Preparing for the Worst

I was organizing my kids’ closets the other day when I got an alert on my phone that April 30—today—is America’s PrepareAthon Day. Spearheaded by FEMA, it encourages communities, families, and individuals to practice what needs to be done in the event of a disaster.

It occurred to me that while I painstakingly organize hand-me-down clothes in basement storage bins every season, I haven’t assembled much of a family emergency kit—or plan—since I (and every other New Yorker) put together a “go bag” in the days after 9/11. That was before having kids. Since then, I’ve had brief, one-off conversations with my older boys about what they should do if there was a fire in the house, and I’ve purchased a fireproof box for some important documents. But if we were suddenly housebound due to a natural disaster, or needed to skip town quickly, we’d be woefully ill-equipped.

If you’re anything like me, it would be worth an hour of your time today or some day soon to sit down with your partner and map out some simple preparedness strategies for your family. Sure, some of the measures recommended by the government may feel a little “fearful.” But think of it like locking your doors in a “safe” neighborhood, or holding your child’s hand near a road even if there are no cars coming. Part of good parenting is anticipating worst-case-scenarios. You may need a more detailed game-plan if you live in a region that’s at high-risk for a particular natural disaster, but these five tips from Ready.gov are a really helpful starting point for everyone.

1. Assemble an emergency supply kit to keep at home and make sure all family members know where it is. More info here…

2. Keep your car ready for an emergency. More info here…

3. Opt in to wireless emergency alerts (WEAs) messages on your phone (look in “settings”). Many people switch off Amber Alerts and inadvertently disable WEA’s, too. More info here…

4. Sit down with family members and make sure you have a plan of where to go and how to connect an emergency. Make sure kids have memorized your cell phone numbers, how to call 911 for help, and where to go if they are alone, can’t call or text anyone, and need help. More info here…

5. Tell family members to “text, not talk” in an emergency. Texts transmit faster and more easily than voice calls, and use less battery power.

For quick reference, print out the cheat sheet below. If you have any other great resources, or tips for talking to your children about how to prepare for the worst (without raising anxiety levels unnecessarily), please share here.