The question people often ask about emergencies is “what do I need to have?” The more important question is “what do I need to decide?” And no decision matters more, in the early minutes of an emergency, than whether to stay or go.
Both choices can be right. Both choices can be catastrophically wrong. The families who get this decision correct — under pressure, with incomplete information, in the middle of a stressful event — are the ones who thought it through before the emergency happened.
When Sheltering-in-Place Is the Right Call
Sheltering-in-place means staying where you are — typically in your home, with doors and windows secured — and waiting for the situation to pass or for official guidance. It is the right choice when:
- The hazard is atmospheric and outside. Chemical spills, industrial accidents, and wildfire smoke events create air quality hazards where a sealed building is safer than being outside. During a smoke or chemical event, staying inside with HVAC off and windows sealed reduces exposure significantly.
- You don’t know what’s happening yet. In the first minutes of an ambiguous situation, staying put and gathering information is often safer than moving into an unknown hazard. Wait for official guidance if you can afford the time.
- Your building is structurally sound and the immediate area is safe. After an earthquake, if your home is intact and there are no gas leaks or structural threats, sheltering in place while assessing the situation is reasonable. Running outside into potentially falling debris or downed power lines may be more dangerous.
- Roads are dangerous or impassable. During a severe ice storm, evacuation by vehicle may introduce more risk than staying home. If you have sufficient supplies, staying put is often the safer choice.
When Evacuating Is the Right Call
Evacuation is the right choice when your current location is or will become the hazard. This includes:
- Wildfire evacuation orders. If your area is under a Level 2 or Level 3 evacuation order, leave. The risk calculation in a fast-moving fire is decisively in favor of evacuation — homes can be rebuilt, people cannot be recovered.
- Tsunami hazard zones after a major earthquake. If you feel strong shaking near the coast, do not wait for an official warning. Move to high ground immediately. The earthquake itself is your signal.
- Flooding or rising water. Water moves faster than it looks and is more powerful than most people expect. If water is rising in your area, leave before access routes are cut off.
- Gas leaks or structural damage. If you smell gas, leave immediately. Don’t turn lights on or off. Don’t use your phone inside. Get out, get distance, and call 911 from outside. Similarly, if your home has visible structural damage after a significant earthquake, do not re-enter until it has been evaluated.
- Official evacuation orders. Local authorities issue these orders based on information you may not have access to. Follow them.
The Middle Ground: When It’s Not Clear
In many emergencies, the right choice is not obvious. Here’s a framework for thinking it through:
1. Is the hazard inside or outside?
If the danger is in the air or environment outside your home, staying inside is likely correct. If the danger is the building itself or the ground it’s on, leaving is likely correct.
2. Do you have enough supplies to wait?
If you’re sheltering through a multi-day event — a storm, a prolonged outage, a regional disruption — do you have enough water, food, and medication to stay safely for 72 hours? If not, that changes the calculation.
3. Can you actually leave safely?
Evacuation requires a safe route. If roads are blocked, flooded, or in the path of the hazard, leaving may not be possible. Know your route options before you need them.
4. What are the most vulnerable people in your household telling you?
If someone in your home has a medical condition affected by cold, heat, or air quality — and the emergency is affecting those things — their needs may drive the decision. Staying may not be viable if you have an infant in a home without heat, or an elderly family member with respiratory conditions during a smoke event.
Make the Decision in Advance
The best version of this decision happens at your kitchen table on a calm Tuesday, not under pressure at 2 a.m. during an active emergency.
Sit down with your household and work through the scenarios most likely to affect your specific location:
- Earthquake — shelter or evacuate based on damage assessment
- Wildfire — know your Level 1/2/3 plan and when you leave
- Flood — know if your area is in a flood zone; know your high-water routes out
- Extended power outage — know at what indoor temperature you leave and where you’d go
- Chemical or industrial incident — know to shelter and seal windows
Write it down. Put it in your family communications plan. Review it when you do your annual preparedness check.
What’s the scenario you’re most uncertain about for your household? Drop it in the comments — these decisions look different for different locations and living situations, and we’re happy to help think through the specifics.