Plant closing and notice period questions - any advice?

My employer announced that the site will close and gave us written notice. I would rather hear the honest version than the polite one. I do not know if I should start looking now or wait for severance news. Has anyone been through this?

Start your search early. I wish I had begun the day of the notice.

Write down key dates and keep copies of the notice. Mine helped when a question came up later.