Emergency Preparedness Checklist: 7 Steps to Get Your Family Ready

Knowing what is happening is the first step toward making a safe decision. Visit your local government’s official website and look for its emergency alert or notification program, which should include a link to the community’s registration page. You may find it under emergency management, public safety, or resident services.

Follow verified local public safety accounts for additional updates. If you are already registered for alerts, review your address, phone number, email and communication preferences to make sure your information is current.

Keep another source of information available in case of a power or internet outage. A battery-powered or hand-crank weather radio can help you continue receiving official updates. 

Decide how family members will contact one another if you are separated or cannot return home. Your plan should include:

Contact information for everyone in the household

• An out-of-area contact who can help relay information
• A familiar meeting place near your home
• A second meeting place outside your neighborhood
• School, childcare, workplace and caregiver contact information
• Plans for picking up children or assisting relatives

Consider choosing a family safe word that children can use to confirm whether a trusted adult has permission to pick them up. Make sure everyone understands that the word should not be shared outside the household.

Keep printed copies of the plan in wallets, backpacks, and emergency kits. Children should also memorize at least one important phone number. 

Identify more than one way to leave your home, neighborhood, and community. Roads may be closed or congested during an evacuation, so do not rely on a single route.

Know where you could stay if you need to leave, such as with family, friends, or at a public shelter. Also identify the safest place inside your home for hazards that require sheltering, including tornadoes or severe storms.

Include routes from school, work and other places your family visits regularly. 

Your household should have supplies to last for several days. Keep essential items together in an easy-to-access location. A smaller go bag can hold the items you would need if you had to leave quickly.

Include:

• Water and nonperishable food
• Necessary medications and medical supplies
• Flashlights, batteries and phone chargers
• A battery-powered or hand-crank radio
• First-aid supplies
• Personal hygiene items
• Cash in small bills
• Masks, work gloves and basic tools
• Clothing and sturdy shoes
• Supplies for infants, older adults and pets

Review the full Ready.gov emergency supply checklist, and check your supplies regularly for expired food, medications or batteries. 

Collect copies of identification, insurance policies, medical information, prescriptions, financial account details, and important phone numbers. Include recent photos of household members and pets, which may help if someone becomes separated.

Store paper copies in a waterproof, portable container. Password-protected digital copies can provide another backup, but sensitive information should only be stored in a secure location. 

A general plan may not address everyone’s needs. Consider mobility limitations, medical equipment, dietary restrictions, language needs, transportation access and caregiving responsibilities.

Include food, water, medication, carriers and vaccination records for pets. If anyone relies on powered medical equipment, determine how it will operate during an extended outage. 

Walk through the plan with everyone in your household. Make sure each person knows where supplies are kept, how to receive emergency information, and what to do if family members cannot reach one another.

Review the plan when you move, change schools or jobs, welcome a new family member or experience another major life change. Even a few minutes of practice can uncover outdated information or missing supplies. 

Preparedness does not need to happen all at once. Start by enrolling in local emergency alerts, choosing a family meeting place, or adding several essential items to your kit.

Small actions taken now can help your family respond with greater clarity and confidence when an emergency happens. 

If your local agency uses CodeRED and you have questions about registering, updating your information or receiving emergency alerts, visit our CodeRED Resident FAQ.