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Have a communication plan as well so that family members know how to reach each other in times of crisis. There are a few ways to go about this and the method you choose will depend on your family's lifestyle. One approach that works in a lot situations is to designate a "check in" contact person. In emergency situations, each family member checks in with this person and verifies their location. This gets rid of the confusion of everyone trying to reach each other at once.

Having supplies gathered and ready to go in the form of a survival kit is smart thinking. Known as "bug out bags" or "go bags," a kit that is preassembled so you can just grab it and go in an emergency evacuation gives you one less thing to worry about. FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Association in the U.S. recommends keeping 3 days' worth of supplies in your kit. 

 

Don't wait to get started with your emergency planning efforts. Remember, taking it little by little is better than inaction. Even if you don't have all the supplies on hand for a "go bag" today, you can likely get a good start on your other planning and emergency preparation efforts.

Kylie Worthington is an advocate for disaster readiness and emergency preparation. She and her husband, Kent are passionate about sustainable, green living and love teaching their two sons about natural living and the outdoors. The Worthington family strives to keep their disaster preparedness kits well stocked and ready to go for emergency situations.