1
Inside the home
Where everyone goes for shelter in a tornado or high-wind storm: a small interior windowless room such as a closet or bathroom on the lowest floor.
Hour zero
How to make a family emergency plan
A family emergency plan answers three questions before you need them: how you reach each other, where you meet, and who does what for the kids, pets and anyone with medical needs. Write it on paper, give everyone a copy, and practise it once a year.
Start with a family meeting
Ready.gov's plan begins with a conversation. Sit down with everyone in the household and answer these five questions out loud.
- How will we receive emergency alerts and warnings?
- What is our shelter plan?
- What is our evacuation route?
- What is our household communication plan?
- Does our emergency kit need updating?
Then go through what your household needs day to day. Ready.gov lists ages, medical needs and equipment, disabilities and access needs, pets or service animals, diet, languages spoken, cultural and religious considerations, school-age children, and anyone you care for outside the home.
Our family emergency plan tool walks you through the same fields and prints a copy for the fridge.
Write down every number on paper
Phones die and contact lists live inside them. The Ready.gov communication plan starts by collecting numbers on paper.
| Who | What to write down |
|---|---|
| Everyone in the household | Mobile number, email, and relay service details for anyone Deaf, hard of hearing or with a speech disability |
| Out-of-town contact | Someone outside your community or state who can be the central point of contact |
| Schools, childcare, caregivers, workplaces | Main number and how each one sends alerts |
| Medical | Doctors, medical facilities, pharmacy, veterinarian |
| Services | Emergency services, utilities, insurance companies, service providers |
Categories from the Ready.gov Family Emergency Communication Plan.
Then put the numbers where people will find them:
- A paper copy in every wallet, backpack and purse.
- One copy posted somewhere central at home, such as the fridge.
- Every number saved in every phone, with at least one contact named ICE (In Case of Emergency).
- A group list on each phone of the people you would need to reach.
- Text before you call. A text uses far less bandwidth than a call, so it may get through when a call does not, and it can send on its own once the network has room.
Pick four meeting places
Ready.gov asks for a place at each distance. Each should be safe, familiar and reachable for everyone in the household, including anyone with a disability.
2
In the neighborhood
Where you meet after leaving for a fire: a big tree, the mailbox at the end of the driveway, a neighbor's house.
3
Outside the neighborhood
Where you meet if you can't get home: a library, community center, house of worship or a family friend's home.
4
Outside the town
Where you reunite if the area is evacuated while you are apart: usually a relative's or friend's home. Everyone should know the address and how to get there.
If you have pets or a service animal, choose places that accept animals. Many public shelters and hotels do not allow pets inside, so Ready.gov suggests finding a safe place for them in advance.
Kids at school or childcare
An emergency can start during school hours, while you are at work across town.
01Learn the school's plan
- Ask each school, childcare center and caregiver for their emergency plan and how they tell parents what is happening.
- Ready.gov notes buildings like schools have different safety plans depending on how they are built and the type of emergency.
- Sign everyone with a phone up for alerts from the school, the workplace and local government.
02Settle who picks up
- Name who could collect each child if you can't get there.
- Tell the children who that person is.
- Children without phones should know to follow instructions from a responsible adult, such as a teacher or principal.
03Give the kids what they need to carry
- A paper card with the household numbers and the out-of-town contact in the backpack.
- Make sure every child knows how and when to call 911: only for a life-threatening emergency.
Pets and medical needs
These are the two parts of a plan that are hardest to improvise.
Pets. If officials tell you to evacuate, Ready.gov says your pet should evacuate too. Arrange a buddy, such as a neighbor, friend or relative, who can care for or move your pets if you can't get home, and keep the microchip record current with an emergency contact outside your area.
Medication. The Red Cross suggests a 7-day supply of medications and medical items in the kit, and keeping a list of medications and dosages on a small card.
Power-dependent equipment. Ready.gov advises talking to your medical provider about a power outage plan for devices that run on electricity and medicines that need refrigeration. The Red Cross adds a support network of people who can help you stay home or leave during a long outage, with their numbers on paper.
Practise it
Ready.gov suggests regular household meetings to run through the plan. These drills come from its communication plan.
- Have each person text or call the out-of-town contact, and send one group text.
- Agree what a check-in text says. Ready.gov's example: "I'm OK. At library."
- Decide who sends the message telling everyone which meeting place to use.
- Walk to the indoor and neighborhood meeting places together.
- Talk through how each person would reach the other two places, including public transport and para-transit.
- Ask everyone to recite the key numbers from memory. It shows quickly why the paper card matters.
- Review and update the plan at least once a year, or whenever a number, school or job changes.
Questions people ask
What should a family emergency plan include?
Contact numbers on paper, an out-of-town contact, meeting places near and far, school and childcare pickup arrangements, plans for pets and medical needs, and how you get alerts.
What is an out‑of‑town contact?
Someone outside your community or state who everyone in the household checks in with. Long-distance calls can connect when local lines are jammed.
How many meeting places do we need?
Ready.gov's form has four: a shelter spot inside the home, one in the neighborhood, one outside the neighborhood, and one outside town.
Should we text or call in an emergency?
Text first. A text needs much less bandwidth than a call and may get through when a call won't.
How often should we practise the plan?
Ready.gov says to review, update and practise it at least once a year, and again whenever your information changes.
Is there a template?
Ready.gov publishes a fillable family communication plan, and our family emergency plan tool builds a printable one.
Read next
Sources
- Ready.gov: Make a Plan The five questions and household needs.
- Ready.gov: Create Your Family Emergency Communication Plan (PDF) Contacts, texting, out-of-town contact, four meeting places, school plans, ICE, practice ideas.
- Ready.gov: Plan for Locations School and workplace plans.
- Ready.gov: Pets and Animals Shelters, buddy system, microchip contact.
- Ready.gov: Power Outages Medical devices and refrigerated medicine.
- American Red Cross: Survival Kit Supplies 7-day medication supply.
- American Red Cross: Power Outage Safety Support network on paper.
- American Red Cross: Winter Storm Safety Medication list card.