If you smell gas, smoke or see fire or otherwise fear for your safety, evacuate household occupants immediately. From a safe location, call 9-1-1 and report the incident.

Delaware Citizen Corps has developed a module on Shelter and Evacuation procedures in the five part Disaster Preparedness Video.  To see the rest of the videos, click here.

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If local officials issue evacuation orders, use the evacuation routes and methods specified; carpool whenever possible. If time allows:

• Wear sturdy shoes, long-sleeve shirts and pants.
• Bring car keys, credit cards, road maps, cell phone, charger and important phone numbers.
• Bring your Go-bag.
• If you have a pet, make sure it is wearing a collar, bring it in a pet carrier labeled with your name and the pet’s name. Bring your pet’s Go-bag.
• Lock your home and shut off the water and electricity, but leave gas on unless instructed otherwise.
• Leave a note or tell a neighbor where you are going.
• Once you arrive at a safe location, call your out-of-area emergency contact.

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Immediately following a large disaster, suitable shelter sites will be selected from a predesignated list based on areas of need and estimated numbers of displaced persons. Each site must be inspected for safety prior to being opened to the public. Therefore, it is not possible to say with advance certainty which sites will actually operate as disaster shelters. As soon as disaster sites have been formally designated, this list will be announced through local media to the public. If it is unsafe to shelter-in-place, and you do not have an alternative, evacuate to a designated emergency shelter.

• Tell your out-of area-contact where you are going.
• Take your Go-bag with you to the shelter.
• Initially, emergency shelters may not be able to provide basic supplies and materials. Consider bringing extra items (e.g. blanket, pillow, air mattress, towel, washcloth, diapers, food and supplies for infants.)
• Provide for your pet: only service animals are allowed in “human” shelters. If you cannot make other plans for your pets, Animal Care and Control staff will be available at “human” shelters to help with pet sheltering needs.