This entirely depends on the situation

Let's put together a list of the most likely top 10 disasters, and an evac/bug-in personal choice. Let's also assume WROL in these situations, unless otherwise mentioned.

Natural disaster chaos (post earthquake/storm/tsunami/blizzard/etc): unless flooding or forest fires are involved, I'm bugging in.
Oil/energy crisis: Bugging in.
Food shortages: Bugging in.
Economic/currency collapse: Bugging in.
Riots, political instability: Evacuating.
Solar flare / EMP attack: Bugging in.
Nuclear attack: Evacuating.
Disease outbreak - no WROL, just some panic: Bugging in.

I couldn't come up with 10, so please add situations as you see fit, and let's discuss reasons for your choices.

What RabbitTeeth said 🙂

BTW, I chose to bug-in during a SARS epidemic, many people got sick, I think about 30 died.. we were ok, had enough preps for a couple of weeks back then, just closed our door and rode it out.

Bugging in uless the building is on fire, or i am forced to go.

When TSHTF, depending on the crisis, the government may still be mobilized to provide aid. What do you do if/when they come a-knockin' in an emergency? Let's say they are offering evacuation services and relocation, will you take it, or take your chances?

It has been shown in recent events...(KATRINA)... that the "offering" of government relief may be a mandatory evacuation where you have NO CHOICE but to leave your home. How do you see addressing that issue? Do you have strategies in place? Have you thought about it? Considered it?

In a situation that has been deemed to be a bug in, there will be no lights in our house, no movement in the windows, and no one answering the knocks on the door. For all intents and purposes, we'll be keeping a low profile. Mandatory or not, they won't find us at all.

Same as RabbitTeeth.

I will evaluate the situation, and if staying is an option in my own oppinion knowing what I have/do not have, then for all intents and purposes, the lights are on but no body is home. Not hard to hide. That being said, anyone refusing mandatory evac. should be able to sign a waiver and decline all rights/expectations for rescue ect...no one should have to risk their necks to save someone who did not want to be saved at the get go.

Thanks for posting this RabbitTeeth because it has prompted me to think a bit harder and perhaps revise our plans if necessary. I wouldn't expect any emergency services to come knocking any time real soon after a major event/disaster as we live in a fairly isolated rural area with few other people within in a 50km radius. This may seem to have it's initial advantages, but also has it's drawbacks. If in a situation where food and fuel became scarce in towns, it wouldn't take long for people to go looking further afield for supplies. GIven that many farmers and rural residents are known to have good supplies of food, fuel, all terrain vehicles, and livestock, we could be sitting targets if we bug in. In our area we regularly have livestock go missing, sometimes slaughtered and butchered on the side of the road, or in paddocks, and vehicles/fuel stolen on a regular basis...indicative of the sorts that are travelling around any day.

We have a plan in place to go further inland and isolated if possible & we could not stay in the house, but I would be reluctant to leave. Fire would be our present #1 concern as we are surrounded by forest and bushland, regular earthquakes are #2 concern.

bug in. i have health issues that mean i can't walk for long and i couldn't carry a pack. i believe any evac would be on foot because everyone leaving would be in cars causing too much congestion for anyone to get out. i have enough food and water to get thru for a while. my basement windows are barred and while other windows are high up i have plywood to cover them. I have no desire to go somewhere the gvmt deems safe only to have less necessities for my family than i do at home

If you're given the choice - I'll consider that a fortunate case.
I think the much more interesting question is what will you do when the LEOs / evacuators knock on your door, and say "you've got 60 seconds to clear the area".
Assuming your personal choice at that point was to bug in... What will your reaction be?
Politely refuse?
Tell them to go to hell?
What if they start threatening you with various degrees of prosecution, starting with the suggestion to put you in handcuffs immediately if you don't cooperate?
Will you resist? Barricade in your home? Engage in a fire fight?

If we are truly aware, we would be advised of impending knocks at the door well in advance. If you decide to stay despite evacuation orders, then you would have plenty of time to hide within your home. Darken your house, maintain silence, and hide your presence. Many people will have already evacuated and the authorities are likely to consider you gone with the majority of others. Actually answering the door and creating a conflict with evacuation personnel will do nothing other than hinder them from helping those who have not prepared and/or have no place to go or a way to get there if they did.

The recent government preparations for hurricane Sandy on the east coast had authorities posting evacuation notices for low lying areas along the coast. Many evacuated, but some didn't. Those that didn't evacuate and became flooded posed a problem for emergency responders. Thankfully however the emergency responders didn't ignore the requests for help by those that should have evacuated. They moved in and rescued them.
I guess my point here is that while the majority of us have said we want to stay in place even if there is an official evacuation order, we also hope that if we ourselves need help it will be there for us. It's a tough personal choice, but I think if there were an official evacuation order I might just lock up and comply. That decision would of course depend on the reason for the evacuation. I think that other than rare war-time round ups, mass population movements have been to avoid disaster, not to facilitate it.
Tough call though.

In Ontario there can be no mandatory evacuation notices issued. However if an evacuation order is issued by tptb we try to make you believe that it is mandatory. They will try their best to make you leave your home but legally they cannot make you do it. If you do leave they can legally stop you returning to the area. That being said it does depend on the reason for the evacuation. For floods, for radioactive contamination following a nuclear disaster or for some forest fires why would anyone want to stay? In these cases you would eventually need to be rescued thus becoming part of the problem and putting extra burden on emergency services. If you are fully aware of the situation, weighed the choices carefully and decided to say please be polite to the emergency personnel that come to your doors they are most likely volunteers try to help out. This visit will likely be followed by a visit from the OPP (in Ontario anyway) who will be much more "verbally forceful". Again remain polite but firm and give them the information that they request. They will reluctantly let you remain in your home. If you threaten a peace officer, even verbally, you will be arrested and charged.

If we are truly aware, we would be advised of impending knocks at the door well in advance. If you decide to stay despite evacuation orders, then you would have plenty of time to hide within your home. Darken your house, maintain silence, and hide your presence. Many people will have already evacuated and the authorities are likely to consider you gone with the majority of others. Actually answering the door and creating a conflict with evacuation personnel will do nothing other than hinder them from helping those who have not prepared and/or have no place to go or a way to get there if they did.

what he said