emergency plan
Develop a personalized emergency plan tailored to your family's needs, ensuring everyone knows what to do in a crisis.
Create Your Emergency Plan
Planning ahead can save lives and reduce stress during a crisis. Follow these steps to create a plan that works for you and your family. Remember when reading below not to get overwhelmed by these lists.
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Assign Roles and Responsibilities
Emergency Alerts
Evacuation
Shelters
Communication Plan
Assign Roles and Responsibilities
Primary Contact: Who will coordinate during an emergency?
Backup Contact: Who takes over if the primary contact isn’t available?
Child/Dependent Care: Assign someone to look after vulnerable members of your family (children, people with disabilities or elders. Anyone who need a little extra help).
Pet Care: Assign someone to ensure pets are safe and contained.
Why It Matters
In the middle of an emergency, having clear responsibilities can reduce panic and ensure that essential tasks are completed. By assigning roles ahead of time, everyone knows what is expected of them, which helps things run smoothly.
Key Roles to Assign
Primary Contact Person
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This person is the leader during emergencies.
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They ensure everyone is accounted for, oversee the implementation of the plan, and communicate with authorities or emergency services.
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Example: A parent or the most responsible adult in the household.
Secondary/Backup Contact
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If the primary contact is unavailable or incapacitated, the backup steps in to take charge.
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This person should also know the entire plan and have access to emergency contact numbers and supplies.
Communication Coordinator
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Responsible for contacting family members, friends, and emergency services as needed.
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Ensures that everyone knows the agreed-upon meeting points and stays informed about the situation.
Evacuation Leader
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Responsible for leading the household out of the danger zone to a designated meeting place.
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Should be familiar with evacuation routes and have transportation ready.
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Example: A licensed driver in the family.
Child/Dependent Caregiver
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Focuses on keeping children, elderly family members, or individuals with special needs safe and calm.
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Ensures they have access to necessary medications, comfort items, and supplies.
Pet Caregiver
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Makes sure pets are safe, leashed, and have the supplies they need.
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This could include grabbing the pet’s emergency kit, which should include food, water, and a carrier.
Assigning Tasks
Pre-Planning
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Assign tasks when creating your plan. Write down who is responsible for each role and share the list with everyone.
Example:
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Parent or Guardian 1: Primary Contact and Evacuation Leader
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Parent or Guardian 2: Communication Coordinator
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Teenager: Pet Caregiver
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Older child: Assistant to the dependent caregiver (helping with siblings, elderly relatives).
Accountability
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Ensure each person understands their responsibilities and practices them during emergency drills.
What If You’re Alone?
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If you’re living alone or don’t have family nearby, assign these responsibilities to friends, neighbors, or a support network.
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Discuss your emergency plan with them, and exchange contact information.
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Example: A nearby friend could check on you, or a neighbor could help with evacuation.
Practice Makes Perfect
Regular Drills
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Practice the plan together at least twice a year to make sure everyone remembers their role.
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Simulate scenarios: What if the primary contact isn’t home? What if the evacuation route is blocked?
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Adjust roles as your family grows or changes.
Revisit and Update
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As family dynamics change, review and update the assigned roles. For example, if a teenager becomes a licensed driver, they could take on an evacuation role.
Emergency Alerts
When emergencies strike, public safety officials use timely and reliable systems to alert you. This page describes different warning alerts you can get and how to get them.
Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs)
Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs) are short emergency alerts authorities can send to any WEA-enabled mobile device in a locally targeted area. Alerting Authorities who are authorized to send WEAs include state, local, tribal, and territorial public safety officials, the National Weather Service, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the President of the United States.
WEAs look like text messages but are designed to get your attention with a unique sound and vibration repeated twice. WEAs are not affected by network congestion and will not disrupt texts, calls or in progress data sessions.
You are not charged for receiving WEAs, and there is no need to subscribe.
WEAs are sent through FEMA’s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System.
Children will also receive alerts on their WEA-enabled mobile devices. Parents and guardians, talk to your children about WEA Alerts and staying safe in an emergency.
If you are not receiving WEAs here are some tips to troubleshoot your mobile device:
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Check the settings on your mobile device and review your user manual (you may be able to find this online too).
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Older phones may not be WEA capable, and some cell phone models require you to enable WEAs.
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Some mobile service providers call these messages “Government Alerts,” or “Emergency Alert Messages.”
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Check with your wireless provider to see if they can resolve the issue.
All major phone providers and some smaller providers participate in WEA.
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) registry of WEA providers.
To provide comments or concerns about WEAs sent in your area contact local officials directly.
Emergency Alert System (EAS)
The Emergency Alert System (EAS) is a national public warning system that allows the president to address the nation within 10 minutes during a national emergency. Other authorized federal, state, local, tribal and territorial alerting authorities may also use the system to deliver important emergency information such as weather information, imminent threats, AMBER alerts and local incident information targeted to specific areas.
The EAS is sent through broadcast TV and radio, satellite digital audio services, direct broadcast satellite providers, cable television systems and wireless cable systems. The President has sole responsibility for determining when the national-level EAS will be activated. FEMA and the FCC are responsible for national-level tests and exercises. The EAS is also used when all other means of alerting the public are unavailable.
