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Start with your local emergency-management guidance, then write and practice a household plan. A useful plan names the hazards at your home and regular destinations, assigns help for children, older adults, disabled people, pets and medical-device users, sets communication and meeting rules, identifies shelter and evacuation choices, protects against heat and power loss, and keeps several days of supplies ready. National guidance cannot identify your county’s routes, shelters, cooling centers or warning systems, so use current local instructions alongside this framework.
What an emergency plan needs to answer
Your household should be able to answer these questions without searching for information during a warning:
- Which hazards affect our home, workplace, school and usual travel routes?
- Where does each person go for a tornado, flood, hurricane, severe storm or extreme heat?
- When do we shelter, and when do we leave? Who makes sure everyone, including pets, can travel?
- How do we reconnect if phone service, internet access or electricity fails?
- Who needs medication, mobility assistance, language support, refrigeration or powered medical equipment?
- How will we receive warnings through more than one channel?
- Which supplies are needed for people, animals and medical or accessibility needs?
Write the answers on paper as well as storing them digitally. Phones can be lost, uncharged or out of service during a disaster.
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Map the hazards at each important location
Ask your city or county emergency-management office which hazards are most likely at your address. Check the same information for work, school, childcare, relatives’ homes and regular routes. Learn the county or parish used for weather warnings, evacuation zones, official shelter locations, flood-prone roads and cooling-center options. A tornado warning may be issued for a county or parish rather than a small neighborhood, so everyone should know the warning area that includes them.
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Record the local siren pattern, emergency-alert enrollment process, accessible alert options and the agency that issues evacuation orders. Recheck this information before hurricane, wildfire, flood, tornado and extreme-heat seasons because routes and facilities can change.
List people, animals and support needs
Write every household member’s name, age, emergency contact, allergies, medicines, medical conditions, mobility needs and preferred communication method. Include children, older adults, pregnant people, visitors who may need help and anyone who lives alone nearby. Heat can worsen health for children, pregnant people and people with heart or chronic conditions; ask a clinician whether a personal Heat Action Plan is appropriate.
For tornadoes, arrange a nearby helper who can assist if a household member cannot reach the shelter alone. Note wheelchair dimensions, transfer equipment, oxygen or other medical-device requirements, hearing or vision accommodations, and backup power needs. List pets and service animals separately, including species, carriers, leashes, food, medicines, vaccination records and a destination that accepts them.
2. Set communication and meeting arrangements
Choose contacts and meeting places
- Pick an out-of-area contact. Choose someone outside the likely disaster area who can relay messages between separated relatives. Write the person’s name, phone numbers and time zone on paper.
- Choose two meeting locations. Select one nearby place, such as a public building, and one outside the neighborhood in case roads are blocked. Verify accessibility and whether pets are allowed.
- Define check-in rules. Decide who contacts the out-of-area person, which channel to try first, and how often to retry. Text messages may work when voice calls are congested, but do not rely on a single service.
- Give everyone a printed card. Include household contacts, meeting locations, school or workplace numbers, medical information and the local emergency number. Store a copy in each vehicle and emergency kit.
FEMA provides a fillable family communication plan that can help organize these details. Include the whole household when completing it, and teach children how to identify their address, call for help and follow the meeting plan.
Use apps as an extra channel, not the only one
The FEMA app can deliver National Weather Service alerts for up to five selected U.S. locations, provide preparedness information and help locate a nearby shelter. Keep a battery-powered or hand-crank option as well, because cellular service, internet access and phone charging may fail.
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3. Decide where to shelter and when to evacuate
One room is not safest for every hazard. Use official instructions first and match the location to the threat, building and household needs.
| Hazard or situation | Preferred action | Important details |
|---|---|---|
| Tornado warning | Shelter immediately | Use a basement or an interior, windowless room on the lowest floor. Stay away from windows. People in mobile homes should identify a nearby sturdy building before severe weather. |
| Flooding | Move to higher ground when instructed; evacuate if ordered | Never walk or drive through floodwater, and never go around a road barrier. Moving water can sweep vehicles away. |
| Hurricane wind and flood hazards | Follow the evacuation order for your zone or shelter in place only when officials say it is safe | If sheltering, use the lowest level that will not be affected by floodwater. A flood-prone lowest floor is not a safe hurricane shelter. |
| Extreme heat or cooling failure | Go to air conditioning or an approved cooling location | Plan transportation, accessibility, medicines and a check-in for people at higher risk. Avoid strenuous outdoor activity during the hottest part of the day. |
| Severe storm or power outage | Use the safest sturdy indoor area and follow local warnings | Keep alerts, lighting, communications and medical-device power available while monitoring changing instructions. |
Pre-plan an evacuation route
Choose a destination, primary and alternate routes, transportation, fuel stops and a contact at the destination. Mark accessible restrooms and charging points if needed. Identify who can drive, who can assist a person with mobility limitations and how service animals or pets will travel. Keep paper maps because navigation apps may be unavailable. Leave when authorities direct you; delaying can put household members and rescuers at risk.
