Chapter 35. Where to Go During an Evacuation
Knowing that you must evacuate is only the first decision. You must also determine where to go, how to reach the destination safely, whether it can accommodate your household, and what to do if conditions change.
Residents of Pleasanton, Dublin, Livermore, San Ramon, Danville, Sunol, and surrounding Tri-Valley and Bay Area communities should identify several possible evacuation destinations before an emergency. Wildfires, floods, hazardous-material incidents, earthquakes, utility emergencies, and law-enforcement operations can affect roads, shelters, hotels, and entire communities with little warning.
Your preferred destination may not be available. Always follow current official instructions rather than relying exclusively on a plan made before the incident.
Follow the Destination Announced by Authorities
An evacuation alert may identify an evacuation center, temporary assembly point, emergency shelter, animal shelter, transportation location, or safe direction of travel. Read the complete message and confirm whether the announced location is intended for your neighborhood or evacuation zone.
Authorities select destinations based on current conditions, including:
- The location and movement of the hazard
- Available and safe travel routes
- Building safety
- Shelter capacity and staffing
- Accessibility
- Power, water, and sanitation
- Proximity to smoke, flooding, contamination, or fire
- The expected duration of the evacuation
Do not assume that the closest public building has become a shelter. A school, community center, church, fairground, or recreation facility may appear suitable but may be closed, inaccessible, inside another evacuation zone, or reserved for emergency operations.
Use an Official Emergency Shelter
Official shelters may provide a safe place to remain, basic food and water, restrooms, charging opportunities, health-related support, emergency information, and connections to additional assistance. Services vary by incident and location.
The American Red Cross maintains a current open-shelter directory. Residents should also monitor city and county emergency announcements, local fire and law-enforcement updates, and official alert systems.
Bring essential medications, identification, mobility devices, chargers, clothing, and personal supplies when they are readily accessible. Tell shelter personnel about disability-related, communication, dietary, medical, transportation, or accessibility needs. California may deploy Functional Assessment Service Teams to support people with access and functional needs in shelter environments, as explained by Cal OES sheltering guidance.
Registration may help shelter personnel understand who is present, locate family members, arrange services, and communicate changes. Protect your belongings and share sensitive information only with authorized personnel who need it to provide assistance.
Consider Family or Friends
Staying with family or friends outside the affected area may offer greater privacy, familiar surroundings, and more flexibility than a public shelter. This may be especially helpful for families with children, older adults, pets, or household members with medical needs.
Before traveling, confirm:
- The host’s address is outside the evacuation and hazard areas
- The route is open and officially considered safe
- The household can accommodate everyone traveling with you
- Pets or service animals can be accommodated
- Necessary medical equipment can be used there
- The host still has electricity, water, and safe air conditions
Do not surprise someone during a regional emergency. Send a concise message confirming how many people and animals are coming and when you expect to arrive.
Choose at least one possible destination outside your immediate community. A nearby relative may be affected by the same wildfire, power outage, smoke conditions, or earthquake damage.
Hotels and Temporary Lodging
A hotel, motel, short-term rental, or extended-stay property may be appropriate when it is safe, affordable, and available. Demand can rise quickly during a large evacuation, so call or use a reliable booking system before driving there.
Ask about:
- Current room availability
- Pet policies and additional fees
- Accessible rooms
- Refrigeration for medication
- Backup power
- Parking for larger or multiple vehicles
- Cancellation or emergency-rate policies
- The property’s distance from the hazard
Do not assume a confirmed reservation guarantees that the route remains open. Continue monitoring official road and evacuation updates while traveling.
Households that cannot afford lodging may be able to obtain information about sheltering, hotel assistance, food, clothing, or other immediate services by contacting local relief organizations or dialing 211. Cal OES identifies 211 California and voluntary organizations as possible sources of individual disaster assistance.
Arrange Safe Accommodations for Animals
Never leave a pet behind merely because you are uncertain where animals are accepted. Take pets when evacuating, using carriers, leashes, harnesses, identification, medication, food, and water.
Ask the official evacuation center where household pets are being accommodated. Depending on the incident, animals may stay with their owners, in a separate section, or at a nearby animal shelter operated by animal-services or community partners. Policies can vary by location and available resources.
Service animals are not treated as household pets and generally remain with the person they assist. Explain any service-animal or accessibility needs to shelter personnel.
Owners of horses, livestock, and other large animals should follow official animal-evacuation instructions. Fairgrounds, equestrian facilities, and livestock shelters may fill, relocate, or restrict arrivals. Never bring a large animal to an unconfirmed location.
Understand Assistance Centers
An evacuation shelter and a disaster assistance center do not necessarily serve the same purpose. A shelter provides an immediate safe place to stay. A Local Assistance Center or disaster recovery center may open later to connect affected residents with government agencies, insurance information, document replacement, cleanup guidance, housing resources, and recovery programs.
Do not go to an assistance center expecting overnight lodging unless officials specifically say that sheltering is available there. Confirm the center’s address, operating hours, services, identification requirements, and accessibility before traveling.
Expect Destinations to Change
Emergency destinations can change because the hazard moves, a road closes, a building loses power, capacity is reached, air quality deteriorates, or officials consolidate operations. A shelter that opened in the morning may relocate or close later that day.
Continue monitoring official alerts after arriving. If instructed to move again, gather your household, medications, mobility equipment, pets, and essential belongings promptly. Notify your designated family contact of the new destination.
Helpful Hint
Never assume a previously used shelter will reopen. Confirm the current location and operating status through official sources before traveling.
Important Safety Reminder
Do not drive toward an unconfirmed shelter, cross a barricade, or use a closed road. Follow the current destination and route announced for your evacuation area, and be prepared for that destination to change as the incident develops.
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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