NOAA Weather Radio (NWR)
NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards (NWR) is a nationwide network of radio stations that broadcast continuous weather information from the nearest National Weather Service office based on your physical location.
NWR broadcasts official warnings, watches, forecasts and other hazard information 24 hours a day, seven days a week. NWR also broadcasts alerts of non-weather emergencies such as national security or public safety threats through the Emergency Alert System.
Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS)
The Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) is FEMA’s national system for local alerting. It gives federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial public safety agencies the ability to send WEAs, EAS alerts, weather and non-weather-related emergency messages simultaneously through NOAA weather radios, and alerts through systems like sirens and digital billboards.
IPAWS empowers local Alerting Authorities to send their own emergency alerts. FEMA does not review, edit or approve alerts. There are no costs to receive or send alerts sent through IPAWS. Alerting Authorities may incur minimal costs to purchase IPAWS compatible software. IPAWS alerts can be locally targeted to ensure only devices in the affected area receive the alert.
FEMA Mobile App
The FEMA App allows you to receive real-time weather and emergency alerts, send notifications to loved ones, locate emergency shelters in your area, get preparedness strategies and more.
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Receive real-time weather and emergency alerts from the National Weather Service for up to five locations nationwide.
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Find a nearby shelter if you need to evacuate to a safe space.
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Find out if your location is eligible for FEMA assistance, find Disaster Recovery Center locations, and get answers to your most pressing questions.
evacuation
Be in the know
We have all heard that knowledge is power. In an emergency, it can be lifesaving. This is why we are encouraging everyone to “Be in the Know” to evacuate safely.
know your risks
It’s important to understand your location’s risks because no two communities face the same extreme weather conditions. You can find your local risks with FEMA’s National Risk Index.
Know When and Where to Go
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Whether it's the home of a friend or family member or a pre-designated shelter, know your evacuation destination.
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Having these plans in place can save valuable time and, most importantly, lives.
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Many states have designated evacuation zones and predetermined evacuation routes. Learn your state and local plans by visiting your state and county emergency management websites.
Know What to Bring
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Build a go-bag with all the essentials you might need, so you don’t need to scramble in an evacuation situation. Find a list of supplies at Build A Kit.
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Make sure everyone in your household knows where the bag is stored, and who is responsible for it in the event of an emergency.
Know Your Information Sources
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Identify where you can access reliable information so you can make informed decisions before, during, and after a disaster. Keeping up to date with the latest developments can save lives.
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Sign up for alerts from your local emergency management agencies and the National Weather Service, which will provide updates on threat conditions, shelter locations, and other important safety information.
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Download the FEMA App where you can receive real-time weather alerts, locate emergency shelters in your area, prepare for common hazards, and more.
before you evacuate
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Learn the types of disasters that are likely in your community and the local emergency, evacuation and shelter plans for each specific disaster.
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Plan how you will leave and where you will go if you are advised to evacuate.
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Check with local officials about what shelter spaces are available for this year.
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Identify several places you could go in an emergency such as a friend’s home in another town or a motel. Choose destinations in different directions so that you have options during an emergency.
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If needed, identify a place to stay that will accept pets. Most public shelters allow only service animals.
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Be familiar with alternate routes and other means of transportation out of your area.
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Always follow the instructions of local officials and remember that your evacuation route may be on foot depending on the type of disaster.
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Visit FEMA’s National Risk Index, an interactive tool anyone can use to improve their understanding of natural hazard risk where they live so they can take action to protect themselves.
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Come up with a family/household plan to stay in touch in case you become separated; have a meeting place and update it depending on the circumstance.
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Assemble supplies that are ready for evacuation. Prepare a “go-bag” you can carry when you evacuate on foot or public transportation and supplies for traveling longer distances if you have a car.
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If you have a car:
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Keep a full tank of gas if an evacuation seems likely. Keep a half tank of gas in it at all times in case of an unexpected need to evacuate. Gas stations may be closed during emergencies and unable to pump gas during power outages. Plan to take one car per family to reduce congestion and delay.
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Make sure you have a portable emergency kit in the car.
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If you do not have a car, plan how you will leave if needed. Decide with family, friends or your local emergency management office to see what resources may be available.
During an Evacuation
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Download the FEMA app for a list of open shelters during an active disaster in your local area.
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Listen to a battery-powered radio and follow local evacuation instructions.
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Take your emergency supply kit.
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Leave early enough to avoid being trapped by severe weather.
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Take your pets with you but understand that only service animals may be allowed in public shelters. Plan how you will care for your pets in an emergency now.
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If time allows: Call or email the out-of-state contact in your family communications plan. Tell them where you are going.
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Secure your home by closing and locking doors and windows.
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Unplug electrical equipment such as radios, televisions and small appliances. Leave freezers and refrigerators plugged in unless there is a risk of flooding. If there is damage to your home and you are instructed to do so, shut off water, gas and electricity before leaving.
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Leave a note telling others when you left and where you are going.
