The possibility of public health emergencies arising in the United States concerns many people in the wake of recent hurricanes, tsunamis, acts of terrorism, and the threat of pandemic influenza. Though some people feel it is impossible to be prepared for unexpected events, the truth is that taking preparedness actions helps people deal with disasters of all sorts much more effectively when they do occur.
To help, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Red Cross have teamed up to answer common questions and provide step by step guidance you can take now to protect you and your loved ones.
1. Get a Kit
Gather Emergency Supplies
If disaster strikes your community, you might not have access to food, water, or electricity for some time. By taking time now to prepare emergency water supplies, food supplies and disaster supplies kit, you can provide for your entire family.
Even though it is unlikely that an emergency would cut off your food supplies for two weeks, consider maintaining a supply that will last that long.
You may not need to go out and buy foods to prepare an emergency food supply. You can use the canned goods, dry mixes, and other staples on your cupboard shelves.
Having an ample supply of clean water is a top priority in an emergency. A normally active person needs to drink at least 2 quarts (a half gallon) of water each day. You will also need water for food preparation and hygiene. Store at least an additional half-gallon per person, per day for this.
Store at least a 3-day supply and consider storing a two-week supply of water for each member of your family. If you are unable to store this much, store as much as you can. You can reduce the amount of water your body needs by reducing activity and staying cool.
And don't forget to take your pets and service animals into account!
Disaster Supplies Kit:
A disaster supplies kit is a collection of basic items that could be needed in the event of a disaster.
Assemble the following items to create kits for use at home, the office, at school and/or in a vehicle:
Water - three gallons for each person who would use the kit and an additional four gallons per person or pet for use if you are confined to your home
Food - a three-day supply in the kit and at least an additional four-day supply per person or pet for use at home
You may want to consider stocking a two-week supply of food and water in your home.
Items for infants - including formula, diapers, bottles, pacifiers, powdered milk and medications not requiring refrigeration
Items for seniors, disabled persons or anyone with serious allergies - including special foods, denture items, extra eyeglasses, hearing aid batteries, prescription and non-prescription medications that are regularly used, inhalers and other essential equipment.
Kitchen accessories - a manual can opener; mess kits or disposable cups, plates and utensils; utility knife; sugar and salt; aluminum foil and plastic wrap; re-sealable plastic bags
A portable, battery-powered radio or television and extra, fresh batteries
Several flashlights and extra, fresh batteries
A first aid kit
One complete change of clothing and footwear for each person - including sturdy work shoes or boots, raingear and other items adjusted for the season, such as hats and gloves, thermal underwear, sunglasses, dust masks
Blankets or a sleeping bag for each person
Sanitation and hygiene items - shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, comb and brush, lip balm, sunscreen, contact lenses and supplies and any medications regularly used, toilet paper, towelettes, soap, hand sanitizer, liquid detergent, feminine supplies, plastic garbage bags (heavy-duty) and ties (for personal sanitation uses), medium-sized plastic bucket with tight lid, disinfectant, household chlorine bleach
Other essential items - paper, pencil, needles, thread, small A-B-C-type fire extinguisher, medicine dropper, whistle, emergency preparedness manual
Entertainment - including games and books, favorite dolls and stuffed animals for small children
A map of the area marked with places you could go and their telephone numbers
An extra set of keys and ids - including keys for cars and any properties owned and copies of driver's licenses, passports and work identification badges
Cash and coins and copies of credit cards
Copies of medical prescriptions
Matches in a waterproof container
A small tent, compass and shovel
Pack the items in easy-to-carry containers, label the containers clearly and store them where they would be easily accessible. Duffle bags, backpacks, and covered trash receptacles are good candidates for containers. In a disaster situation, you may need access to your disaster supplies kit quickly - whether you are sheltering at home or evacuating. Following a disaster, having the right supplies can help your household endure home confinement or evacuation.
Make sure the needs of everyone who would use the kit are covered, including infants, seniors and pets. It's good to involve whoever is going to use the kit, including children, in assembling it.
Benefits of Involving Children
Involving children is the first step in helping them know what to do in an emergency.
Children can help. Ask them to think of items that they would like to include in a disaster supplies kit, such as books or games or nonperishable food items, and to help the household remember to keep the kits updated. Children could make calendars and mark the dates for checking emergency supplies, rotating the emergency food and water or replacing it every six months and replacing batteries as necessary. Children can enjoy preparing plans and disaster kits for pets and other animals.
