Bring someone with you. If you have a seat, a spare water jug, or the ability to walk at someone else's pace, take a neighbor, an older adult, a child, or someone with a disability who can't leave alone. How to do it well →
Arriving in Payson (Gila County)
Payson is a town of about 16,351 people (2020 Census) at roughly 5,000 ft, about 89 miles from central Phoenix via SR-87.
- Check in with officials. Gila County Office of Emergency Management: 928-402-8789, ReadyGila.com. Sign up for ReadyGila Alerts (text, email, or phone).
- Find a shelter through the Red Cross open-shelter finder or by dialing 211 (Arizona 211 covers the whole state).
- Medical care: Banner Payson Medical Center, 807 S. Ponderosa St., open 24 hours, (928) 471-3222. It's a 25-bed critical access hospital, so serious cases may be flown or driven elsewhere. Call 911 for emergencies.
- Conserve supplies. Refill water first, then fuel if available. Expect lines and limits at stores and gas stations.
Arriving in Flagstaff (Coconino County)
Flagstaff is a city of about 76,831 people (2020 Census) at about 6,900 ft, roughly 144 miles from central Phoenix via I-17.
- Check in with officials. Coconino County Emergency Management (emergencymanagement@coconino.az.gov). Sign up for Coconino County alerts.
- Shelter: Red Cross shelter finder or dial 211.
- Medical care: Flagstaff Medical Center Emergency Department (Northern Arizona Healthcare), 1200 N. Beaver St., 928-773-2113. It's northern Arizona's Level I Trauma Center.
- Conserve supplies and expect stretched services, just as in Payson.
Cold, altitude, and fire: the high country is different
- Cold: Flagstaff regularly gets snow and below-freezing nights from fall through spring, and Payson is much cooler than Phoenix. Pack the warm layer from your bug-out bag list, plus a hat, gloves, and a blanket or sleeping bag. Watch for hypothermia in older adults and children. Check NWS Flagstaff forecasts.
- Altitude: CDC says the risk of acute mountain sickness generally begins for unacclimatized people sleeping at about 8,000 ft or higher (CDC Yellow Book). Payson and Flagstaff are below that, but coming from about 1,100 ft you may still feel short of breath, tired, or headachy at first. Drink water, take it easy the first day or two, and get medical help if symptoms worsen. People with heart or lung disease should talk to a clinician.
- Wildfire: both towns sit in fire-prone pine forest (Tonto and Coconino National Forests). Follow fire restrictions, never start open fires during bans, and keep alerts turned on. You may need to evacuate again.
Small towns fill up fast
Payson has one small hospital and about 16,000 residents. A wave of evacuees from a metro of millions can quickly overwhelm fuel, groceries, lodging, and medical care. Please still seek help if you need it. Shelters and hospitals are there for you. But if you are healthy, have fuel, and have somewhere safe to go, moving on frees up local resources for people who can't. Be a good guest: follow local instructions, don't camp where it's prohibited, and pack out your trash.
Where next? By scenario
There's no single right answer. These are principles plus real routes. Check AZ511 for road conditions and official instructions before you move. Distances are approximate driving miles from OpenStreetMap routing.
Onward routes
| From | Route | To | ≈ Miles |
|---|
| Payson | SR-260 east | Show Low / White Mountains | 90 |
| Payson | SR-260 east, then US-60 | Springerville | 136 |
| Payson | SR-87 north | Winslow (I-40) | 90 |
| Flagstaff | I-40 east | Holbrook / Gallup, NM / Albuquerque, NM | 90 / 185 / 323 |
| Flagstaff | I-40 west | Kingman | 148 |
| Flagstaff | US-89 north | Page | 134 |
| Flagstaff | I-17 south, then SR-169/SR-69 | Prescott | 95 |
Civil conflict or unrest
- Move away from population centers and flashpoints (government buildings, large protests, major interchanges) toward communities where you have family, friends, or faith/community ties.
- Smaller towns along SR-260 or US-89 are less likely to see large crowds, but they also have fewer services.
- Travel in daylight on main highways in groups when you can, and follow law enforcement instructions. See our unrest route-planning guide.
Pandemic or disease outbreak
- Follow public health orders from ADHS and your county. Travel may be restricted.
- Avoid crowding: staying with one household is often safer than a mass shelter. If you use a shelter, follow its health screening.
- The tradeoff: rural dispersal reduces exposure but puts you far from hospitals (Payson's is small). People at high risk may be safer staying close to care.
- Bring masks, a thermometer, medications, and hand hygiene supplies. See Ready.gov: Pandemic and ADHS.
Extended blackout or grid failure
- Arizona is part of the Western Interconnection, the grid that spans most of the western US. The Eastern Interconnection and Texas (ERCOT) are separate (EIA). A local failure may only affect one utility, so a town served by a different utility, or simply cooler weather, may be enough.
- Cooler, higher places (Flagstaff, the White Mountains) make life without AC far safer than the low desert in summer, but colder in winter.
- Fuel pumps need power. Fill up wherever stations are working, and don't count on the next town.
Economic collapse or supply disruption
- Go where you have family and community ties, housing, and a way to contribute. Relationships matter more than location.
- Look for places with reliable water, local agriculture, and lower costs. Many rural Arizona towns have strong mutual-aid traditions.
- See our Economic Disruption guide for building a buffer.
By ability level
Can travel far
You have a vehicle with fuel and are healthy.
- Keep moving to a planned destination (family, friends, or a booked room) rather than stopping in the first small town.
- Top off fuel and water whenever you can, and carry paper maps.
- Offer seats to people who can't drive.
Limited travel
Bikes, short daily distances, older adults, or a vehicle low on fuel.
- Move in short stages between towns with services. Plan water stops, since long stretches have none.
- Travel in cool hours and rest often. See wheels and other ways to move.
- Ask the county and 211 about transport help, and don't push past safe limits.
Should stay put and shelter
Medical needs, mobility limits, dialysis, oxygen, or frailty.
- Staying near your care team and pharmacy is often safest. Register with your utility's medical program and with 211.
- Make staying viable: a cool room, backup power for devices, 2 weeks of meds and water, and a neighbor check-in plan (see Community).
- Connect with local aid: county emergency management, Red Cross, faith groups, and mutual-aid networks.
New terrain, new wildlife: Payson and Flagstaff have black bears, elk on the roads, Arizona black rattlesnakes, plague-carrying fleas on prairie dogs, and deadly look-alike plants. See the Wildlife Field Guide.
Bring someone with you
Many of the people most at risk in an emergency can't leave on their own. If you can, bring one of them.
- Share supplies: plan water for every person (about 1 gallon per day, 2 in heat, per Ready.gov), plus their meds and a change of clothes.
- Set the pace to the slowest person. Take more breaks, more shade, and more water.
- Carry their medical list: conditions, medications and doses, allergies, doctor and pharmacy phone numbers, and an emergency contact.
- Mobility aids and chargers: walker, wheelchair, hearing-aid batteries, phone and device chargers.
- Tell someone where you're going and when you expect to arrive.
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