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Wear sturdy shoes and clothing that provides some protection such as long pants, long-sleeved shirts and a hat.
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Check with neighbors who may need a ride.
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Follow recommended evacuation routes. Do not take shortcuts, they may be blocked.
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Be alert for road hazards such as washed-out roads or bridges and downed power lines. Do not drive into flooded areas.
After an Evacuation
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If you evacuated for the storm, check with local officials both where you’re staying and back home before you travel.
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If you are returning to disaster-affected areas, after significant events prepare for disruptions to daily activities and remember that returning home before storm debris is cleared is dangerous.
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Let friends and family know before you leave and when you arrive.
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Charge devices and consider getting back-up batteries in case power-outages continue.
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Fill up your gas tank and consider downloading a fuel app to check for outages along your route.
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Bring supplies such as water and non-perishable food for the car ride.
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Avoid downed power or utility lines, they may be live with deadly voltage. Stay away and report them immediately to your power or utility company.
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Only use generators outside and away from your home and NEVER run a generator inside a home or garage or connect it to your home's electrical system.
Shelter
Sheltering is appropriate when conditions require that you seek protection in your home, where you work or other location when other emergencies arise. The length of time you are required to take shelter may be short, such as during a tornado warning, or during a pandemic. In all cases, it is important that you stay informed and follow the instructions of local authorities.
During extended periods of sheltering you will need to manage water and food supplies to make sure you and your family have what you need to get by.
Choosing to take shelter is necessary in many emergencies. This can mean: Stay-At- Home, Going to a Mass Care Shelter, or Sheltering in Place. Here’s the distinction:
Mass Care Shelter
Mass care shelters provide life sustaining services to disaster survivors. Even though mass care shelters often provide water, food, medicine and basic sanitary facilities, you should plan to take your emergency supply kit with you so you will have the supplies you need. Mass care sheltering can involve living with many people in a confined space, which can be difficult and unpleasant.
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Be prepared to take cleaning items with you like, soap, hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes or general household cleaning supplies to disinfect surfaces.
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All shelters accept service animals, but many public shelters and hotels do not allow pets inside. Know a safe place where you can take your pets before disasters and emergencies happen.
Search for open shelters by texting SHELTER and your ZIP code to 43362. Example: Shelter 01234 (standard rates apply).
Learn more by visiting: http://www.disasterassistance.gov/.
Sheltering in Place
Whether you are at home, work or anywhere else you frequent regularly, there may be situations when it's best to stay where you are and avoid any uncertainty outside.
Here are some indicators and steps to take if the situation arises:
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Use common sense and available information to assess the situation and determine if there is immediate danger.
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If you see large amounts of debris in the air, or if local authorities say the air is badly contaminated you may want to take this kind of action.
Here are some tips for sheltering in place:
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Local authorities may not immediately be able to provide information on what is happening and what you should do.
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Pay attention to local media outlets for official news and instructions as they become available.
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Bring your family and pets inside.
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Lock doors, close windows, air vents and fireplace dampers.
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Turn off fans, air conditioning and forced air heating systems.
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Take your emergency supply kit unless you have reason to believe it has been contaminated.
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Go into an interior room with few windows if possible.
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Seal all windows, doors and air vents with thick plastic sheeting and duct tape. Consider measuring and cutting the sheeting in advance to save time.
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Cut the plastic sheeting several inches wider than the openings and label each sheet.
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Duct tape plastic at corners first and then tape down all edges.
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Be prepared to improvise and use what you have on hand to seal gaps so that you create a barrier between yourself and any contamination.
“Sealing a room” is considered a temporary protective measure to create a barrier between you and potentially contaminated air outside. This type of sheltering in place requires pre-planning, by purchasing plastic sheeting and duct tape that you would keep in your emergency supply kit.
Stay-at-Home
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Remain indoors as much as possible and try to only leave your home when necessary. You can still use outdoor spaces such as patios, porches and yards.
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Outdoor activities such as walking, jogging and exercise are fine if you practice social distancing.
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Essential services such as grocery shopping, the gas station, pharmacies and going to the Post Office are still fine to do.
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Limit visitors if possible. Try to use video chatting. Call the people you would normally text.
communication plan
You may not be together when disaster strikes, so it’s important to know how you’ll reconnect if separated.
Household Information
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Home Phone #
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Address
Family Members
Enter information for each member of your family.
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Name
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Mobile #
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Other # or social media
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E-mail
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Important medical or other information
Emergency Plans
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Enter information for schools, childcare, caregivers and workplaces.
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Name
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Address
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Emergency/Hotline #
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Website
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Emergency Plan/Pick-Up
Emergency Contacts
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Name
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Mobile
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Home #
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Email
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Address
Emergency Meeting Places
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Location
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Instructions
Medical Information
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Poison Control
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Doctor Name
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Doctor #
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Pediatrician Name
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Pediatrician #
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Allergy information and prescriptions
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Medical Insurance Name
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Medical Insurance Policy #
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Assistive device make(s), model(s), supplier(s), and serial number(s)
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Veterinarian Name
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Veterinarian #
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Additional Information