Step 3. Make a Plan
Disasters can happen unexpectedly! Get together and figure out your plan ahead of time so everyone in your household knows what to do to stay safe and connected. Then, since you’re all together, go do something fun!
Your Impact
Action Steps & Tips
Introduction
What’s in a plan?
Before you create your plan, it is helpful to know what kind of disasters you could face in your region and how to sign up for alerts. So if you haven’t yet, complete the Learn about Risks & Resources action first! Then create your plan. The main parts of your plan will include:
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Signing everyone up to receive emergency alerts
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Learn when and how to shelter at home or evacuate and make a plan for each
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Create a communication plan for how to stay connected and updated during an emergency
The most important part of preparing your plan - do it together! This will help everyone in your household to be on the same page and be ready if a disaster happens.
How to do this action:
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Set up a time to meet with everyone in your household to make your plan together!
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Share what you learned in the Learn About Risks & Resources action:
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What Disasters apply to your area?
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Read through the overview section (intro & Step #1) in the Disaster Specific actions that apply to your area together to learn more about each disaster.
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How to sign up for emergency alerts. Get everyone to sign up.
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Make a Plan to Shelter in Place and a Plan to Evacuate including any specific steps from the Disaster Specific actions. Know when to shelter and when to evacuate.
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Create a communication plan to stay in touch during a disaster
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Practice your plan!
Then make sure to complete the Build Your Kit and Resilience for Homeowners or Renters actions to cover the basics of emergency preparedness.
Bonus: Share your plan with your neighbors and community. Working together ahead of time is a great way to practice for an unforeseen disaster. See the Be Prepared Together action!
1Step 1. Getting started - Plan & Learn Together!
The best way to make a plan is together! Getting everybody in your household on the same page is a huge step toward being disaster-prepared. Why plan together? Learning and planning together gives everyone, including children, a chance to have a say in the plan, which will help everyone feel prepared and that they have the tools to stay safe. What foods or games does each person want in the emergency kit? Which emergency contacts does everyone feel most comfortable with?
Talking about potential scenarios is super important, but it can also be scary, especially for children. The goal for these conversations is not to scare anyone, but rather, to prepare and practice so that everyone in the family is informed and ready if a disaster happens. Be prepared, not scared!
Action: Plan a family meeting. Set a time to talk with all of the members in your household to create your plan together. Make it fun! Meet over your favorite comfort food like pizza or ice cream, or plan to do a special activity together after you meet!
Action: Learn about local risks. In your family meeting, start off by talking about what kind of natural disasters you could experience. Share what you learned from the Local Risks & Resources action on what disasters apply to your area. Find the Disaster Specific Actions for each one and read through the introduction and Step #1 together. Are these events more likely to happen during certain times of the year? What exactly is likely to happen? If you have been through disasters before, what steps did you take then?
Action: Sign up for Emergency Alerts! Share what you learned in the Learn about Disasters & Resources action and have everyone with a cell phone sign up to receive Emergency Alerts. This is one of the most important steps you can take to be disaster-ready - and it's easy!
Next step: Create Your Plan! Read through and follow the steps below to create your emergency preparedness plan together. Take turns reading the steps and make it a group activity! Give everyone a responsibility in the plan and work together as a team so that everyone feels important and involved.
2Step 2: Make a plan to shelter
Some emergencies are best weathered in the safety of your home or other secure location like a shelter. There are a few types of shelter orders - from stay-at-home orders that allow for outdoor exercising and necessary trips (like what most of us experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic) to shelter-in-place orders where it may be dangerous to go outside, or orders to go to a specific shelter location. Below are the three main types of shelter-in-place scenarios and what to do in each. Follow your local emergency alerts to see which one applies to you and to look for additional instructions.
Action: Make your shelter plan.
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Read the information below and make sure everyone in your household understands what each type of stay at home order is and what to do.
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For shelter in place - decide which interior room to go to.
