Family emergency plan: contacts, priorities & checklist

Your first four decisions

Know who you are planning for. Include children, older adults, pets, medications, mobility needs, and powered medical devices.
List the systems that can stop. Electricity, municipal water or a well pump, heat, cooking, refrigeration, internet, and transportation all fail differently.
Cover three days first. Build a useful 72-hour reserve before stretching toward one or two weeks.
Choose a meeting and check-in plan. Everyone should know where to go, who to call, and how to reconnect if phones are unreliable.

Check off the steps you have covered.

At least one gallon of water per person, per day for three days; calculate your household reserve
Food that can be eaten safely without grid power
Two independent light sources and spare batteries
Medication list, first aid supplies, and copies of essential records
Weather radio, charging cables, and a backup way to charge phones
Safe backup heat or a cold-weather room plan
Written contacts, meeting places, and pet needs

Start with safe water storage. If a supply may be contaminated, read the water treatment safety limits before using it.

Ready to build beyond three days? Use the two-week emergency checklist, size refrigerator backup, and plan filtration for wildfire smoke if it is a local concern.

How much should we do at once?

Choose one weak point and improve it this week. A dependable light, three days of water, or a written contact plan is real progress.

Do we need expensive equipment?

No. Start with planning, water, safe light, and the supplies your household already uses. Larger backup systems come after the basics.

Is this a survival plan?

No. It is a household continuity plan for outages, water interruptions, severe weather, and other temporary disruptions.