Emergency Evacuation and Getting Family Onboard in Prepping

Emergency preparedness is more than checklists and supplies. It is about making critical decisions under pressure and navigating the emotions that come with them. In this episode, we look at the essentials of evacuation planning, including how to identify clear triggers for leaving, choose multiple evacuation routes, create a family communication plan, and understand your sheltering options. We also cover special considerations for pets, medical needs, and disaster specific risks, along with the most common mistakes that delay safe evacuation.

But planning is only half the challenge. What happens when your spouse or family thinks you are overreacting? We discuss the deeper reasons behind resistance, from social stigma and financial anxiety to different risk tolerance levels. 

Mentioned In This Episode:

ReadyFam Preparedness App

Support Practical Prepping

72 Hour Prepping Checklist

Download this episode

 If you find value in what we do, if you've learned something new, gotten an idea for something you need to do, been entertained, or just like Krista's Southern charm, would you be willing to give back a little?

You can do that one of several ways.
     Go to our support page
               OR
     By starting your Amazon shopping from our website? --->  CLICK HERE
        (We earn from qualifying Amazon purchases)

Contact us:
Practical Prepping
Website

Our Sponsors:
Practical Prepping Books

Proof Minimalist Wallets (Discount code PREPPER)

ProLine Digital Group   Website  Email

1791gunleather.com (Discount code: PREP15) 

Surfshark

Podcast music written and recorded by Krista Lawley
Website design and hosting by ProLine Digital Group.
Podcasts Copyright 2026, P3 Media Group, LLC, and Practical Prepping Podcast

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:01

What happens when preparing for the worst to make someone you love think you've gone off the deep end?

SPEAKER_00 0:15

Welcome to Practical Prepping. Today is June 22nd, 2026, and this is episode 559. This is the prepping podcast with no bunkers, no zombies, and no alien invasions. Just practical prepping, where we teach everyday people how to prepare for life's emergencies, disasters, and crises. And we're here to help you get prepared. I'm Krista.

SPEAKER_01 0:41

And I'm Mark. Today we're talking about two topics we see come up in groups and forums from time to time, and that is getting our spouse or family on board with prepping. And when is it time to bug out? If you'd like the expanded notes for this episode, go to practical prepping.info forward slash five five nine.

SPEAKER_00 1:03

Now let's talk about spouse or family resistance. So many times people will say, My family thinks I'm overreacting because I prep.

SPEAKER_01 1:13

Yeah, one of our moderators, her husband thought she was crazy until after the I-95 snowstorm where a lot of people were trapped, and their office was about 15 minutes from home by drive. And it took him a couple hours to get home. And after all of that, and they didn't have to go out for anything, they didn't lack for anything. He came in and he said, You're officially not crazy.

SPEAKER_00 1:40

Yes, because I think prior to that, a lot of folks never think that they're going to get stranded on a highway in the middle of a blinding blizzard. And when things don't ever happen to you, you tend to be less likely to think about it.

SPEAKER_01 1:53

Yeah, they're not going to happen to me.

SPEAKER_00 1:55

Yeah, they mean they're a harder sell on prepping than someone who knows, hey, I'd something's going to happen at some point.

SPEAKER_01 2:02

But what it really means when people say my family thinks I'm overreacting is sometimes they think uh what they're saying is I'm becoming anxious or extreme, fringy. Or they are embarrassed by the prepper label.

SPEAKER_00 2:17

I can understand that.

SPEAKER_01 2:18

They do not believe the risks justify the effort.

SPEAKER_00 2:23

Yeah, they haven't been through it yet.

SPEAKER_01 2:25

They do not want to think about bad outcomes.

SPEAKER_00 2:28

And that's true. We we don't want to think unhappy thoughts, so we just don't think about them.

SPEAKER_01 2:33

But we have to.

SPEAKER_00 2:34

Now there's some underlying causes about this. There's a lot of social stigma around prepping, even the word prepping. It's associated with the doomsday culture, you know, the post-apocalyptic into the world as we know it, that sort of thing.

SPEAKER_01 2:48

And that's the world got the introduction to prepping through the program Doomsday Preppers. And they really, the producers made those folks look very fringe. Trevor Burrus, Jr.

SPEAKER_00 3:01

They did. They kind of highlighted all of the real wild way out scenarios and edited out the more practical things. Trevor Burrus, Jr.

SPEAKER_01 3:09

Well, all of them, what I understand from one of the producers that was in a group I was in, is that those were all very well-rounded preppers, but they made them choose one aspect.