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Save the shelter information number to everyone’s phone (text SHELTER plus your ZIP code to 43362)
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Add in any Disaster-specific action shelter steps: read through your Disaster-specific action(s), Step #2 and add in any additional steps to your shelter plan.
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Make sure your Emergency Supply Kit has all the essential items so you are prepared to shelter!
Stay-at-home: In a stay-at-home scenario the most important step is to stay at home as much as possible and only leave when necessary. This could happen during a pandemic like we experienced with COVID-19, or another event where contact with others can spread or worsen the disaster.
What to do: Essential services like grocery stores, pharmacies, gas stations, and post offices are still open and ok to visit. It is ok to exercise outside if you practice social distancing and to use outdoor spaces at your home like a patio, deck, or yard. When you are outside, follow instructions regarding touching common surfaces (like door handles, store counters, etc.), wearing face masks, and other sanitation practices. Limit any visitors, and use video calls or phone calls to stay connected with family and friends. If needed, you can use some of your emergency supplies to limit the number of trips you need to take outside the house. Then get cozy at home and play your favorite games or binge watch your favorite shows!
Shelter in place: Sheltering in place means to stay inside wherever you are, which could be at home, work, or another location. This could happen if a disaster creates debris, contaminated air, severe weather, or another event that makes it unsafe to go outside. Sometimes local emergency authorities might not be able to provide information right away, so use common sense on when to shelter for safety, then listen to the TV, radio, or internet for official news and instructions as they become available.
What to do:
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Bring your family and pets inside to an interior room with as few windows as possible.
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Take your emergency supply kit with you to the interior room (unless you think your kit may have been contaminated.)
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Lock the doors and close all windows. If instructed to keep outside air out, close air vents and fireplace dampers; turn off fans, air conditioners and forced air heating systems.
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If there is serious air contamination and authorities instruct you to seal a room: seal all windows, doors and air vents with thick plastic sheeting and duct tape.
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Listen to the radio, TV, and internet for updates.
Community Shelters: Community shelters, also called Community Resource Centers or Temporary Evacuation Points, are temporary spaces set up to help those in need during and after a disaster. In some situations, even with the best of plans you may need some temporary help. If you’re unable to shelter at home, can’t get home, or it’s unsafe to do so, you may be asked to go to a community shelter.
What to do: If you are advised to go to a community shelter during a disaster, bring your emergency kit (if you are home or able to get it, if not go straight to the shelter)r. To find local shelters and instructions, listen to the TV, radio or internet. You can also text SHELTER plus your ZIP code to 43362, or search through the FEMA app at fema.gov/mobile-app. The Red Cross also lists shelters during a natural disaster here: Red Cross shelter list. Tip: save these links and save the text/numbers on your phone.
3Step 3. Make a plan for evacuation
You may need to evacuate because your home itself is at risk (like a fire, flood, or gas leak), or evacuate the area due to a natural disaster like a hurricane or severe storm in your area. Either way it’s important to plan your exit route and meeting options to help you be ready and stay safe!
Evacuating your home
If you need to evacuate your home, you may need to exit as quickly as possible. To be safe you need to create an escape plan and identify meeting locations.
What to do when evacuating your home:
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Find all members of the family and pets and follow your escape route, make sure to help pets and anyone who needs assistance.
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Grab your emergency supply kit - but ONLY if there is time to do so safely.
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Meet at your designated meeting spot.
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If any family members are not home, contact them as soon as possible to let them know the situation and where to meet.
Action: Make a plan for evacuating your home: As a family, discuss and draw out an escape plan from your home.
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Create a primary and a back-up evacuation route from every room. Use windows as a back-up option in case you can’t get through the door (if the door is blocked due to fire or other obstruction). Make sure everyone knows how to safely open and exit through the windows designated in your plan.
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If you live in a second-story or high-rise apartment, know where the emergency exits are, and always plan to use the stairs - DON’T take the elevator during an emergency.
