Chapter 9. Planning Multiple Evacuation Routes
Knowing more than one way out of your neighborhood can make a household emergency plan more flexible. A wildfire, flood, earthquake, hazardous-material incident, gas leak, fallen tree, damaged utility line, or law-enforcement operation could make the road you normally use unsafe or unavailable.
Residents of Pleasanton, Dublin, Livermore, San Ramon, Danville, Sunol, and nearby Tri-Valley communities should identify several possible evacuation routes before an emergency. However, these routes are planning options—not guaranteed escape routes. During an actual evacuation, public-safety officials may designate different roads based on the hazard’s location, direction, severity, and expected movement.
Always follow the current evacuation instructions issued by the responsible agency and directions provided by emergency personnel.
Begin with the Roads Around Your Home
Start by identifying every practical road that leads away from your neighborhood, apartment complex, rural property, or gated community. Many people automatically think about the route they use for work, school, or shopping. That familiar route may not be available during an emergency.
Look for alternatives that lead in different directions. Your household might identify:
- A primary route normally used to leave the neighborhood
- A secondary route in another direction
- An additional route for use if both preferred roads are unavailable
- A possible walking route if officials direct people to evacuate on foot
- An accessible route for someone using a wheelchair or mobility device
Residents of hillside, canyon, rural, or limited-access neighborhoods should pay particular attention to roads that narrow, end, cross bridges, or connect with only one major roadway. People living in apartment buildings or gated communities should also know every authorized vehicle and pedestrian exit.
Do not use private property, locked fire roads, trails, or restricted access points unless public-safety officials specifically direct evacuees to do so.
Consider Where Each Route Leads
A route is useful only if household members understand its general direction and possible destinations. Determine whether each road leads toward another neighborhood, a major roadway, an open public area, or a community outside the immediate hazard zone.
Identify potential destinations in several directions. These may include the home of a relative or friend, a hotel, or an officially announced emergency shelter. A wildfire approaching from one direction could make one destination unsuitable, while flooding or a hazardous-material release might require an entirely different response.
Do not assume that the nearest shelter or meeting place will open during every emergency. Official shelter locations are generally announced according to the incident. Confirm that the destination is operating, accessible, accepting evacuees, and able to accommodate any household pets or special needs before traveling there when possible.
Practice Under Normal Conditions
Drive possible routes during ordinary conditions so household members recognize important intersections, road names, and alternate connections. Practice at different times if congestion varies significantly throughout the day.
A planning exercise can reveal problems such as:
- A gate that requires a code or remote control
- A road that becomes heavily congested
- A bridge, narrow section, or sharp turn
- A route unsuitable for a large animal trailer
- Poor nighttime visibility
- A road that regularly floods
- Limited space for turning around
- An inaccessible pedestrian exit
Households with children, older adults, mobility needs, pets, horses, or livestock should consider how these needs affect departure time and transportation. Large-animal owners may need to begin preparations during an evacuation warning because loading animals and maneuvering trailers can take considerable time.
Practicing a route does not mean it will be safe during an emergency. The purpose is to increase familiarity and help the household recognize alternatives.
Understand Why Roads May Be Restricted
Evacuation traffic may compete for limited roadway space. Smoke can reduce visibility, and frightened drivers may stop unexpectedly or make unsafe turns. Traffic signals may not work during an electrical outage.
Roads may also be needed for fire engines, ambulances, law-enforcement vehicles, utility crews, animal-rescue teams, or other emergency resources. Authorities may establish one-way traffic, close an intersection, prevent vehicles from entering an affected area, or reserve a road for emergency operations.
Never drive around a barricade, move a traffic-control device, follow an emergency vehicle, or enter a road closed to the public. A road that appears clear may contain downed electrical lines, unstable trees, damaged pavement, fire activity, floodwater, debris, or another danger that cannot be seen from a distance.
Cal OES explains that officials identify evacuation routes according to where an incident is occurring and which areas are affected. It advises evacuees to watch for hazards such as downed power lines, washed-out roads, and debris. Review Cal OES evacuation guidance.
Do Not Depend Entirely on a Navigation Application
Navigation applications can help people understand the regional road network before an emergency, but they should not replace official evacuation instructions. An application may redirect drivers toward a road that is closed, dangerous, restricted, or needed by emergency responders. Its traffic information may also be delayed.
During an evacuation, monitor official alerts, evacuation-zone information, government websites, local radio, verified agency accounts, and direct instructions from emergency personnel. The City of Pleasanton emergency-preparedness page provides current links for checking evacuation-zone status and receiving local emergency information. Residents elsewhere should use the corresponding official resources provided by their city and county.
If an officer, firefighter, or traffic-control worker directs you differently from your personal map or navigation application, follow the emergency worker’s instructions.
Prepare the Vehicle Before You Need It
Keep your vehicle reasonably ready for unexpected travel. Maintain adequate fuel or battery charge, address mechanical problems promptly, and avoid storing so many items that passengers, pets, mobility equipment, or go-bags cannot fit.
Keep a local or regional paper map in the vehicle as a backup, but remember that it will not show current closures or hazards. Households with more than one driver should decide who will transport children, pets, relatives, or specialized equipment. If family members leave in separate vehicles, they should not stop in a dangerous location merely to remain together.
Ready.gov recommends learning evacuation routes in advance while always following the instructions of local officials. Depending on the emergency, evacuation may sometimes need to occur on foot rather than by vehicle. Read Ready.gov evacuation guidance.
Review your possible routes at least twice a year and after road construction, a move, a change in household transportation, or a local emergency that reveals a weakness in the plan.
Helpful Hint
Identify several possible evacuation routes in advance, including alternatives that lead in different directions. During an emergency, follow the current route instructions from public-safety officials. Roads may be blocked, congested, unsafe, or reserved for emergency vehicles.
Important Safety Reminder
A preplanned route is an option, not an authorization to use a road. Never cross a barricade or disregard an evacuation direction because another route appears faster. Follow current official instructions and leave promptly when ordered.
Important Preparedness and Safety Notice
This chapter provides general preparedness education, not real-time emergency instructions. Conditions, evacuation zones, routes, shelters, road closures, and public-safety directions can change rapidly. During an emergency, consult current information from authorized public agencies and follow all instructions issued by emergency officials. Call 911 for an immediate threat to life, active fire, serious injury, crime in progress, or another urgent emergency.
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