Evacuations-when you have to bug out in the UK

[theScepticalPrepper]

As is commonly pointed out, if SHTF in the UK 'bugging in' is more generally feasible than bugging out. The Bugging out in the UK thread covers where you may bug out to, but I'm interested in times when you may actually need to grab a bag and leave your home at very short notice in the UK-barring less likely extreme hypotheticals like nuclear war - in which case all bets are off. There's a surprising number, with some scenarios that I hadn't thought of which I discovered looking through news articles.

A fire gets out of control - as happened in Wolverhampton recently where the neighbours had to be evacuated.
https://www.expressandstar.com/news/loc ... erhampton/

Probably the worst case for a fire would be another Grenfell. There are still many high rises which have flammable cladding. Even if the fire doesn't reach your flat, the building you're in may have to be condemned.

UXBs - we still get old bombs from the war discovered occasionally. Recently in Birmingham an old grenade was found, houses evacuated and a street cordoned off.
https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/m ... e-29452795

In another recent example, 'several' homes were evacuated in Oldham when an old artillery shell was found.
https://www.theoldhamtimes.co.uk/news/2 ... dham-road/

Flooding - now seems to be an annual occurrence in certain parts. But it doesn't have to be seasonal, in May 20 homes were evacuated in Peterborough because of a burst water main. https://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/new ... in-4643228

RAAC concrete - 299 council properties were evacuated in Aberdeen after RAAC concrete was found. In this case it was not urgent and done over a period of months so people at least had some time to prepare.
https://news.stv.tv/north/hundreds-of-h ... n-aberdeen
Given its relatively widespread use, there may well be more cases like this in the future.

Gas leak - A cordon was put in place and 100 homes were evacuated after a gas leak in Ash, Surrey Fire and Rescue Service said.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-surrey-67690382

Lightning strike - as unlikely as it may be, this happened just a couple months ago. 10 residents of a care home were evacuated.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-surrey-67690382

Radiation leak - Sellafield (where else) was reported in December of last year to have cracks in a nuclear waste storage silo known as B30.
The leak of radioactive liquid from one of the “highest nuclear hazards in the UK” – a decaying building at the vast Cumbrian site known as the Magnox swarf storage Silo (MSSS) – is likely to continue to 2050. That could have “potentially significant consequences” if it gathers pace, risking contaminating groundwater, according to an official document.
https://www.theguardian.com/business/20 ... -to-public

In 1957 Sellafield (then Windscale) had a fire which burned for three days and released radioactive fallout which spread across the UK and the rest of Europe. No one was evacuated, but it could easily have been much worse. It was only in 2008 that the Irish government stopped handing out Iodine tablets to their people. https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/345 ... e-tablets/

[Arzosah]

That's a good list, the extremes are by unlikely by definition - this sort of thing is getting to be usual, especially the flooding in some areas.

There's also the troubles that come with being on the wrong side of a police barricade - though the only preps really needed for that are tea and biscuits, unless you're a hostage It's happened to me twice - once when the local post office was robbed by someone with a toy gun, and after I moved here, there was a murder down the road. The barricade was porous, that time, but it was unnerving, for sure. No need to bug out, but a definite sense both times of being trapped.

My mum had a red flood warning about 50 yards from her house: she constantly overestimated her physical abilities (she was then late 80s) and I was insistent that if she saw the water coming, to go upstairs and take shoes, coat and handbag if she had time. I just know that she'd have tried to walk out, ignoring her own physical limitations - many tides round that way are faster than ordinary walking pace. The RNLI would rescue people like her.

[GillyBee]

It happens more often than you might think. When we lived in a large & (dodgy) block of flats we had to evacuate once for a fire at 10 pm, dodge the police tape after a neighbour was stabbed and just avoided a 1am evacuationwhen the fire brigade set a cordon around a vehicle on fire that contained a roofer's propane cylinder. The 100m zone was 105 m away. So about once every 5 years. Now in a quiet road and have not had to clear out since moving in which is much more to my liking.

[Frnc]

As well as some radiological incidents, some chemical incidents might cause authorities to order evacuation. There is also a remote possibility of war or civil war. In the event of social breakdown, armed gangs might come looting. You either defend your street or get out for a couple of days with a bag full of highly important stuff. As mentioned above in a pretty comprehensive list, various natural disasters.

Hurricane Beryl is very unusual. A few months ago, houses near me had roofs ripped off by a tornado. In Manchester! Anything can happen. Mersey could flood. There are floods going on all round the world. I've seen pics of cars almost completely buried by boulders in Switzerland from last week. Rocks the size of washing up bowls pouring down like water. OK that's not going to happen in Manchester, but flooding is likely in some areas. My street has a 0.1 to 1% chance of surface flooding up to 30cm in a year, which is more than some streets, but low risk. There is a risk of the Mersey flooding, but mostly it's onto areas not built on. However it could flood streets close to my old house. Some places near here could flood over 90cm.

Massive meteorite strike would be pretty awesome.

[Frnc]

https://check-long-term-flood-risk.service.gov.uk/map

[Omega]

Can add:
1. Riots - thinking something on a scale of Troubles though I got caught up in revolution in Kyrgyz Republic in 2020. It was relatively fine even though the government was overthrown
2. Chemical, bacteriological and radioactive hazards
3. Large weather events on a scale above Beast from the East when electricity is cut off and emergency help cannot arrive
4. Technological disaster - I am thinking about long power cuts or hacking attack, for example Great Western Hospital lost power recently. I was more than surprised as this is one of the highest priority locations to ensure 100% guaranteed power supply

[izzy_mack]

My situation is a little different, I live where others would be bugging out TO. So I suppose my bug out preps would be more of a security issue. Keeping my stores of food and fuel from the hoards bugging out .

[Kiwififer]

I was speaking to my mate who lives in Aberfeldy yesterday about this.

He’s fine, he’s isolated and the town is hard to access with few roads and lots of shooting estates surrounding it. He has a log fire, the Birks which is a large stream next door and he has a back up generator for power. Loads of deer as well up there.

So he is fine unless it is the ultimate SHTF of a nuke hitting Faslane. Then even he would be screwed no matter how prepared he is.

[GillyBee]

Even if you live in one of my prreferred bug out locations you could need to evacuate for fire/explosion risk from a vehicle/flood etc. In some areas forest fire may a major evacuation risk.

[Mad Scientist]

About twenty years ago myself and several other people were unable to return to our homes due to flooding around the area. My home was ok but I couldn’t get to it. We stayed overnight in a community hall and I was able to get home the next day but lesson learned! Keep bug out gear in the car/ work or some other safe location in case you have to literally run out of the house with the clothes on your back or can’t get home.