Prepare Your Family Emergency Plan NOW

Here’s how to prepare your family emergency plan — you never know when you’ll need it!

Today I’m sharing critical information about emergency plans so you and your family are equipped BEFORE storms hit your area. Prepare Your Family Emergency Plan Now is a paid advertisement. Please scroll to the infographic on How to Prepare for National Disasters – from flooding to hurricanes to the best emergency kit on hand and more!

Emergencies aren’t something we spend a lot of time thinking about, but we need to be prepared when they happen. Here’s what to do to develop your family emergency plan and what supplies you should always have on hand.

You should always be prepared for an emergency, no matter what that may mean for your area. If you’re in the southeast, it could mean a hurricane, while people in the Midwest could be preparing for tornadoes. Regardless, make sure to stock your emergency kit.

NEXT READ: Must-Have Emergency Kit for Adventures

Your Family Emergency Plan Starts Here

• Food: Prepare at least six days’ worth of non-perishable food for each family member.
• Water: Each person will need one gallon of water per day. Store enough water for three days per person.
• A First Aid Kit: Have a fully stocked first aid kit and a supply of any necessary prescription medications your family members need.
• Cash: ATMs and credit card machines might be down during an emergency, so ensure you have enough money to last you until things return to normal.
• Communication Tools: Store radios, cell phone chargers, or anything else you might need to stay aware of the changing state of the emergency and decide how to proceed.
• Important Paperwork: Birth and marriage certificates, car titles, home deeds, and other relevant paperwork should all be part of your emergency kit. Keep it accessible if you need to evacuate your home, so you can grab it quickly and go.
• Pet Supplies: If you have pets, you need to include them in your emergency kit. Ensure you have enough food and water for them, along with leashes, kennels, and vaccination records if you need to evacuate.

To evacuate your home, you will need a smaller, less comprehensive kit. You still need food and water — perhaps in smaller amounts — and you should keep your supplies in your vehicle or somewhere nearby so they can be quickly loaded.

Related: 5 Smart Planning Tips For Your First Adventure

How to Prepare for Natural Disasters

Know Where to Go

For family members who might not be at home during an emergency, you need to start by setting up a meeting point. This is a familiar location for everyone to meet up in an emergency or an evacuation. During a crisis, communication might be tricky — the power can go out, phone lines can get cut off, and even cell phone circuits can become overloaded, making it difficult to stay in touch.

A rally point gives you somewhere to gather to ensure everyone is safe. Make sure it’s somewhere accessible that will not be closed down in the event of an emergency. Also, it would help if you tried to find multiple routes to your rally point in case one or more of your usual ways become blocked.

If you prepare your family emergency plan now, that’s one less stressor you’ll have during an actual storm. You can’t always avoid an emergency, but that doesn’t mean you have to face them unprepared. Take the time now to set up your emergency plan and supplies, so you’ll have everything you need to survive until things get back to normal. Prepare Your Family Emergency Plan NOW!