Chapter 23 · Prolonged collapse
23.13 Stay or leave the city?
Staying home is almost always the best option at first: you have your reserves, your space, and your neighbors. But in a prolonged collapse there comes a point when leaving is safer. The key is to decide before the gasoline runs out and before someone gets sick. The logistics of vehicle evacuation are in chapter 24.
| Signs to stay | Signs to leave |
|---|---|
| There is an estimated restoration date of days, not weeks. | The authorities order or recommend evacuation. |
| You have water, food, and medicine for longer than the estimate. | You have less than 7 days of water or of an essential medicine left and there is no resupply. |
| You can maintain a safe temperature (cool room, cooling centers nearby). | Dangerous heat or cold inside the apartment with no solution, especially with vulnerable people or with pets affected. |
| The building is safe and the sewer works or you have an emergency toilet. | Structural damage, sewage backing up, mold, standing water. |
| The complex is organized and help is nearby. | Someone depends on dialysis, oxygen, or another treatment that is no longer available. |
| The roads out are congested or dangerous. | You have a safe destination (family, hotel) and enough gasoline to get there. |
