The biggest problem for, and primary objective of, shelter operators is getting people OUT of the shelters. Therefore, shelters are none too inviting or comfortable by design.

"The biggest problem ... is getting people OUT of the shelters..."

Yes, a man I work with occasionally who works at the RC shelters here says the homeless are the first people in and the last people pried loose.

If you want comfort, stay with a friend.

Sue

Susan described the scenario. I'm at work when the big one hits and we lose a certain bridge and a number of overpasses. My truck in the parking lot clear from any vulnerable structures contains a couple kits which would be very beneficial.

It's only 25 miles with the bridge but it's 40 miles without it assuming the road is intact where it runs along the beach. After a large earthquake (Mag 8+) I would first wait for radio/TV news (we still get Mexican TV with rabbit ears) forget TV, that would require wall power, so after radio news I'll make a decision regarding staying, driving or walking home.

Meanwhile I'd probably drive to a friend's place and check up on them/check-in with them. That's about as close to a community shelter as I intend to get.

Just a different perspective - most of my sheltering experience follows house and apartment fires, and by definition if you're burned out of an apartment you aren't homeless, at least not initially. In the flood-related RC shelters I've worked at and managed, we sheltered a few homeless, folks who lived in the woods before a flood, but they were actually the first out of the shelter when the waters receded - going right back to their camps.

The one common denominator among shelter clients is they don't have any other options - no relatives, no friends to stay with. When the event is large enough, even those who might be prepared lose those options, and they end up in a shelter. That's basically why I work shelters - everyone deserves a warm, safe place to sleep, some food to eat, and some dignity in the whole transaction. The fire or flood that has displaced them can be a heavy blow, they don't need other complications weighing on them for a little while. So, make a plan, but things can and will go south on you sometimes.

Community shelters, particularly those run by the Red Cross, are not bad places. They are generally warm, dry, safe and well organized. They don't impose many rules beyond what is pretty much common courtesy and common sense.

They are not the dreaded 'FEMA reeducation camps' nor are they the Katrina Astrodome. The first being fantasy. The second a shelter in name only.

No, they won't allow weapons, drugs, disruptive behavior. They are usually short of amenities. But in my experience they usually operate largely on the honor system. Keeping the firearms and other disallowed items in the car, most shelter sites have good parking, is more than sufficient in complying with their rules.

Generally going to a shelter is free of pain and complications. They asked for your name and home address for administrative use, they don't make it a requirement, and are pretty much free to come and go as you please. Often they are set up in places like the high school gym. The ones I'm familiar with allowed free access to bathrooms and showers. Cots were laid out in rows. They had coffee, water, and Koolaid to drink and light snacks. The lights stayed on 24/7 but were dimmed after 2100. The gym was never completely dark or entirely silent. People were constantly making noise and moving around.

There were no provisions made to entertain or babysit children or to keep people occupied. Although people who played guitar and organized sing-alongs, and simple games for kids or who had portable TVs or a radio and had people gathered around were not discouraged as long as the activities remained controlled.

There were the occasional self-made Napoleon who tried to impose their version of order but generally they were tuned up by the shelter staff and reminded that no matter how much they want things to regimented they were not in charge of anything but their own family. If they resented this limitation they generally kept it to themselves. The shelter volunteers did a pretty good job of balancing the desires of individuals with the needs of the group.

My brother-in-law and mother-in-law, in separate communities, were affected by those fires, my BIL being briefly under an evacuation order. They were welcome to stay with us, only a little over 100 miles away, and under no direct threat from existing fires. There was plenty of motel/campground space in our community throughout the incident.

Half a million refugees (peak figure) is still only about 3% of the total SoCal population (very roughly 16 million).
I have no idea of what the capacity of the motels in the area might be, but most of those half million had friends and/or relatives, so perhaps this illustrates the value of relationships in survival situations, the subject of another current thread on this forum.

I have been in my residence for over twenty years, and I have been focused on earthquakes as the main threat during that time. However, on two separate occasions, I have had the car loaded up with the items on our priority list, ready to move as the hills behind our residence burned. With a full tank of gas, and reasonable self contained gear, the plan is to drive until the air quality improves and find a place to stay. Shelters are not appealing, and are fairly far down my list. That is not to say they aren't useful and I am sure they fill a definite need.

So getting back to my original question; In the event I end up in a shelter (regardless of why). The shelter ammenities will range from three hots and a cot indoors on the nice side, to a square of asphalt in a parking lot and whatever the food bank has on the low side.

I should bring something to sleep on (air matress, linens, earplugs, sleepmasks, and pharmacuticals).
Possible shelter (large tarp or cheap tent, rigging supplies)
Something to amuse myself with (books, games, anything not requiring batteries)
Any drugs (perscription and OTC) that I might need.

Anything else, or have I got it?

In the past the local Red Cross here has recommended that people bring their own flashlights and batteries, blankets, sleeping bags / pads, pillows, magazines, books, kids toys, games, food snacks, beverages, OTC / prescription meds, personal hygiene items etc.

Not that I would want to stay in any shelter, the car trunk already contains all these items and more...perhaps a new thread for "What do you store in your car trunk?" is worthwhile.

Try www.beprepared.com; on the left side of the page there is some great information & resources

My battery powered TV was the old analogue kind, and it doesn't work with the new channels and digital TV - and my old Icom R5 only receives the no-loner-extant analogue TV audio. Bums me out.

I've looked for battery-powered digital TVs, but they get horrible reviews on Amazon, so I'm still waiting for a useful one.

My wife and I are hams, and all the county sheriffs in our area have their own amateur repeaters, so we'll tune them in for local news as well as tuning in local radio stations.