at home — especially if it happens at night. That means your home setup matters.
Sheltering in place is about stability, endurance, and community.
🚗 Evacuating: Leaving Quickly
Evacuation means you must leave your home because staying is unsafe.
In our region, that’s most common during:
Wildfire
Gas leaks
Chemical spills
Flooding in certain areas
Evacuation can happen fast.
You may have:
Minutes
Or a few hours
Or a day’s notice if you’re lucky
This is not about living comfortably. It’s about getting out safely.
What You Need to Evacuate
Think: “Can I leave in 10 minutes and not forget the essentials?”
That means having a go-bag ready:
Go-bag basics:
Copies of important documents
Medications
Change of clothes
Toiletries
Phone charger + battery bank
Flashlight
N95 masks (especially for wildfire smoke)
Basic first aid kit
Comfort item (for kids or for yourself — yes, adults count)
Also:
A plan for pets
A half tank of gas at all times
Knowing where you would go (friend? hotel? community shelter?)
Evacuation is about speed and mobility.
The Biggest Mistake I See
People prepare for one and assume they’re covered for both.
They’re not.
A pantry full of canned beans doesn’t help if you have to leave in 5 minutes.
A go-bag doesn’t help if you’re stuck at home for 10 days.
These are two different strategies.
The Mindset Shift
Shelter in place = “How do I live here safely?”
Evacuate = “How do I leave here safely?”
One is about endurance.
One is about exit.
Both require planning ahead — because in an emergency, decision-making gets fuzzy.
The Neighborhood Piece (The Most Important Part)
In large-scale disasters — especially earthquakes — the people who help you first won’t be federal agencies.
It will be:
The person across the street
The neighbor with the ladder
The retired nurse two houses down
The guy with the pickup truck
Prepared neighborhoods recover faster. Period.
You don’t have to do this alone.
If you’d like, I can also write:
A printable checklist for both
A “72-hour plan” template
Or a version tailored specifically for Portland-area risks
We don’t prepare because we’re afraid.
We prepare because we care.
