4 Steps to Make a Family Preparedness Plan
The last thing many of us want to think about are disasters that could impact our families—however, the best way to handle the unexpected is to have a clear and practiced plan.
In Onslow County, hurricanes are one of the most common natural disasters. Additionally, with a large population of military families in our community, creating a military emergency plan is a great way to provide peace of mind.
Every emergency comes with its own unique set of circumstances—but preparing your children for anything out of the ordinary will help keep everyone safe.
Step 1: Determine the most relevant disasters.
One of the best ways to create a plan is to gather information on common disasters or emergencies.
Ask yourself:
- What disasters or hazards are most likely in your community or in your home?
- How would you be warned by emergency services?
- How should you prepare?
Teach your children the warning systems in your community, whether that is listening for an emergency siren or following along on the radio. Once you have thought through what emergencies you might need to prepare for, you can start taking action.
In Onslow County, hurricanes are the most common natural disasters. Atlantic hurricane season is June 1 through November 30. Here’s how to make sure you and your family are prepared:
- Pay attention to local authorities to determine whether you need to evacuate or stay at home.
- Make a plan. If you are required to evacuate, turn off all your utitilies and consult the community disaster preparedness plan. Fill up your car’s gas tank and charge your cell phones.
- Secure your home. Bring any outdoor furniture, decorations, and garbage cans inside. Cover your windows with permanent storm shutters. If you don’t have storm shutters, board windows with plywood. To protect your roof, use straps or clips to fasten your roof to your house’s frame. Depending on how many trees and shrubs you have around your home, consider trimming them to be more wind-resistant.
- Prep your emergency kit. As you prepare for any potential natural disasters, create your go-kit. We’ve compiled a list of everything you’ll need below.
- Identify a shelter room. If a hurricane is nearing, move all appliances and household fixtures away from exterior doors and windows. Then, identify an enclosed shelter room—ideally, this will be on the first floor in a central part of the home with no windows.
To learn additional storm safety instructions, click here.
Step 2: What to include in your plan.
It’s important to talk calmly with your family about the importance of preparing for these disasters. You don’t want to instill fear or anxious thoughts into your children—but including them in the conversation will empower them and encourage them to feel confident and prepared if a situation arises.
We recommend starting by writing out a detailed document that includes:
- Local emergency phone numbers. Post emergency numbers in a central location in your home so your entire family can access them easily. Include numbers for the police, the hospital, the doctor’s office, fire department, poison control, school, work, child care, and any local relatives. Plus, include your address so if your child has to call, they can easily refer to the address and share it with emergency personnel.
- Emergency contact: Choose an out-of-state relative or a close family friend as your emergency contact. Add their name, phone number, and address to your emergency plan. This is your one point of contact for your entire family if something were to go wrong.
- Identify emergency meeting spots. Name three locations for your family as emergency meeting spots. One should ideally be close to your home, another one should be outside of your neighborhood, and for added peace of mind, choose an out-of-town location just in case you need to evaluate. Make sure you have shared these locations with your emergency contact.
- Create a plan for your pets. Make sure you have pet carriers and surplus food in case of an emergency—so you can bring them with you if you have to evaluate and ensure you know the location of emergency shelters that allow pets.
Step 3: Create a go-bag.
Once you’ve started writing down your emergency plan, create a go-bag. This is an easy-to-grab supply kit that can help you leave your home quickly, in the event of an evacuation.
Complete, print, and save the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Emergency Financial First Aid Kit. Then, make sure you have the following items in your go-bag:
- A copy of each family member’s driver’s license and passport
- A copy of each family member’s Social Security card
- A copy of each family member’s birth certificate
- A copy of all medical records and vaccinations
- Property titles for your car and home
- All your bank, credit card, and investment account numbers
- Health insurance and life insurance information
- Wills, living wills, and a power of attorney
- Latest tax return
- Marriage certificate
- Adoption and citizenship papers
- Military records
- Medications and eyeglass prescriptions
- Any important digital files backed up on a USB or external hard drive
FEMA also recommends that you include a substantial amount of supplies in your go-kit, just in case:
- At least three days of water for every member of the family
- Non-perishable food options—think nuts, canned goods, and granola bars
- Changes of clothing and shoes for each member of the family
- Sleeping bags or rolled blankets
- First-aid kit supplies
- Emergency supplies
- Battery-operated radio
- A flashlight with extra batteries
- Duct tape
- Plastic bags
- Water purification tablets
- Local maps
- A compass
- Aluminum foil
- Matches
- A can opener
- Basic tools such as pliers, a wrench, an ax, and a utility knife
- Personal care items such as toilet paper, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, feminine products, extra eyeglasses, and contact lens solution
- Money, including a few personal checks
Once you have a basic kit in place, you can continue to add over it in time.
Step 4: Practice with your family.
It’s important to discuss and practice all aspects of your plan with your family. You can use this time to help assign responsibilities to your children and ensure that everyone confidently knows what to do when an emergency arises.
Things you should practice with your children include:
- Evacuating your house in a fire and meeting at one of your local safe spaces
- Grabbing go-bags and meeting at the car for a quick evacuation if required
- Packing up your furry friends and getting them to the safe spot of your choosing asap
- Communicating within the family when something goes wrong
While it can be scary to talk to your family about these emergencies, it’s important to prepare them for the unexpected as best as you can. You don’t have to assemble your kit in a day, but you can take a small step toward embracing emergency preparedness by opening the dialogue with your children and putting together your kit.
Remember, the more prepared your family is for an emergency, the easier it will be to handle if you have to! Questions on family preparedness and safety? Follow us on social media for more tips and tricks!