Family Disaster Plan

How to Create an Emergency Disaster Plan for Your Family

With tornadoes, flooding, wildfires, earthquakes, hurricanes and other disasters, almost every part of the United States was touched by natural disasters in 2013. If a disaster were to strike your neighborhood, would you be ready? Would your family know what to do?

It is important that every family has a disaster plan in place. Below are some simple steps you can take to ensure your family knows what to do if a disaster occurs where you live.
Identifying Potential Disasters.

A disaster is an occurrence such as a hurricane, tornado, storm, flood, earthquake, volcanic eruption, fire, explosion, building collapse, act of terrorism or other situation that causes human suffering or creates urgent needs victims cannot alleviate without assistance.

A key to preparing for disasters in your area is to identify the types of disasters that have or could occur in your region. The following checklist is provided to give you a starting point in identifying and planning for potential disasters.

Natural Disasters Human                                             Caused Disasters

__Flood                                                                          __Hazardous Material
__Hurricane                                                                    __Railroad Accident
__Tornado                                                                      __Highway and Trucking accidents
__Earthquake                                                                  __House and Building Fires
__Extreme Heat                                                               __Radiological Accident
__Wild Fire                                                                      __Nuclear Power Plant Emergency
__Thunder Storm/lightning                                                 __Terrorism

Developing a Family Disaster Plan

1. Gathering Information

Find out what types of disasters occur in your area. Learn your community’s warning signals and evacuation plans. This information can be gathered from the National Weather Service, the Office of Emergency Management and non-profit organizations like the American Red Cross and Salvation Army.

2. Create a Plan with Your Family

Discuss the information you’ve collected. Pick two places to meet: 1) a place outside your home for an emergency like a fire, and 2) a place outside your neighborhood, in case you cannot return home. Pick a friend or relative living outside your area as your “family check-in contact person,” in the event your family gets separated. Discuss plans for your family, if you must evacuate the area. Gather emergency numbers. Include numbers for the poison control center, law enforcement, the fire department and your church. Find out where to turn off your utilities.  Know how to safely exit your home.

A.Putting Together a Family Disaster Kit

When disaster strikes, there is usually little time to assemble the items you need. This is why you should put together a family disaster kit. Items you may need in your disaster kit will vary in different areas; however, you will want to include the following:
1.) A three-day supply of nonperishable food and water (one gallon per day per person)
2.) A change of clothing and footwear per person
3.) One blanket or sleeping bag per person
4.) A first-aid kit, including prescription medicines in original containers
5.) Emergency tools
6.) A battery-powered radio with extra batteries
7.) A flashlight with extra batteries
8.) An extra set of car keys
9.) A credit card or cash
10.) Special items needed for infants, the elderly or disabled members of your family
11.) A roll of duct tape
12.) Plastic sheeting
13.) Sanitation supplies
14.) Rubber gloves

B.Emergency Phone List

You need to create a Phone list that has the emergency numbers you may need in an emergency. Put one near each home phone and have the numbers on your cell phone.

Police ___________________
Fire ___________________
Poison Control ____________________
Church ____________________
Pastor’s Phone ____________________
American Red Cross ____________________
Doctor____________________
Other ____________________

C.Evacuation Checklist:

Create an evacuation Check list. If you should have to evacuate the list will help you be sure you secure your home and take what you need.

___Always follow instructions from emergency management officials.
___Collect survival kit, family members and pets as quickly as possible.
___Each person should pack one bag with clothing, toiletries, personal items and prescriptions (in original containers) for one week.
___Plan an evacuation route and destination.
___Notify your emergency contacts of your planned route and destination.
___Wear sturdy clothing and take additional clothing, depending on weather/season.
___Secure your home.
         o Unplug appliances.
         o Close and lock doors and windows.
         o If freezing conditions are expected during your absence,
               __turn off main water valve,
               __drain faucets,
               __turn off inside valves for external faucets and open outside faucets to drain.
         o Engage alarm system.
___Leave early enough to minimize congestion or delay.
___Stay on main routes that are regularly traveled. Shortcuts and back roads may become dangerous, flooded or blocked. Also, they are not patrolled as often, making your situation worse, if you have mechanical difficulty or some other emergency.
___Notify emergency contacts of your arrival at destination and points of contact there.
___Keep emergency contacts updated about your condition, location and contact information.
___Maintain radio watch to determine when it’s safe to return to your home.
___Upon returning home, inspect external doors and windows to determine if security is intact. Call police if you see suspicious damage or suspect intruders have entered your home.

3. Implement Your Plan

Post emergency telephone numbers by the phone. Install smoke alarms and fire extinguishers in your home, if you don’t already have them. Inspect your home for hazards that can be corrected. Have your family learn basic safety measures such as basic first aid, CPR, how to turn off the water, gas and electricity that runs to your house, and how to use a fire extinguisher. Teach your children how and when to call 911 or your local emergency services. Keep enough supplies in your home to survive at least three days. Assemble a disaster kit with items you may need, if you have to evacuate.