How to Create a Personal Disaster Plan

A go bag gets you out the door. An emergency kit keeps you supplied. But a disaster plan is what keeps your family connected, coordinated, and safe when everything else falls apart.

Cell towers go down. Roads flood. Schools lock down. Family members are in different parts of town. Without a plan, you're making life-or-death decisions in a state of panic. With one, you already know exactly what to do.

FEMA's 2023 National Household Survey found that only 51% of U.S. adults believe they're prepared for a disaster — and the number who actually have a written plan is much lower.^[1]

Here's how to build yours.

Step 1: Build Your Communication Plan

This is the most critical piece. When disaster strikes, your first instinct will be to call your family. But local phone lines often jam while long-distance calls go through. That's why every disaster plan starts with communication.

Designate an Out-of-Area Contact

Choose one person who lives outside your region — a relative or close friend in another state. This person becomes your family's central point of contact. If local cell towers are jammed, everyone calls or texts the out-of-area contact to check in.^[2]

Set Up Your Contact Card

Every family member should carry a card (physical, not just on their phone) with:

FEMA provides a free, fillable Family Emergency Communication Plan card (FEMA P-1095) at ready.gov/plan-form. Print it, fill it out, and make copies for every family member.^[2]

Text First, Call Second

During emergencies, text messages often go through when calls can't. Texts require less bandwidth and can queue up until a signal is available. Make sure everyone in your family knows: text first, call second.

Register on Safe and Well

During a major disaster, register on the American Red Cross Safe and Well website so family and friends outside the area can confirm you're okay.^[3]

Step 2: Establish Meeting Places

You need at least two pre-arranged meeting locations:

1. Near your home — a specific spot everyone can get to quickly (a neighbor's front yard, the mailbox at the end of the street, etc.)
2. Outside your neighborhood — in case you can't return home (a library, school, church, community center, or a specific relative's house)

Everyone in the family should know both locations. Practice getting there. If your kids take a school bus, know the school's emergency procedures and pickup protocols.

Step 3: Know When to Evacuate vs. Shelter in Place

This is one of the most important decisions you'll face. FEMA's guidance is clear:^[4]

The critical rule: if an official government source orders an evacuation, go. Immediately. Don't wait to see if it gets worse.

Plan Your Evacuation Routes

• Learn your area's designated evacuation zones and routes through your state or county emergency management website
• Identify your destination: a friend or family member's home outside the area, or a pre-identified shelter
• Plot at least two alternate routes in case roads are blocked
• Practice driving your evacuation route at least twice a year
• Pre-identify pet-friendly hotels and shelters along your route
• Keep your vehicle's gas tank at least half full during storm season

Finding Shelters

• Red Cross shelter locator: redcross.org/find-an-open-shelter^[3]
• FEMA App: real-time shelter finder, weather alerts, preparedness info
• Dial 211 in most of the U.S. for local emergency resources and housing
• Red Cross shelters are free, accessible to people with disabilities, and welcome pets

Step 4: Prepare Your Documents

When you're evacuating, you can't dig through filing cabinets. Have these ready to grab in a waterproof container or pre-packed in your go bag:^[5]

Three-tier storage:

1. Originals in a waterproof, fire-resistant safe at home
2. Physical copies in your go bag in a waterproof ziplock
3. Digital copies in cloud storage with a strong password and multi-factor authentication

Step 5: Plan for Everyone

A disaster plan that only works for healthy adults isn't a plan — it's a rough idea. Think about everyone in your household.

Children

• Teach them how to dial 911 and how to reach the out-of-area contact
• Make sure they know both meeting places
• Use FEMA's kids-version communication plan card
• Pack comfort items (favorite toy, book, blanket)
• Know their school's emergency and pickup procedures
• Practice the plan — kids who've rehearsed feel confident instead of panicked

Elderly Family Members

• Keep at least 30 days of medications on hand^[6]
• Pack extra assistive items: cane, walker, extra eyeglasses, hearing aid batteries
• Plan for mobility limitations — can they reach the meeting places? Can they get to the car quickly?
• Ensure they have emergency contact information in large print

Pets

• Current vaccinations and collar with up-to-date ID tags (include cell phone number)^[7]
• Get pets microchipped
• Pre-identify pet-friendly shelters and hotels along your evacuation route
• Pack pet food, water, medications, carrier, leash, and comfort items
• All Red Cross shelters now welcome pets
• Friends or family are the best first option — familiar environments are less stressful for animals

Medical Needs

• Maintain an updated list of all medications, dosages, and prescribing doctors
• Keep at least 30 days' supply of prescriptions
• Pack copies of health insurance cards
• Include extra medical supplies: insulin, oxygen, nebulizer supplies, etc.
• Know the location of medical facilities along your evacuation route

Step 6: Practice and Update

A plan that lives in a drawer doesn't work. Here's how to keep it alive:

• Practice your full plan every 6 months — walk through communication, meeting places, evacuation route^[2]
• Update contact information whenever it changes
• Refresh documents annually
• Rotate emergency supplies every 6 months (food, water, medications, batteries)
• Debrief after real events — what worked? What didn't? Update accordingly

Your Plan at a Glance

Free Templates

Don't start from scratch. These official templates walk you through everything:

• FEMA Family Emergency Communication Plan: ready.gov/plan-form — fillable PDF card for every family member^[2]
• Red Cross Family Disaster Plan Template: redcross.org — comprehensive household plan^[3]
• Ready.gov Publications: ready.gov/publications — preparedness guides in multiple languages

The Bottom Line

A disaster plan isn't complicated. It's a piece of paper with names, numbers, meeting places, and a few clear decisions made in advance. It takes an hour to create, costs nothing, and could save your family's life. Download a template today, fill it out together, and practice it twice a year.

The people who survive disasters aren't the ones with the most stuff — they're the ones with a plan.

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