If a storm impacts our area, your household might not all be in the same place when it hits. Creating a plan today ensures everyone knows exactly how to receive alerts, reach each other, and stay safe.
Step 1: Ask the 5 Big Questions
Sit down with your household, family, or friends and answer these essential starting questions:
How will we get emergency alerts? (e.g., signing up for local text updates or keeping a weather radio handy).
What is our shelter plan? (Where is the safest room in our house, or where will we go if we need to leave?)
What is our evacuation route? (Know your main routes out of the neighborhood and city).
What is our communication plan? (Who is our out-of-town emergency contact if local cell towers are overloaded?)
Does our emergency kit need an upgrade? (Reviewing supplies before the rush).
Step 2: Customize for Your Household’s Unique Needs
A one-size-fits-all plan doesn’t work. Tailor your emergency preparation to your family’s specific daily living responsibilities and needs. Be sure to account for:
Ages & Care: Specific needs for infants, children, or older adults in the home.
Medical & Dietary: Extra supplies of prescription medications, specialized equipment, or specific dietary foods.
Pets & Service Animals: Food, medicine, extra water, and a plan for pet-friendly sheltering.
Daily Locations: Coordinating plans around the places your family visits most frequently (work, school, commuting routes).
Step 3: Write It Down & Document It
Don’t let your plan live entirely in your head. When an emergency strikes, stress makes details hard to remember.
Keep a physical copy: Write down names, emergency phone numbers, medical information, and your designated meeting places.
Keep it accessible: Stick a copy on the fridge, place one in your vehicle, and save a digital backup to the cloud.
Step 4: Practice the Plan
A plan is only good if everyone knows how to use it. Spend just 15 minutes walking through it together. Practice finding the safest room in the house, review your meeting spots, and make sure everyone—including kids—knows how to text your designated emergency contact.
