How to make a family disaster plan

What's Your Family Disaster Plan? Here's how to make one.

Let's be honest, many of you never had a real disaster plan. StormTips.com has been advocating a comprehensive plan since the site's inception. We have teamed with Dr. Sherrie Raz, a doctor of clinical psychology and registered traumatologist for advice you must heed.

How to prepare your family:

Is your family prepared for a major storm? Probably not. Be smart and proactive. Sit down now and have a family meeting. Here are some topics you should be discussing.

Contact Lists. Each family member must have a means of contacting the other. Cell phones are great for contacting each other if you are in school or at work. Make sure you all know your cell phone numbers and are capable of dialing them in a time of emergency.

Find a "point of contact" for all family members before the storm approaches. This is advice we always advocated, but now everyone realizes the importance of it, so please do it.

• Make sure each person knows the name, address and phone numbers of a person outside your area that you will all get word to if you become separated.

• Make sure this person knows in advance that they are your contact and tell this person in advance the plan you and your family have implemented in case of emergency.

Decide now if you will shelter "in place" (stay in your home), or take off to another place where everyone will feel most secure.

If you do decide to leave, do so well in advance of the coming storm. Remember, this can be the most stressful time as one member of your family may want to leave when the other wants to stay.

Everyone has different stress levels and what may be fun to some, may be high-debilitating stress to others. It is important to be supportive and non-judgmental while making this decision. Some families decide to split up, as some members leave, while others decide to stay. There is nothing ridiculous about this decision; sometimes it alleviates the pressure around making this decision.

Now appoint a captain who is the person in charge of telling others what job they will need to do. This person is the decision maker! Even though you have a decision maker remember the family as a whole decides what activities they need to do in order to feel safe and secure.

All members have the same amount of clout when it comes to giving input about activities that give the feeling of security. The captain assigns the chores; make sure they chores fit the ability and level of the participants. In other words, don't have young children carry heavy metal hurricane shutters; However, children should be an active part of the preparation activity. This reduces stress and distracts from impending feelings of dread. Activity also gives children a sense of being on team that is working toward a family goal of protection and maintenance.

At this point you must make your job list for each individual in the family. Have someone print it out and keep it in a safe place with your storm supplies. This way when the storm comes there are no arguments as to who does what and when .You can get these lists from StormTips.com, the American Red Cross, or from the supermarket.

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What's Your Family Disaster Plan? Here's how to make one.