Disaster Supplies Kit Checklist for Pets
Food and water for at least three days for each pet, food and water bowls and a manual can opener
Depending on the pet, litter and litter box or newspapers, paper towels, plastic trash bags, grooming items, and household bleach
Medications and medical records stored in a waterproof container, a first aid kit and a pet first aid book
Sturdy leashes, harnesses and carriers to transport pets safely and to ensure that your pets cannot escape. A carrier should be large enough for the animal to stand comfortably, turn around, and lie down. Your pet may have to stay in the carrier for hours. Be sure to have a secure cage with no loose objects inside it to accommodate smaller pets. These may require blankets or towels for bedding and warmth and other special items
Pet toys and the pet's bed, if you can easily take it, to reduce stress
Current photos and descriptions of your pets to help others identify them in case you and your pets become separated, and to prove that they are yours
Information on feeding schedules, medical conditions, behavior problems and the name and telephone number of your veterinarian in case you have to board your pets or place them in foster care.
Additional Supplies for Sheltering-in-Place
In the unlikely event that chemical or radiological hazards cause officials to advise people in a specific area to "shelter-in-place" in a sealed room, households should have in the room they have selected for this purpose:
A roll of duct tape and scissors
Plastic sheeting pre-cut to fit shelter-in-place room openings
Ten square feet of floor space per person will provide sufficient air to prevent carbon dioxide buildup for up to five hours. Local officials are unlikely to recommend the public shelter in a sealed room for more than two-three hours because the effectiveness of such sheltering diminishes with time as the contaminated outside air gradually seeps into the shelter.
NOTE: Always keep a shut-off valve wrench near the gas and water shut-off valves in your home.
2. Make a Plan
Develop a Family Disaster Plan
Families can cope with disaster by preparing in advance and working together as a team. Create a family disaster plan including a communication plan, disaster supplies kit, and an evacuation plan. Knowing what to do is your best protection and your responsibility.
Contact your American Red Cross chapter or local emergency management office — be prepared to take notes.
Ask what types of disasters are most likely to happen. Request information on how to prepare for each.
Learn about your community’s warning signals: what they sound like and what you should do when you hear them.
Ask about animal care after disaster. Animals other than service animals may not be allowed inside emergency shelters.
Find out how to help elderly or disabled persons, if needed.
Next, find out about the disaster plans at your workplace, your children’s school or daycare center, and other places where your family spends time.
Create a disaster plan
Meet with your family and discuss why you need to prepare for disaster. Explain the dangers of fire, severe weather, and earthquakes to children. Plan to share responsibilities and work together as a team.
Discuss the types of disasters that are most likely to happen. Explain what to do in each case.
Pick two places to meet:
Right outside your home in case of a sudden emergency, like a fire.
Outside your neighborhood in case you can’t return home. Everyone must know the address and phone number.
Safe and Well Website
Following the 2005 hurricane season, the Red Cross developed the Safe and Well website, which enables people within a disaster area to let their friends and loved ones outside of the affected region know of their well-being. By logging onto the Red Cross public website, a person affected by disaster may post messages indicating that they are safe and well at a shelter, hotel, or at home, and that they will contact their friends and family as soon as possible. During large-scale disasters, there will be telephone-based assistance via the 1-866-GET-INFO hotline for people who live within the affected areas and do not have Internet access, but wish to register on the Safe and Well website.
People who are concerned about family members in an affected area may also access the Safe and Well website to view these messages. They will be required to enter either the name and telephone number, or the name and complete address, of the person about whom they wish to get information. Red Cross chapters will provide telephone-based assistance to local callers who do not have Internet access and wish to search the Safe and Wellwebsite for information about a loved one.
Be assured that the information on the Safe and Well website is secure and that information about the locations where people are staying is not published. Privacy laws require the Red Cross to protect each person's right to determine how best to communicate their contact information and whereabouts to family members. The Red Cross does not actively trace or attempt to locate individuals registered on the Safe and Well website.
Ask an out-of-state friend to be your “family contact”. After a disaster, it’s often easier to call long distance. Other family members should call this person and tell them where they are. Everyone must know your contact’s phone number.
Discuss what to do in an evacuation. Plan how to take care of your pets.
Families should develop different methods for communicating during emergency situations and share their plans beforehand with all those who would be worried about their welfare. Options for remaining in contact with family and friends if a disaster strikes include:
Phone contact with a designated family member or friend who is unlikely to be affected by the same disaster.
Email notification via a family distribution list.
Registration on the American Red Cross Safe and Well Website.
Use of the toll-free Contact Loved Ones voice messaging service (1-866-78-CONTACT).
Use of the US Postal Service change of address forms when it becomes necessary to leave home for an extended period of time, thus ensuring that mail will be redirected to a current address.
Complete this checklist
Post emergency telephone numbers by phones (fire, police, ambulance, etc.).
Teach children how and when to call 911 or your local Emergency Medical Services number for emergency help.
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.
