Protect yourself and your family BEFORE a disaster occurs

Just imagine, its dark, you just woke up and your house is shaking from a storm, earthquake, or something else. And all you know is that something is really wrong…

This is the moment that you should be prepared for.

What is your area at risk for?

Try to contact a local Red Cross chapter or emergency management office. Ask what types of disasters are likely to affect your area. You should also request information on how to best prepare for each. Does your community have warning signals? What are they and what should you do when you hear them?

Are there existing emergency plans?

• Ask about the disaster plans at your school or other places where you spend time. Tell your parents to do the same at their workplaces.
• Does your community have an evacuation plan? Write a local official if you can’t find yours.

Make a Disaster kit

• Here is how to make a disaster kit
• Make sure your house has flashlights, accessible fire extinguishers, a first aid kit and smoke detectors.

What’s the plan?

• Determine where in your home your family should gather for each type of disaster.
• Discuss exactly what to do if everyone must evacuate your home. Identify several exits from each room. Pick a meeting place outside, like a nearby fire hydrant or a mailbox.
• Make special arrangements for elderly or disabled people.
• Animals are not allowed in emergency shelters. Protect your pets and make other arrangements!
• Protect your family’s important papers, documents, and keepsakes in water proof containers. Don’t risk losing insurance policies, birth certificates, banking and credit card information, medical records photos, and keepsakes!
• Educate your family about hazardous utilities (water, gas, electricity etc.).

Make an emergency call chain

• Get your neighbors involved. Make a call chain web of who calls who so everyone can look out for one another. Make it so that everyone is responsible for calling two people and have their numbers next to their names. Example:

You Call 2 people then they call 2 people, and so on...

George (#) Alex (#)

Shikha (#) Emily (#) Andrew(#) Nancy (#)

Aria (#) Kat (#) James(#) Lezlie(#) Marie (#) Samantha(#) Eva (#) Matt(#)

Make a sheet of this and make sure everyone in the call chain web has a copy.
Encourage your neighbors to come up with disaster plans as well.

Check out the Red Cross Disaster recommendations

Were you ever affected by a disaster? Tell us your story!