Don't wait if you'll likely have to evacuate, even if the sun is still shining. Roads can become backed up, and getting enough fuel to haul a trailer could be a problem. | Photo: iStock

Bill Moyer, DVM, professor emeritus at Texas A&M University’s (TAMU) College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences and former member of TAMU’s Veterinary Emergency Team, said that each jurisdiction will have an Emergency Operation Center, but how evacuations take place, who’s involved, and where emergency shelters are located and how they operate vary from place to place.

Each jurisdiction has a mayor, county judge, or other official who orders evacuations during natural disasters. General information is available online (try searching something like “emergency operation center in ). If a disaster has already left you without Internet, try searching in your local Yellow Pages under “Government—Emergency Operation Center.” Further, some areas have active agricultural Extension services that can provide direction on managing animals during a disaster.

Additionally, Rebecca Gimenez, PhD, Technical Large Animal Emergency Rescue president and primary instructor, encouraged owners to seek out tip sheets from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other organizations on packing and evacuation