Families can cope with disasters by preparing in advance and working together as a team. If something were to happen, how would you contact one another, how would you get to a safe place, and what would you do in different emergency situations? Planning what to do before a disaster strikes provides the best protection for you and your family.

Create a Family Communication Plan

Because you and your family may not be together when a disaster hits, it’s important to create a communication plan to help you and your loved ones connect and get help. Complete a contact card for each family member. Have them keep these cards handy in a wallet, purse, or backpack.

More Tips:

• Identify an out-of-town contact, such as a friend or relative, who family members can call to let them know they are safe. It may be easier to make a long-distance phone call than to call across town, because phone lines can be jammed. An out-of-town contact may be in a better position to communicate among separated family members.
• Teach your family members how to text. It may seem like second nature to some of us, but not everyone texts. During an emergency it’s often easier to get a text message delivered rather than a phone call.
• Subscribe to an emergency alert system. Check with your local health department or emergency management agency to see if there is one offered for your area. Post emergency telephone numbers by home phones or save them in your cell phone (fire, police, ambulance, etc.).
• Teach children how and when to call 911 for help.

Create a Family Disaster Plan

Planning for a disaster means knowing what to do in each possible situation. Whether you have to evacuate your home or you need to shelter in place, it’s important to have a plan ahead of time.

Before creating your disaster plan, it’s important to know what types of emergencies are likely in your area and the best way to respond. For example, if tornadoes are common in your area does your family know what the warning signs are and where to take shelter? Call your Local Red Cross chapter orEmergency Management Agency for more information.

Because different disasters may require you to go to different places, make sure you identify a meeting place in your neighborhood, a meeting place just outside your neighborhood, and a meeting place out of town. Review these plans with all members of your family and don’t forget to consider what you would do with your pets who may not be allowed in emergency shelters.

More Tips:

• Learn about your community’s warning signals. What do they sound like and what you should do when you hear them?
• Determine the best escape routes from your home. Find two ways out of each room.
• Find the safe spots in your home for each type of disaster. For example, during an earthquake you would want to practice “drop, cover, and hold on” under a sturdy desk or table. During a tornado, you would want to seek shelter in a lower level room without windows.
• Show each family member how and when to turn off the water, gas, and electricity at the main switches.
• Teach each family member how to use the fire extinguisher, and show them where it’s kept.
• Practice your plan by quizzing your kids periodically and conduct fire and other emergency drills.
• Check your emergency supplies throughout the year to replace batteries, food, and water as needed.

Additional Ways to Prepare

• Check if you have adequate insurance coverage to cover possible flooding or structural damage to your home and property.
• Install smoke detectors on each level of your home, especially near bedrooms. Test and recharge your fire extinguisher(s) and smoke detectors according to manufacturer’s instructions.
• Install at least one battery–powered or battery back-up carbon monoxide alarm in your home, preferably near bedrooms. Test the battery at least twice a year, when you change the time on your clocks.
• Take a Red Cross first aid and CPR class .

Source: Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, “Make a Plan” http://www.bt.cdc.gov website. Accessed December 2, 2015. http://www.bt.cdc.gov/preparedness/plan/

© Copyright 2016. All rights reserved. This content is strictly for informational purposes and although experts have prepared it, the reader should not substitute this information for professional insurance advice. If you have any questions, please consult your insurance professional before acting on any information presented. Read more.

WILDFIRE BASICS

Wildfires can occur anywhere and can destroy homes, businesses, infrastructure, natural resources, and agriculture. “How to Prepare for a Wildfire” explains how to protect yourself and your property, and details the steps to take now so that you can act quickly when you, your home, or your business is in danger.

WHAT

A wildfire is an unplanned, unwanted fire burning in a natural area, such as a forest, grassland, or prairie. As building development expands into these areas, homes and business may be situated in or near areas susceptible to wildfires. This is called the wildland urban interface. Wildfires can damage natural resources, destroy homes, and threaten the safety of the public and the firefighters who protect forests and communities.

WHEN 

Wildfires can occur at any time throughout the year, but the potential is always higher during periods with little or no rainfall, which make brush, grass, and trees dry and burn more easily. High winds can also contribute to spreading the fire. Your community may have a designated wildfire season when the risk is particularly high.

WHERE

Wildfires can occur anywhere in the country. They can start in remote wilderness areas, in national parks, or even in your backyard. Wildfires can start from natural causes, such as lightning, but most are caused by humans, either accidentally—from cigarettes, campfires, or outdoor burning—or intentionally.

