9.9 Survival

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9.9.18 Evacuation Roundtable

Evacuation is when people leave their homes or areas to escape danger, such as natural disasters like floods, wildfires, or earthquakes, or human-caused events like war or chemical spills. In this roundtable, five young people from around the world share their evacuation experiences to help us learn how to prepare and stay safe.

Tell us your name, where you’re from, and a little about yourself.

Hi, I’m Wei, and I’m 14. I live in a mountain village in China. I enjoy hiking, but landslides are a big danger where we live.
Hello, I’m Aisha, and I’m 15 years old. I live in a village near a river in Pakistan. Flooding is something we’ve always worried about.
Hey, I’m Mia, and I’m 16. I’m from a small coastal town in Florida, USA. I enjoy spending time at the beach, but hurricanes have taught me how powerful nature can be.
Hi, I’m Arjun, and I’m 17 years old. I live in Bhopal, India, with my parents and two younger siblings. I will never forget the night we had to leave our home because of the gas leak.
Hi, I’m Yara, and I’m 16. I’m from Syria, but I’ve been living in a refugee camp for the past year. War forced my family to leave our home, and it changed everything for us.

What caused you to evacuate?

Heavy rains caused a landslide in our village. The mudslide was moving so fast, we had to run uphill to escape.
There was fighting in our town, and it was no longer safe to stay. We had to flee for our lives.
Our house flooded after days of heavy rain, and we had to leave to reach higher ground.
A hurricane warning was issued, and we were told to evacuate before the storm hit.
A gas leak from a factory spread toxic fumes across the city late at night. We had no choice but to leave immediately.

How did you know it was time to leave?

We smelled something strange in the air, and our eyes started burning. That’s when my parents decided it wasn’t safe to stay.
We got alerts on our phones and heard the emergency sirens telling everyone to evacuate.
The water kept rising, and when it reached our doorstep, we knew we couldn’t stay any longer.
Bombs were falling nearby, and we didn’t have water or electricity. We had no choice but to leave.
We heard a loud rumbling and saw the mudslide heading toward our village. That was our warning.

What did you take with you?

We didn’t have time to take anything. We just ran.
I grabbed some food, clothes, and my brother’s medicine. That’s all we could carry.
We packed an emergency kit with food, water, flashlights, and important documents.
Just water, and a few clothes. We left in a hurry.
We took clothes, some food, and a few family photos. We could only take what we could carry.

What challenges did you face while evacuating?

The roads were crowded with people trying to leave, and the air was hard to breathe.
Traffic was terrible, and some shelters were already full by the time we arrived.
The floodwaters were high, and we struggled to wade through it with our belongings.
We had to walk for hours without food or water to reach the refugee camp.
The mud was slippery, and it was hard to climb uphill without falling.

What did you learn from the experience?

Pay attention to the signs of danger, like heavy rain or strange sounds.
Knowing where to go and what to take can save time and lives.
It’s important to listen to warnings and leave as early as possible.
Always be prepared for emergencies, even if you think they won’t happen.
Stay calm, stick together, and take only what you need to survive.

Could you go back home? If so, what did you find?

We went back after the rains stopped, but the landslide had destroyed part of our house. It took weeks for the roads to be cleared, so we stayed with relatives while our house was repaired.
No, we couldn’t go back. Our home was destroyed, and the fighting was still going on. We’re still living in the refugee camp, but I hope one day we can return and rebuild.
When the floodwaters went down, we returned. The house was covered in mud, and we lost a lot of our food and furniture. My dad said it could have been worse, and we started cleaning up together as a family.
Yes, we went back a week after the hurricane. The roof was damaged, and there was water everywhere. We spent months repairing the house, but some of our things, like photo albums, were destroyed. It was sad, but at least we were safe.
We went back after a few days when the authorities said it was safe. Everything smelled like chemicals, and many of our neighbors had fallen sick. We couldn’t stay for long and had to move to my uncle’s house in another city.