How to Prepare Your Family for a Natural Disaster

A complete guide to creating emergency plans, building supply kits, and keeping your family safe during natural disasters.

1. Create a Family Emergency Plan. Start by identifying the disasters most likely in your area—hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, wildfires, or severe storms. Discuss these with your family so everyone understands what could happen. Choose two meeting places: one near your home and another outside your neighborhood in case you can't get home. Pick an out-of-state contact person everyone can call to check in, since local phone lines may be busy. Make sure every family member has this contact information memorized and written down. Decide on evacuation routes from your home and neighborhood, and practice driving them. Plan for your pets too—know which shelters accept animals or arrange a safe place for them to stay.
2. Build Your Emergency Supply Kit. Store enough supplies for at least three days, though a week is better. You'll need one gallon of water per person per day for drinking, cooking, and basic hygiene. Stock non-perishable food that doesn't need cooking—canned goods, dried fruits, nuts, granola bars, and baby food if needed. Include a manual can opener. Pack a battery-powered or hand-crank radio, flashlights, and extra batteries. Keep a first aid kit with bandages, antiseptic wipes, pain relievers, and any prescription medications your family needs. Add blankets, a change of clothes for each person, cash in small bills, copies of important documents in a waterproof container, cell phone chargers, matches in a waterproof container, and basic tools like a wrench to turn off utilities.
3. Prepare Important Documents. Gather copies of insurance policies, bank account information, identification cards, and medical records. Store them in a waterproof, portable container. Take photos or videos of your home and belongings for insurance purposes—walk through each room and open closets and drawers. Keep these images somewhere safe, like cloud storage. Make sure you have cash on hand since ATMs and credit card machines may not work during disasters. Consider getting a small fireproof safe for originals of the most critical documents.
4. Make Your Home Safer. Learn how to turn off your home's water, gas, and electricity in case lines are damaged. Keep the necessary tools near these shut-off points. Secure heavy furniture and appliances to walls so they won't fall during earthquakes. Install smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors, and check batteries twice a year. Trim trees and shrubs around your home that could fall on your house or block escape routes. Consider installing storm shutters if you live in hurricane-prone areas. Keep your car's gas tank at least half full during disaster season, and make sure you have emergency supplies in your vehicle too.
5. Practice and Stay Informed. Hold family practice drills twice a year—practice evacuating your home quickly and meeting at your designated spots. Time these drills and work on improving your response. Sign up for local emergency alerts through your city or county's notification system. Download emergency apps for your area and weather alerts for your phone. Stay connected with neighbors—communities that work together recover faster. Review and update your emergency plan annually, especially when family situations change like new babies, moves, or job changes.