IMPACT

Federal suppression costs typically range from $1 billion to nearly $2 billion each year.1 The destruction caused by wildfires depends on the size of the fire, the landscape, the amount of fuel—such as trees and structures—in the path of the fire, and the
direction and intensity of the wind.

• Wildfires can cause death or injury to people and animals.
• Structures may be damaged or destroyed.
• Transportation, gas, power, communications, and other services may be disrupted.
• Flying embers can set fire to buildings more than a mile away from
• the wildfire itself.
• Smoke can cause health issues for people, even for those far away from the fire.
• Extensive acreage can be burned, damaging watersheds and critical natural areas.
• Flash flooding and mudslides can result from fire damage to the surrounding
• landscape.
• Wildfires can affect the land for many years, including causing changes to the
• soil that increase the risk of future floods.

To read the complete PDF please click here.

Source: FEMA, “How To Prepare For A Wildfire.” www.fema.gov website. Accessed December 2, 2015. http://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/1409003859391-0e8ad1ed42c129f11fbc23d008d1ee85/how_to_prepare_wildfire_033014_508.pdf

© Copyright 2016. All rights reserved. This content is strictly for informational purposes and although experts have prepared it, the reader should not substitute this information for professional insurance advice. If you have any questions, please consult your insurance professional before acting on any information presented. Read more.

Prepare NOW

• Sign up for your community’s warning system. The Emergency Alert System (EAS) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radio also provide emergency alerts.
• Know your community’s evacuation plans and find several ways to leave the area. Drive the evacuation routes and find shelter locations. Have a plan for pets and livestock.
• Gather emergency supplies, including N95 respirator masks that filter out particles in the air you breathe. Keep in mind each person’s specific needs, including and updated asthma action plan and medication. Don’t forget the needs of pets.
• Designate a room that can be closed off from outside air. Close all doors and windows. Set up a portable air cleaner to keep indoor pollution levels low when smoky conditions exist.
• Keep important documents in a fireproof, safe place. Create password-protected digital copies.
• Use fire-resistant materials to build, renovate, or make repairs.
• Find an outdoor water source with a hose that can reach any area of your property.
• Create a fire-resistant zone that is free of leaves, debris, or flammable materials for at least 30 feet from your home.
• Review insurance coverage to make sure it is enough to replace your property.
• Pay attention to air quality alerts.

Survive DURING

• Evacuate immediately if authorities tell you to do so.
• If trapped, then call 911 and give your location, but be aware that emergency response could be delayed or impossible. Turn on lights to help rescuers find you.
• Listen to EAS, NOAA Weather Radio, or local alerting systems for current emergency information and instructions.
• Use an N95 masks to keep harmful particles out of the air you breathe.
• If you are not ordered to evacuate but smoky conditions exist, stay inside in a safe location or go to a community building where smoke levels are lower.

Be Safe AFTER

• Listen to authorities to find out when it is safe to return, and whether water is safe to drink.
• Avoid hot ash, charred trees, smoldering debris, and live embers. The ground may contain heat pockets that can burn you or spark another fire. Consider the danger to pets and livestock.
• Send text messages or use social media to reach out to family and friends. Phone systems are often busy following a disaster. Make calls only in emergencies.
• Wear a NIOSH certified-respirator dust mask and wet debris down to minimize breathing dust particles.
• Document property damage with photographs. Conduct an inventory and contact your insurance company for assistance.
• Wildfires dramatically change landscape and ground conditions, which can lead to increased risk of flooding due to heavy rains, flash flooding and mudflows. Flood risk remains significantly higher until vegetation is restored—up to 5 years after a wildfire. Consider purchasing flood insurance to protect the life you’ve built and to assure financial protection from future flooding.

Associated Content

• Wildfire Safety Social Media Toolkit (link)
• Wildfire Information Sheet (PDF)
• Cloud of Smoke (video)
• Fires and Your Health (link)
• Fires Current Conditions (link)
• When the fire starts (video)
• United States Fire Administration (link)
• Smokey Bear (link)
• United States Forest Service (link)
• American Red Cross (link)
• NFPA’s Firewise USA (link)
• Fire Adapted Community (link)
• How to Prepare for a Wildfire (PDF)
• Wildfire Playbook (PDF)
• Answers to Questions about Flood Insurance
• Understanding Mudflow and the NFIP