SPEAKER_00 3:22

Right.

SPEAKER_01 3:23

And so that made them look extreme.

SPEAKER_00 3:25

Yeah, like they were just way out on the edge somewhere and weren't weren't in touch with reality anymore.

SPEAKER_01 3:30

There's also associated with conspiracy thinking. There's a lot of conspiracy thinking going on around prepper circles.

SPEAKER_00 3:39

Probably most of the conspiracy theories out there are 99% bunk. And there's a tiny little small margin of truth, maybe in a few of them. But by the time they get passed down from one set of ears to the other, it becomes wild and crazy. And a lot of people don't want to be associated with that.

SPEAKER_01 3:56

Yeah. It can also be a social stigma associated with hoarding. Yeah, serious hoarding or even political extremism.

SPEAKER_00 4:04

Yeah. Yeah, exactly. In fact, there have been local governments and even federal governments that have actually tried to downplay the notion of prepping, even in a practical sense. Like they kind of painted the picture of you're taking something away from someone else by having it yourself. And I think that there's a balance that we need to strike.

SPEAKER_01 4:24

There is. Now, a spouse may not reject preparedness itself. They may reject the identity attached to it. Trevor Burrus, Jr.

SPEAKER_00 4:32

Well, that's true, because they may be worried about your personal reputation or the perception in society, or just being thought of wrongly, like being grouped into a fringe category, and they just want to avoid that.

SPEAKER_01 4:44

And there's different risk tolerance levels among people. True. Each person has a different internal threat threshold.

SPEAKER_00 4:53

You know, one that's into prepping wants to reduce the anxiety and the panic by doing so, by being practically prepared. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:00

The other reduces anxiety by maintaining normalcy and not focusing on worst-case scenarios. Trevor Burrus, Jr.

SPEAKER_00 5:08

So you see what you have here? You've got one action that can calm one person and alarm the other.

SPEAKER_01 5:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:14

There's also a fear of escalation. The family members may start worrying that prepping may just start expanding without any kind of limits. Trevor Burrus, Jr.

SPEAKER_01 5:22

Yeah. They may fear escalating spending or clutter or lifestyle changes. Trevor Burrus, Jr.

SPEAKER_00 5:28

And they're beginning to wonder where's this all going to stop? And where's the balance? And does any of this make any kind of sense?

SPEAKER_01 5:33

Aaron Powell There's also some financial anxiety because preparedness does require a little bit of money, even if it's done very modestly. Trevor Burrus, Jr.

SPEAKER_00 5:42

Well it's true. You know, extra food, gear, backup systems, you know, generators and lights out kits, these types of things can feel unnecessary to the one that's not on board, and particularly when the finances are running a little tight.

SPEAKER_01 5:56

Aaron Ross Powell And that partner may see this as spending on hypothetical problems instead of present needs.

SPEAKER_00 6:03

And there is some emotional avoidance because some people will cope with uncertainty by simply not dwelling on it. It's kind of like the subject of death. If I don't talk about it, it won't happen. Seems to be that that's actually a prevailing thought process.

SPEAKER_01 6:17

My dad used to say none of us are getting out of this world alive.

SPEAKER_00 6:21

That's true. But you know, some people feel like if you talk about like a weather disaster or a natural disaster or even a man-made disaster, that somehow that's going to force some kind of a confrontation and it will result in vulnerability and loss.

SPEAKER_01 6:35

But avoidance can feel emotionally safer than preparation.

SPEAKER_00 6:40

Yeah. It's that out of sight, out of mind. If I don't talk about it, I don't have to worry about it.

SPEAKER_01 6:45

And it's not just in prepping, it's in every area of life. Different people do it with different things. But here are some of the common outcomes from what we've been talking about. One is hidden prepping.

SPEAKER_00 7:00

You make purchases on the down low.

SPEAKER_01 7:02

Yeah, they're made very quietly. And we see this a lot of times with wives whose husbands see absolutely no need in prepping. And they just add a little bit to their grocery and put it back aside. They're at least preparing in the food area for their family.

SPEAKER_00 7:20

Or they're sneaking some supplies in and just don't have a discussion about it. They may even be hiding them under the bed or in the attic or places that are not quite so visible.

SPEAKER_01 7:28

Right. And it can erode trust over time.

SPEAKER_00 7:32

It could. I think there comes a day of reckoning when you get discovered, you get outed, and here comes the discussion of what's all this about. And I don't know, that that may not go well.