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Choose a nearby primary and back-up meeting location near your house and in your neighborhood. For example, the front sidewalk, a big tree down the block or the next door neighbor’s driveway.
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Decide on a place for a short term stay. Decide on a few places you could go nearby if you need to be away from home for a few days, like a neighbor or friend’s house. Arrange with them to be able to stay a few days if needed.
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Plan for any special accommodations that might be needed for family members with special needs, such as mobility, or a shelter that will accept pets.
Evacuating the area
If you need to leave the area, having a meeting location and plan in advance will make evacuating much easier! This is especially helpful if you are not together when a disaster happens. What to do when evacuating the area:
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Gather all family members and pets. If you need to leave quickly, use your evacuation routes.
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Only if you have time:
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Grab your emergency kit
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Call any family members who aren’t at home and your out-of-town emergency contact (check out Step 5 below!) to inform them of the plan and meeting location.
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Close and lock doors and windows, unplug appliances (except refrigerators, unless there could be flooding)
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Leave a note in a prominent location listing when you left and where you went.
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If you have extra time - check on neighbors to make sure they’re evacuating.
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Use only one vehicle per household and carpool with neighbors when possible to reduce traffic and speed evacuation.
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Head to your pre-arranged evacuation spot that makes most sense based on the current conditions
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Watch for hazards along the way like downed power lines and flooded roads.
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Listen to the radio and check your phone for updates and alerts
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Follow recommended evacuation routes and alerts
Action: Make a plan for evacuating the area:
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Choose a primary and backup meeting location: out of the area, ideally in different directions so you have options depending on the emergency. Choose locations that everyone is familiar with and that are easy to get to! Also make a plan for where pets will go if they can’t accompany you. Most shelters don’t allow pets, but some do. Service animals are always welcome at shelters. Choose two locations - one local and one out of town:
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Local, in town, but outside your neighborhood: Examples could be a library, community center, faith community facility or family friend’s home.
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Outside of your town or city: If you need to evacuate your whole area, choose a location like the home of a relative or family friend. Make sure everyone knows the address of the meeting place.
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Know your evacuation route: Your local emergency agencies likely have specific evacuation routes planned for your area. Find these routes and become familiar with them. You can look them up by searching online for “evacuation zone” or “evacuation route” and your county name.
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Plan how to get to your meeting locations:
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Plan for back-up modes of transportation, in case your usual method isn’t available. Think about public transportation, a ride from a neighbor or ride service, and walking.
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Keep your car’s gas tank at least half full at all times, in case of an emergency. During times when evacuation is more likely (e.g. during wildfire or hurricane season), keep your gas tank full whenever possible.
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Make sure you print out or purchase local maps and store them in your emergency kit and car in case you don’t have internet access during the evacuation.
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Plan who will gather supplies: If you have time to gather your kit or supplies and personal belongings (for example, a hurricane that will hit land the next day), decide who will gather which supplies and items.
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Plan to carpool: plan to carpool together with everyone in your household and with neighbors if possible to reduce traffic congestion and speed evacuation.
Remember to add in any Disaster-specific action evacuation steps: read through your Disaster-specific action(s), Step #2 and add in any additional recommended steps to your evacuation plans.
4Step 4: Make a Family Communication Plan
Having a plan for how you will communicate during an emergency is an important part of making an emergency plan! What if something happens and you’re not together? Will you be able to reach each other? How will you know if everyone else is safe or let them know you’re ok? Communication networks such as mobile phones and computers could be unreliable during disasters and electricity could be disrupted. Planning in advance will ensure that all members of your household know how to reach each other and where to meet up in an emergency.
