March 10, 2025
Your character is being faced with an evacuation from a natural disaster.
What are they taking with them? (Based on an idea from Lena.)
I’ve lost track of how many times I evacuated from a hurricane during the many years I lived on the Florida coast. So, it was natural for me to include a hurricane when I wrote The Ranger’s Dog Tags, which was based on Orlando. But since Harmony Duprie had lived her entire life near Pittsburgh, she had no idea what to do. But, since she was just visiting, she didn’t need to worry about what to take in case of an evacuation. Luckily, she had friends to help her.
“Ready for the hurricane?” Lando asked as he strolled into my office.
I put down my third cup of coffee and stared at him. “Hurricane?”
“Nothing to worry about. It’ll slide up the coast and all we’ll see is rain.”
“Do I need to stock up on groceries in case the electricity goes out or something?”
“And how would you cook without electricity? Newbie.” Lando laughed. “If it looks as if it’s going to get bad, you can come stay with me. I’ll protect you since Eli can’t. But the most I expect is the hotels filling up with people leaving the coast and heavy traffic.”
He was the expert.
But it isn’t only hurricanes people have to worry about these days. As I write this post, there are major brush fires burning on Long Island. A military base had to be evacuated. (Although I wasn’t able to determine which one. And who knew you could have a brush fire on Long Island? Turns out the fire started on a nature preserve.) That throws a new twist into the question. If one of my characters had to evacuate, knowing that they might come back to a burned out building, what would they take with them?
First options are easy. Family, pets, cash, making sure friends are taking care of as well. I won’t go into detail about them.
Harmony doesn’t have to worry about any of those except friends. And her car only holds two people comfortably, so she isn’t much good as a taxi service. Her important papers are in her safe deposit box at the bank.
She’d pack two small suitcases, of course.
With some of her jewelry tucked in. And maybe stuff her mail into her purse. Then she’d worry about her books. She had too many to rescue all of them, unless she rented a U-Haul, so she’d have to get picky. A few biographies, a couple of historical books on Victorian architecture, a handful of drugstore westerns and romances. She’d grab several pairs of spare glasses and stuff them in the suitcase.
Which would remind her to take a cell phone charger. Her laptop and the backup drives. Her family photo albums, even though the pictures have all been scanned and converted to digital files. (The important papers in the safe deposit had been backed up too, in case something happened to the bank.)
With all of that, her car is full. In small spaces, she’d fit a few first aid supplies from her medicine cabinet. Perhaps a blanket to put on top of everything.
The last thing she’d leave space for was the pot of her mother’s African Violets. She’d kept them alive for many years, and wouldn’t abandon them.
That’s what Harmony would take. What would the characters of our other authors take with them if they had to evacuate? Find out by following the links below.
And, until next time, please stay safe!
March 10, 2025
Your character is being faced with an evacuation from a natural disaster. What are they taking with them? (Based on an idea from Lena.)