SPEAKER_01 7:42

It may not. But it can also lead to open conflict. Arguments shift from supplies to character.

SPEAKER_00 7:50

Yeah, it gets personal.

SPEAKER_01 7:51

Yeah. Yeah. Like if if you don't like my prepping, you don't like me.

SPEAKER_00 7:57

Yeah, so uh one partner's gonna feel undervalued or dismissed or uh not regarded at all, really.

SPEAKER_01 8:03

And the other one feels pressured or judged.

SPEAKER_00 8:06

True. Because preparedness can actually become a bit of a symbol of deeper relationship tensions.

SPEAKER_01 8:12

Yeah, and here's some of those tensions we're talking about: abandonment. The prepper stops to preserve harmony.

SPEAKER_00 8:20

Yeah, that's not true.

SPEAKER_01 8:22

Stop prepping to preserve harmony.

SPEAKER_00 8:24

Yeah, they call it the least line of resistance to achieve peace, and that's not always the best idea.

SPEAKER_01 8:30

And anxiety often remains.

SPEAKER_00 8:32

And that resentment can really build. It can start quietly, but at some point that volcano will erupt.

SPEAKER_01 8:39

It builds over time.

SPEAKER_00 8:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 8:40

But what helps reduce this resistance? And this is really where we're coming to today. These are some things that we can do to help get our spouse or our family on board with prepping.

SPEAKER_00 8:54

You need to reframe the identity of what the word prepper means. And here's what I'm saying: use language like this is responsible planning, this is emergency readiness, or even insurance. You can even ask those questions. You know, we have insurance on our home and our cars. Why? Because something might happen. Some sort of disaster could happen. You're already on the prepper continuum if you pull it around to a more reasonable, dare I say it, practical example of insurance.

SPEAKER_01 9:25

Also avoid labels that trigger stigma. Start with high probability events. Don't start with an EMP. Don't start with a CME. Don't start with a nuclear attack. Don't start with any type of total grid-down situation. Start with what is likely to happen at your house, those high probability events. Focus on power outages. Focus on severe weather. Focus on the potential for a job loss or some type of medical emergency. These are the types of things that prepping supplies can help carry us through.

SPEAKER_00 10:06

See, that helps you build some agreements around some realistic and common risks first. And maybe they haven't really paid attention to that, but when a tornado strikes in the area and someone's now a victim of it, now they're on board with understanding, oh, I get it. I see where you're coming from.

SPEAKER_01 10:23

And invite them to participate. Ask in this way, what would make you feel secure during an outage or an emergency? Oh, that's good. And you can put that into a storm situation, you can put that into a medical emergency situation, you can put it into a job loss. What would make you feel secure during fill in the blank and see what they say?

SPEAKER_00 10:49

So what you're doing is you're giving them some ownership over part of your preparedness plan.

SPEAKER_01 10:54

But in doing so, set some clear boundaries.

SPEAKER_00 10:57

Good.

SPEAKER_01 10:57

You might need to agree on a budget, on some space limits. You might need to agree on some priorities. And the two of you may have different priorities going into this. And set clear boundaries. Agree on a budget, space limits, and even priorities. Good call. Avoid urgency, avoid panic-driven purchases, or here's the kicker: constant worst case discussion.

SPEAKER_00 11:25

Very important. You see, consistency and steadiness will help build that trust. And I think that's the bridge you're looking for. Because family resistance is rarely about canned goods or generators. It's actually more about the identity, the emotional safety, the financial stability, and the social belonging. So when you address those concerns directly, cooperation becomes much more likely. Now we're going to talk about bugging out in emergency situations in just a minute. But first, have you downloaded ReadyFam Preparedness App? There's a free version and a paid version. Ready FAM app provides a personalized risk assessment based on your location. It provides powerful inventory tools such as barcode scanning, photo capture, and easy tracking for item locations and expiration dates. That is a great resource to have. And with the AI voice assistant, it does even more, including simple voice commands. You can add or remove inventory. You can ask questions, and you can get guidance completely hands-free. You can even generate meal plans and recipes based on what you already have on hand. And it doesn't stop there. The AI Voice Assistant can walk you through scenario simulations and provide priority insights to help you identify gaps and strengthen your preparedness plan. It's like having a preparedness coach with you every step of the way. So get that ReadyFam Preparedness app at readyfam.app. Or you can get it from the Play Store. Or we'll include a link in today's show notes and use this discount code Practical20. Now let's get back to the show.