4. Build a heat-wave and power-outage plan
Arrange cooling before the heat arrives
Decide where each person will go if home air conditioning fails: a relative’s cooled home, a public cooling center, library or other location announced by local officials. Call 2-1-1, check state cooling-center listings or contact your local health or emergency-management department for current locations. Confirm hours, transportation, accessibility, pets and whether medical equipment can be used there.
Plan a check-in schedule for older adults, people with chronic illness, infants, pregnant people and neighbors who live alone. Drink fluids, wear lightweight clothing and avoid strenuous outdoor work during midday heat when possible. Never leave a child, older adult or animal in a parked vehicle.
Protect refrigerated medicines and powered devices
Ask a doctor or pharmacist how long each medicine can remain unrefrigerated and what to do during an outage. Keep a written medicine list and a reserve supply when legally and medically possible. For electronic medical devices, identify approved backup batteries, charging locations and the clinician or equipment provider to call. Do not improvise power connections that could damage equipment or create a fire risk.
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Recognize and treat heat illness
For heavy sweating, nausea or fainting, move the person to a cool place, give water if they are alert and able to drink, and put cool wet cloths on their body. If symptoms worsen, obtain medical help immediately. Signs of possible heat stroke include very high body temperature, hot dry skin, a rapid strong pulse, dizziness, confusion or unconsciousness. Call 9-1-1 or take the person to a hospital immediately when heat stroke is suspected.
Use safe backup power
Never operate a generator, grill, camp stove or other fuel-burning appliance indoors, in a garage or near doors and windows. FEMA guidance says fuel-burning generators should be outdoors and at least 20 feet from building openings to reduce carbon-monoxide exposure. Use working carbon-monoxide alarms and follow the equipment manufacturer’s instructions. Keep backup smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms in your outage supplies.
5. Assemble supplies for your actual household
FEMA advises keeping enough food, water and emergency supplies for several days. CDC tornado guidance specifies at least three days of household supplies. Build the kit around your people, pets, medical needs and likely hazards rather than buying a generic box and assuming it is complete.
| Category | Include | Planning notes |
|---|---|---|
| Water and food | Drinking water, ready-to-eat nonperishable food, manual can opener and infant or medically required foods | Store enough for at least three days, plus any additional amount your local officials recommend. Rotate items before expiration. |
| Medicine and first aid | Prescriptions, over-the-counter medicines, first-aid supplies, allergy information and copies of prescriptions | Keep a written medication schedule and instructions for refrigeration or special handling. |
| Lighting and information | Flashlights or lanterns, spare batteries, battery-powered radio and blankets | Test devices periodically; keep batteries in their original packaging or a protected container. |
| Charging and power | Power banks, car chargers, adapters and compatible cables | Confirm connector and voltage compatibility with each essential device and recharge banks after use. |
| Weather alerts | Battery-powered or hand-crank NOAA Weather Radio, ideally with USB ports | The National Weather Service recommends battery backup and a tone-alert feature that sounds automatically for watches or warnings. |
| Safety equipment | Fire extinguisher, masks or other locally recommended protective items, whistle and basic tools | Store where every adult can reach them, not buried under supplies. |
| Accessibility | Mobility aids, spare batteries, communication cards, hearing or vision supports and transfer equipment | Ask a clinician or local disability organization about backup options for essential devices. |
| Pets and service animals | Carrier, leash, two-week supply of food, water and medicines, bowls, waste bags and veterinary records | CDC’s two-week pet recommendation is separate from the three-day household minimum. |
Store and maintain the kit
- Keep a small go-bag in each vehicle and a larger household supply in a dry, accessible location.
- Label medicine, pet and medical-device supplies so someone else can find them quickly.
- Check expiration dates, battery charge, radio operation, smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms, and children’s clothing sizes at least twice a year.
- Replace anything consumed after a storm and update contacts after moves, new schools, new jobs, births, deaths or health changes.
- Keep cash, identification copies, insurance information and a paper map in a waterproof pouch.
