Treehouses or underground shelters can provide optimal protection under certain circumstances. Whatever shelter you plan for, it is a good idea to keep a map readily available to all family members that outlines the route to the shelter. If you are called to assist others in the community, or if a disaster happens while you are away at work, your family needs access to this map so they can reach the shelter while you are unavailable. Before a disaster hits your area, use this map to practice evacuating with your family. Think of the disasters that would most likely occur in your area and pretend that the disaster has happened.
Research shows that people panic less in familiar situations.
Once you are comfortable with where you should go, you need many ways to get there. In most cases, roads will be available for evacuation. If this is the case, there are still things to prepare for. It is a good idea to keep your gas tank at least half full at all times because gas stations may be packed with customers or may even be inoperable. Traffic jams can also be a major problem.