SPEAKER_01 13:09

In this segment, we're talking about bugging out or emergency evacuation. We want to know the triggers, the routes, and the critical decisions that have to be made ahead of time.

SPEAKER_00 13:30

So you've got to identify your evacuation triggers. You've got to know what's going to cause you to leave. Are you receiving mandatory evacuation orders? Are there flood waters and they're rising in your area? Are you near fast-moving wildfires? Could you have had some structural damage after an earthquake? Or has there been some hazardous material releases in the vicinity that would cause you to have to bug out?

SPEAKER_01 13:55

And those last four are absolute non-negotiables. We just have to bug out in those four situations. But we want to plan multiple routes. Have at least two evacuation routes. And on those routes, while you're planning that, be aware and avoid low-lying flood-prone roads.

SPEAKER_00 14:17

And if you don't have a car, you can still have a plan. You could consider some public transportation options. Perhaps you could uh arrange rides with some neighbors, or maybe even some community evacuation assistance programs.

SPEAKER_01 14:31

Those are good to register for if you are mobility challenged. They will actually send somebody to get you if you're registered for that. They will help you evacuate, whether it's tornado, hurricane, fire, whatever.

SPEAKER_00 14:46

Good to know.

SPEAKER_01 14:46

They will help you do that.

SPEAKER_00 14:48

Great.

SPEAKER_01 14:48

Also look at your emergency sheltering and have a family communication plan.

SPEAKER_00 14:54

For sure.

SPEAKER_01 14:55

Have an out-of-town contact person everyone checks in with. We have two. We have the Alabama group, we have the North Carolina group, but we only have to make one call. And then it becomes almost like a family calling tree.

SPEAKER_00 15:11

Right. They can get in touch with everyone else and pass the word along.

SPEAKER_01 15:15

And they each have, we've provided them with printed phone numbers for everybody. But look at your emergency sheltering as well. Sometimes you might evacuate to public emergency shelters, like for a tornado.

SPEAKER_00 15:28

Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 15:29

We've got tornado shelters scattered around the county. Most counties do have designated places. A lot of churches have basement shelters that are very safe in tornadoes.

SPEAKER_00 15:41

And let's be honest, you may not be at home when the storm strikes. So you may need to know in your area, if you're five miles away from home, where is the nearest safe shelter?

SPEAKER_01 15:51

Right. Another is hotel or family or friends' homes. That's what we've always joked about. Our top three bug-out locations are hotel.

SPEAKER_00 16:00

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 16:01

If there's a hazmat situation nearby, the police knock on the door and say you've got five minutes to leave, there's no option. You're leaving. We have to go in that situation. The storm damage, you could be damaged after a tornado, and your house may not be safe to stay there. So you may have to evacuate because of storm damage. Also, know about some designated evacuation centers, particularly in hurricanes, wildfire, and earthquake.

SPEAKER_00 16:33

Right, because they impact larger groups of people at one time.

SPEAKER_01 16:37

They do. And with the hurricanes, you know, they have them located inland and on higher ground, which may be 25 feet off above sea levels, but know where those designated evacuation centers are.

SPEAKER_00 16:51

So know those shelter locations in advance. So you need to find out where your local shelters are and find out where they are around schools, workplaces, and areas that you may frequent. Ask if they allow pets. That's gonna be a big consideration if you've got some dogs and cats that you're trying to bring with you.

SPEAKER_01 17:08

Some do and some don't. And I've seen some shelters that did not allow pets with the people that turned away because they would not go into the shelter and leave their pets.

SPEAKER_00 17:18

That's a sad situation.

SPEAKER_01 17:20

So most emergency shelters will allow them temporarily.

SPEAKER_00 17:24

And usually you have to keep them kenneled, just so that we're clear. Your dogs and cats are not going to be allowed to run free in the shelter. They have to be contained.

SPEAKER_01 17:32

You also want to find out if they accommodate people with disabilities.

SPEAKER_00 17:36

Sure.

SPEAKER_01 17:37

Find out if they provide food and bedding, especially for longer-term storm shelters.

SPEAKER_00 17:43

Exactly. And some special considerations as well would be infant supplies. You're going to need to have formula. You're going to need to have diapers. You're going to have extra changes of clothing for the young ones. You need pet food if your pet is allowed. They have to be in their carrier, and you've got to be able to supply that and be able to clean up after them as well. Think about your medical devices like a CPAP or an oxygen machine of some sort, like these portable oxygen generators. And the backup batteries that would be needed for powering those. Think about an extra pair of eyeglasses just because it's important to have an extra pair. And anything that would give you aids for mobility, like if you have a walker, a scooter, a wheelchair, that type of thing.