Action: Create your communication plan
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Collect emergency contacts and complete your communication plan form: Talk as a family about who your emergency contacts should be and in what scenarios you should contact them. Create a paper copy of contact information for your family members and other important people such as trusted friends or neighbors, workplaces, medical facilities, doctors, schools, utilities or other service providers. Include your emergency meeting locations from the Evacuation plan in the previous step. You can print and use this Family Emergency Communication Plan form from Ready.gov. A few notes on emergency contacts:
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Designate an out-of-town emergency contact who can communicate between all family members to help your household reconnect. In a disaster it may be easier to call long distance than across town if phone lines are jammed. Make sure this person knows they have been assigned this role and that they have the contact numbers for everyone in the household - and that everyone in the household has the out of town contact number saved to their phones!
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Know the emergency response plans and write down contact numbers for schools, workplaces, etc. Discuss school plans with children and make sure they know to follow instructions from teachers or the principal. Make sure children know who could pick them up in an emergency and make sure the school emergency list records are up to date on which adults are approved for pick up.
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Note: As a safety precaution, do not list last names or relationships on contact lists that will be carried by children.
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Post, Save & Share:
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Make copies of your Family Emergency Communication Plan and be sure everyone carries a copy in their backpack, purse or wallet.
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Post a copy in a central location in your home such as your refrigerator or family bulletin board and put a copy in your emergency kit.
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Enter household and emergency numbers as contacts into the mobile phones and devices of all household members.
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Store at least one emergency contact under the name “In Case of Emergency” to help someone identify your emergency contact if needed. Make sure your emergency contact is informed of any medical conditions or other requirements you may have.
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Create a group text list on all mobile phone and devices of people you would need to communicate with if there was an emergency
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Text is best! Texts may go through when phone calls will not. Make sure everyone including your out of town contact know how to text or alternate ways to communicate if they are unable to text.
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Communication tips! A few additional tips to review together:
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Make sure everyone knows how to text and use your group text.
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Discuss what information to send by text - short messages like “I’m OK. At Library” are good.
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Decide who will be the lead person to alert everyone about which designated meeting place to go to.
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If you are separated from your household members during an evacuation, contact everyone else in your household first, then contact your out-of-town emergency contact to let them know the situation and any needs you have, and keep in communication as much as possible. If you are separated from your children or other family members who need care during the disaster, contact their caregivers and their backup guardians (like a neighbor or friend) to watch or pick them up until you can get to their location.
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Make sure everyone, including children know how and when to call 911 for help. Only call 911 if there is a life-threatening emergency.
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To conserve cell phone battery, reduce the brightness of your screen, close browsers and apps or place in “airplane mode” when they are not needed for communication or emergency alerts.
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If phone lines are down, but the internet is available, use social media to connect with loved ones.
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5Step 5: Practice!
Practice may not make perfect, but it does make you more prepared! Twice a year (ideally in different seasons with different weather), sit down and review these plans with the whole household - and then practice them. Thinking about disasters can be stressful, so make it fun! Make it like a scavenger hunt or quiz. Give fun prizes or plan a fun activity together afterwards.
Action: Practice your plan & update as needed:
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Practice evacuating your home, sheltering in place, locating your emergency kit, and calling your out-of-area emergency contact.
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Tip: Give your out of town contact a heads up that you’ll be practicing and it isn’t a real emergency!
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The first time you practice, read through the Disaster-specific actions, steps #4 & #5: What to do during and What to do right after a Disaster, so everyone knows what to do and expect for your local disasters. Make sure to print out the one page summaries for each disaster and let everyone know where these are in your kit.
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Make sure everyone knows how to turn off utilities. Learn how to do this in the How to Turn Off Utilities action.
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Note: Since turning off your gas requires a professional utilities person to turn it back on don’t really turn your gas off, just make sure you know where the valve is and what to do.
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Update your plan and scenarios as needed - for example as kids get older and change schools or if you move, change work locations, etc. After you’ve practiced, talk about how it went - check if anybody has questions or thinks the plan needs adjustments to suit your households’ particular needs.
Each time you practice, you’ll get more confident and ready for whatever may happen!