Getting Prepared is as Easy as 1-2-3

An American flag hangs on an overturned car after the tornado hit Joplin, Missouri, in a photo taken on May 24, 2011 (Photo by Bob Carey/American Red Cross)

This year’s many natural disasters—from tornadoes and floods to hurricanes and wildfires—are a reminder of how important it is to be prepared.

Getting prepared takes just three steps:

1. Get a Kit
At a minimum, have the basic supplies listed below. Keep supplies in an easy-to-carry container that you can use at home or take with you in case you must evacuate.

• Water—one gallon per person, per day (3-day supply for evacuation, 2-week supply for home)
• Food—non-perishable, easy-to-prepare items (3-day supply for evacuation, 2-week supply for home)
• Flashlight
• Battery-powered or hand-crank radio (NOAA Weather Radio, if possible)
• Extra batteries
• First aid kit
• Medications (7-day supply) and medical items
• Multipurpose tool
• Sanitation and personal hygiene items
• Copies of personal documents (medication list and pertinent medical information, proof of address, deed/lease to home, passports, birth certificates, insurance policies)
• Cell phone with chargers
• Family and emergency contact information
• Extra cash
• Emergency blanket
• Map(s) of the area

Pressed for time? Check out the ready-made disaster supply kits in the Red Cross store.

2. Make a Plan
Every family should create and practice an evacuation and communications plan. Each person should know how to reach other family members and where to meet if they can’t return home. You should also designate an out-of-area relative or friend as an emergency contact and make sure all household members know how to contact this person.

To make an evacuation plan, choose two meeting places: one right outside your home in case of a sudden emergency, such as a fire, and another outside your neighborhood in case you cannot return home or are asked to evacuate.

Decide where you would go and what route you would take if you had to evacuate. Make sure to also plan ahead for your pets. Keep a phone list of "pet friendly" motels/hotels and animal shelters that are along your evacuation routes.

3. Be Informed
Learning the skills you need to respond in an emergency before help arrives is another important key to being prepared. Make sure that at least one member of your household is trained in first aid and CPR and knows how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED).

Go to Redcross.org to learn more and register for a class.

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Ready your family communications plan before disaster calls!

We are often planting little reminders for you to get your supplies ready and know where your safe place is in case of an emergency. Communicating essential information about your plan to each other keeps you and your family safe. But have you planned how you will communicate when the disaster is upon you? Each situation will be different and you and your family may not all be in the same place when severe weather hits. You may also have family in other areas that you need to reach out to so they know you are safe.

As you Build a Kit and Make a Plan, be sure to include a Family Communication Plan as well. Each member of the family should have a list of emergency contacts and one out-of-area contact person should be designated since it may be easier to text or call long distance if local phone lines are overloaded or out of service. Everyone should have emergency contact information in writing or programmed into their cell phones. Also make sure that if you and your family get separated in an emergency situation that you have a set meeting place outside of the neighborhood. Each family member should know that is the place to go once it is safe to get there.

With the recent severe weather and more on the way, now is the time to get your Family Communication Plan set. It’s easy and only takes moments to make sure you and your family stay connected. Download the Emergency Contact Cards PDF to help get you started. You can fill in all the information you will need in case of a disaster and each folds up to wallet size so you can carry it anywhere.

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Ready your family communication plan before disaster calls!

We are often planting little reminders for you to get your supplies ready and know where your safe place is in case of an emergency. Communicating essential information about your plan to each other keeps you and your family safe. But have you planned how you will communicate when the disaster is upon you? Each situation will be different and you and your family may not all be in the same place when severe weather hits. You may also have family in other areas that you need to reach out to so they know you are safe.

As you Build a Kit and Make a Plan, be sure to include a Family Communication Plan as well. Each member of the family should have a list of emergency contacts and one out-of-area contact person should be designated since it may be easier to text or call long distance if local phone lines are overloaded or out of service. Everyone should have emergency contact information in writing or programmed into their cell phones. Also make sure that if you and your family get separated in an emergency situation that you have a set meeting place outside of the neighborhood. Each family member should know that is the place to go once it is safe to get there.

With the recent severe weather and more on the way, now is the time to get your Family Communication Plan set. It’s easy and only takes moments to make sure you and your family stay connected. Download the Emergency Contact Cards PDF to help get you started. You can fill in all the information you will need in case of a disaster and each folds up to wallet size so you can carry it anywhere.

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