SPEAKER_01 18:28

There are some special risk considerations because different disasters require different planning.

SPEAKER_00 18:34

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 18:35

For example, a wildfire. You need early evacuation, and you may need N95 mass.

SPEAKER_00 18:43

Yes, because wildfire smoke can be very threatening to your eyesight, your breathing.

SPEAKER_01 18:49

Right.

SPEAKER_00 18:50

So you've got to take care of that.

SPEAKER_01 18:51

In a hurricane, you're looking at a long distance evacuation, so fuel becomes an issue.

SPEAKER_00 18:58

Right.

SPEAKER_01 18:58

We advocate never getting below half tank anyway. But if there's the mention of a hurricane coming your direction, and I mean if it could hit 400 miles either way, but it's out there, go ahead and top off your fuel tank.

SPEAKER_00 19:12

Sure.

SPEAKER_01 19:12

You want to be able to get as far as you can in that situation.

SPEAKER_00 19:17

Now, another big weather concern that has been hitting a lot of people this spring has been flood and flash flood. So, of course, number one, avoid driving through water, even if it's not moving water. I understand that as little as eight to nine inches of water could make your vehicle go float-bound. And it can carry you away. That water is a lot stronger than you think it is. And your small ton and a half truck or Vokes wagon is not going to make it through. So do try to evacuate before a flood becomes a serious issue for you because travel can become impacted. Also, an earthquake. Some of our areas around the country can be impacted by earthquake. There's a structural safety concern, and then there's aftershock readiness. So that's probably a good time to think about exiting and going the opposite direction if you safely can do so.

SPEAKER_01 20:07

And of course, for tornadoes, it's an immediate shelter location. If you don't have a safe room or a safe space in your house for tornadoes, find out where that local tornado shelter is. If you live in a mobile home, if you live in a manufactured home, or you live in a camper, you must leave to get out of the path of that tornado.

SPEAKER_00 20:34

Now, some common mistakes you want to avoid when it comes to bugging out, waiting too long to leave.

SPEAKER_01 20:40

Oh, and we see this every year. I know it. Or every evacuation, uh, and I'm thinking hurricanes, is they don't get out in time.

SPEAKER_00 20:49

Yeah. Some people have survived it and have dreaded it, other people have not, and that's the lesson. Or forgetting your pets, just you know, thinking that they can be on their own. And some pets actually make it. It's uh surprisingly so. But if you can, you need to have a plan to round up your pets and take them with you.

SPEAKER_01 21:08

And a big mistake is not having enough fuel. Right. That's what we were talking about a minute ago. When it starts talking about headed your direction, top off your tank and keep it top-top.

SPEAKER_00 21:20

Because remember, everybody in the community is going to need to get gas as well. So you don't want to be one of those that rolls up to the station and the guy says, sorry, we're out.

SPEAKER_01 21:29

Right. You want to be able to get at least a hundred or two hundred miles away from that area to where you can get food.

SPEAKER_00 21:37

Right.

SPEAKER_01 21:38

And another thing is assuming that shelters have everything you need.

SPEAKER_00 21:42

Yeah, they couldn't possibly anticipate what you need.

SPEAKER_01 21:44

And some shelters do. But some shelters are just that a safe place.

SPEAKER_00 21:50

Yeah, they're just somewhere to ride out a short-based storm.

SPEAKER_01 21:53

Right. Another is not updating plans as family situations change.

SPEAKER_00 21:58

Of course. Just like you would update your insurance coverage. You need to evaluate your plans if the family member dynamic has shifted in some way and plan accordingly.

SPEAKER_01 22:09

Now, today's cup of coffee comes from Heather, who is a longtime supporter of the podcast.

SPEAKER_00 22:15

Yay, Heather.

SPEAKER_01 22:16

Heather, we really do appreciate your support. And you too can go to practicalprepping.info forward slash support, where you can show us some love by buying us a few cups of coffee or even a coffee membership. And that's only five dollars per month, but it really helps to offset the expenses of the show. So please consider doing that at practical prepping.info forward slash support. We do thank you for being here today. We appreciate your time. We hope you've learned something today or thought about something that you need to do in your prepping or a way that you can help get your spouse or family on board when it comes to prepping. And as Krista always says, Stuff happens.

SPEAKER_00 23:02

Stay prepared.

SPEAKER_01 23:04

And we'll see you next time.