What belongs in a family emergency plan?
Add the basics of your home to the page: your full address, the nearest cross road, directions a stranger could follow, and the location of shutoffs for water, propane and electricity. Rural addresses are hard to find in the dark, so a responder on the phone will ask for these details before anything else, and a child or guest may need them read from the page.
A good plan answers a few plain questions. What could happen here? How will we hear about it? Where do we go? How do we reach each other? Who does what? Start with the hazards most likely to affect your area, such as storms, floods, wildfire, winter weather, power loss or a house fire, and write a short response for each.
Keep it short enough that everyone will read it. A single page on the refrigerator, with a copy in each vehicle and a photo on every phone, works better than a binder nobody opens.
- Likely hazards where you live
- How you get warnings
- Where you will go and how you will get there
- Who you will call
How will you stay in touch?
Phone lines and cell towers can be overloaded or down. Pick one contact outside your area whom everyone can call or text, since long-distance contact sometimes works when local calls fail. Write the number on a card for every family member, including children, and teach them to use it.
Do not rely on memory or on a phone's contact list alone. Phones run out of charge, break or get lost. Keep a paper list with phone numbers for family, neighbors, your veterinarian, your doctor and your utility.
Where will you meet?
Choose two meeting places. One should be right outside your home, such as a tree or mailbox, for a sudden emergency like a fire. The second should be outside your neighborhood in case you cannot return, such as a relative's home or a community building. Make sure all family members know the way and the address.
Walk or drive to the second place so that children and guests can find it. Decide in advance who collects whom from school or work, and who looks after any older or disabled relatives.
Who does what?
Give every person a job that suits their age: grabbing the go bag, leashing the dog, checking on a neighbor, shutting off a utility if you have been shown how and it is safe to do so. Clear roles prevent confusion when time is short.
Include a backup for each job, since the person assigned may not be home. Teenagers can take on real responsibilities, and younger children can learn their own name, address and how to call 911. Keep roles simple and review them as children grow.
- Assign one job per person with a backup
- Teach children their address and how to call for help
- Give older relatives a helper
What should you gather and keep ready?
Put together a go bag with essentials: medications, copies of important papers, phone chargers, glasses, cash, water, a change of clothes and basic first aid. Keep another smaller kit in your vehicle. Store copies of papers in a waterproof bag and keep a digital copy somewhere secure that you can reach from anywhere.
Think about special needs in your household, such as medical equipment, infants, mobility limits or food allergies, and plan for them specifically. Keep animal supplies in the same spot.
How do you practice the plan?
Practice twice a year, perhaps when you change clocks. Run a fire drill with a timer. Walk to the shelter spot. Sit down for ten minutes and ask what-if questions. Practicing shows gaps in the plan, such as a window that does not open or a route that floods.
Keep drills calm and short, especially for young children, and do not turn them into scares. After each practice, fix one thing and update the page.
Who can help you build it?
Take time to include neighbors in your thinking. Ask what they would need from you and what they could offer. A short conversation over the fence can settle who has a key, who checks on whom, and which road you would both use. Update the page whenever you move, buy new animals, or change phone numbers.
Your county emergency management office, local fire department and the Ready campaign all publish planning guides and sometimes offer free classes. Ask whether your county has a list for people who need extra help in an emergency, and whether it offers alerts by text.
Share the plan with a neighbor you trust. In a rural area, the closest help may be next door.
Key takeaways
- Keep the plan to one page and give everyone a copy.
- Name an out-of-area contact and choose two meeting places.
- Give each person a job with a backup, and teach children their address.
- Practice twice a year and fix one problem after every drill.
Sources and further reading
Last reviewed: November 12, 2026. Written by the Homestead & Small Farm Editorial Team. See our editorial policy.