If You Are Asked To Leave


Stay calm and do not rush. Evacuation can work properly and reduce your risk if you act safely and calmly.

  • Take a few items with you. Gather personal items you or your family might need, using the checklist on page 8.

  • Turn off lights, appliances and water.

  • As you leave, lock your house and tie a white cloth or white towel on your front door to let emergency workers know everyone has left the area.

  • Please leave your pets at home (preferably indoors) with plenty of food and water. If you must bring your pet to a reception center, it must be in a pet carrier or other sturdy container. Pets will not be allowed in the public shelters.

  • Use your own transportation or, if possible, ride with a neighbor. Keep car windows and air vents closed and listen to a local radio station.

  • Use the map on page 4 of this calendar to find the sector in which you live and the evacuation route you should follow. (Write this information in the space provided next to the map.)

  • Follow the evacuation routes shown on the map. Go to the nearest reception center and register as an evacuee. If you become separated from your family, ask the locating service at the reception center to help you find your relatives.

  • If you have unique needs or experience problems, call 211 for assistance.

  • Dial 711 for TTY/Relay Service.

  • Do not self-evacuate if you do not live or work in the designated evacuation sector(s).

    If an evacuation is underway, members of the public who are NOT directed to evacuate should remain off the roadways to allow the evacuation to proceed.

    Schoolchildren

  • Children in schools within the 10-mile Emergency Planning Zone will be given top priority during an emergency. Your local school system has an evacuation plan which will be implemented prior to the evacuation of the general public. These plans detail how the students will be transported with supervision to designated locations outside the EPZ. Parents should review their school’s plan to get specific details on where the children will be relocated and when they can be picked up. Local radio stations will broadcast school information during an emergency.

    Where to go

  • It is important that you follow the evacuation routes shown on the map. These routes are marked with blue-andwhite evacuation signs. Go to a reception center within your own county. Even if you do not plan to stay in a public shelter, you should register as an evacuee. It is important that you register for accountability.

    While you are away

  • Law enforcement officers will secure the evacuated areas to protect homes and businesses. Homes and buildings with white towels on the front door will be checked often. ONLY authorized persons will be allowed into the evacuated areas. Officials of the Alabama Department of Public Health will monitor the affected areas, and you will be notified when to return home.