CDC notes that the United States experiences about four hours of power loss per year on average. That population average does not predict the duration of an individual outage, so plan for the possibility that a local event lasts much longer.
6. Set up redundant alerts
Use at least two warning channels and make sure each household member can perceive and act on them. Options include:
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| Alert method | Strength | Limit to plan around |
|---|---|---|
| Wireless Emergency Alerts | Can reach compatible mobile phones without a separate subscription | Requires a working, charged phone and network coverage; settings and accessibility vary. |
| NOAA Weather Radio | CDC identifies it as the best way to receive National Weather Service warnings; a tone-alert model can sound automatically | Needs batteries or another power source and adequate reception at your location. |
| Local radio or television | Provides local instructions, shelter information and updates | Broadcasts and household power may be interrupted; keep battery power available. |
| FEMA app | Can provide National Weather Service alerts for up to five U.S. locations and shelter information | Depends on a charged device and data connectivity; it should supplement, not replace, other methods. |
FEMA’s 2025 National Preparedness Month materials highlight Wireless Emergency Alerts, the FEMA app and NOAA Weather Radio. Test alert volume, accessibility settings and backup batteries before severe weather is forecast.
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- Run a tornado drill. On a calm day, have everyone move to the lowest-floor interior shelter, bring the alert radio and practice protecting the head and neck.
- Rehearse an evacuation. Load pets, mobility equipment, medicines and communication cards. Drive the primary route and identify the alternate without relying on live navigation.
- Test a heat-outage day. Locate the cooling destination, transportation and backup charging method. Verify that refrigerated medicines and medical devices have an approved plan.
- Practice communications. Send a test text to the out-of-area contact, call from a landline or alternate phone if available, and confirm that children know the meeting places.
- Review after every drill or event. Fix blocked exits, dead batteries, missing supplies, inaccessible transportation or unclear responsibilities immediately.
Repeat the review before each major hazard season and whenever the household, health needs, pets, school, workplace or address changes.
What to do when severe weather is happening
Tornado watch versus warning
A watch means conditions are favorable and a tornado is possible. A warning means a tornado has been sighted or indicated by radar; take shelter immediately. Do not wait for a siren or visual confirmation. Bring the alert device, medicines and shoes if they are within reach, then move to the predetermined interior shelter.
Floodwater and hurricanes
Follow evacuation orders, move to higher ground when instructed and stay away from moving or standing floodwater. Do not walk through it: depth and current can be deceptive, and contamination or hidden hazards may be present. Never drive around a barricade. During a hurricane, a low floor exposed to flooding is not a safe shelter even if it is structurally strong; use the location officials identify for your zone and building.
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Move early to an air-conditioned location if your home cannot stay cool. Keep drinking water, check on vulnerable people and watch for heat-illness symptoms. Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible, follow medication-specific instructions and use only safe, outdoor backup power. Call 9-1-1 for suspected heat stroke.
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Quick pre-season checklist
- Local hazards, warning areas, evacuation zones and official contacts verified.
- Written household communication plan, out-of-area contact and two meeting places.
- Hazard-specific shelter locations and an accessible evacuation route.
- Cooling center, transportation and power-loss plan for heat.
- At least three days of household food, water and essentials; two weeks of pet food, water and medicines.
- Medicines, refrigerated products, medical devices and backup charging accounted for.
- NOAA Weather Radio with battery backup and tone alert, plus phone and local broadcast alerts.
- Pet carriers, leashes, records and destination arrangements ready.
- Generators and fuel-burning equipment stored for outdoor use only, at least 20 feet from building openings.
- Drills completed and supplies, contacts and equipment checked.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far in advance should I leave during an evacuation?
Leave when local officials issue an evacuation order or tell your zone to move. Your written route, transportation and destination plan is designed to prevent delays; do not wait for roads to become congested or conditions to deteriorate.
Can I use a basement as a shelter for every severe-weather event?
No. A basement or lowest-floor interior room is appropriate tornado guidance, but a basement or low floor may flood during a hurricane or flood event. Follow the location specified for the current hazard and your address.
What if someone in my household cannot receive an audible warning?
Add visual, vibrating or text-based alerts, assign a helper and practice the response. Confirm that the person can reach the shelter or transportation with the available mobility and communication equipment.
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Should a pet’s emergency supplies be counted in the household three-day kit?
Keep the household minimum and the pet plan distinct. CDC tornado guidance calls for a two-week supply of pet food, water and medicines, along with carriers, leashes and records.
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