Show each family member how and when to turn off the water, gas, and electricity at the main switches.
Check if you have adequate insurance coverage.
Teach each family member how to use the fire extinguisher, and show them where it’s kept.
Install smoke detectors on each level of your home, especially near bedrooms.
Conduct a home hazard hunt.
Stock emergency supplies and assemble a disaster supplies kit.
Take a Red Cross first aid and CPR class.
Practice your plan
Test your smoke detectors monthly, and change the batteries at least once a year.
Quiz your kids every six months so they remember what to do.
Conduct fire and emergency evacuation drills.
Replace stored water every three months and stored food every six months.
Test and recharge your fire extinguisher(s) according to manufacturer’s instructions.
3. Be Informed
Learn How to Shelter in Place
"Shelter-in-place" means to take immediate shelter where you are—at home, work, school, or in between. It may also mean "seal the room;" in other words, take steps to prevent outside air from coming in. This is because local authorities may instruct you to "shelter-in-place" if chemical or radiological contaminants are released into the environment. It is important to listen to TV or radio to understand whether the authorities wish you to merely remain indoors or to take additional steps to protect yourself and your family.
How do I prepare?
At home
Choose a room in advance for your shelter. The best room is one with as few windows and doors as possible. A large room, preferably with a water supply, is desirable—something like a master bedroom that is connected to a bathroom.
Contact your workplaces, your children's schools, nursing homes where you may have family and your local town or city officials to find out what their plans are for "shelter-in-place."
Find out when warning systems will be tested. When tested in your area, determine whether you can hear or see sirens and/or warning lights from your home.
Develop your own family emergency plan so that every family member knows what to do. Practice it regularly.
Assemble a disaster supplies kit that includes emergency water and food supplies.
At work
Help ensure that the emergency plan and checklist involves all employees. Volunteers or recruits should be assigned specific duties during an emergency. Alternates should be assigned to each duty.
The shelter kit should be checked on a regular basis. Duct tape and first aid supplies can sometimes disappear when all employees know where the shelter kit is stored. Batteries for the radio and flashlight should be replaced regularly.
In general
Learn CPR, first aid and the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED). (Contact your local American Red Cross chapter for more information.)
How will I know when I need to "shelter-in-place"?
Fire or police department warning procedures could include:
"All-Call" telephoning - an automated system for sending recorded messages, sometimes called "reverse 9-1-1".
Emergency Alert System (EAS) broadcasts on the radio or television.
Outdoor warning sirens or horns.
News media sources - radio, television and cable.
NOAA Weather Radio alerts.
Residential route alerting - messages announced to neighborhoods from vehicles equipped with public address systems.
Facilities that handle potentially dangerous materials, like nuclear power plants, are required to install sirens and other warning systems (flash warning lights) to cover a 10-mile area around the plant.
For more information, contact any of the following:
For checklists to help prepare to shelter-in-place in your home, at work, in your car, or at school or day-care, read How Do I Shelter-in-Place?
Your local American Red Cross chapter
Your state and local health departments
The Humane Society of the United States
Your local emergency management agency
CDC Public Response Hotline
English 1-888-246-2675
Spanish 1-888-246-2857
TTY 1-866-874-2646)
To help, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Red Cross have teamed up to answer common questions and provide step by step guidance you can take now to protect you and your loved ones.
1. Get a Kit
Gather Emergency Supplies
If disaster strikes your community, you might not have access to food, water, or electricity for some time. By taking time now to prepare emergency water supplies, food supplies and disaster supplies kit, you can provide for your entire family.
Even though it is unlikely that an emergency would cut off your food supplies for two weeks, consider maintaining a supply that will last that long.
You may not need to go out and buy foods to prepare an emergency food supply. You can use the canned goods, dry mixes, and other staples on your cupboard shelves.
Having an ample supply of clean water is a top priority in an emergency. A normally active person needs to drink at least 2 quarts (a half gallon) of water each day. You will also need water for food preparation and hygiene. Store at least an additional half-gallon per person, per day for this.
Store at least a 3-day supply and consider storing a two-week supply of water for each member of your family. If you are unable to store this much, store as much as you can. You can reduce the amount of water your body needs by reducing activity and staying cool.
And don't forget to take your pets and service animals into account!
Disaster Supplies Kit:
A disaster supplies kit is a collection of basic items that could be needed in the event of a disaster.
Assemble the following items to create kits for use at home, the office, at school and/or in a vehicle:
Water - three gallons for each person who would use the kit and an additional four gallons per person or pet for use if you are confined to your home
Food - a three-day supply in the kit and at least an additional four-day supply per person or pet for use at home
You may want to consider stocking a two-week supply of food and water in your home.
Items for infants - including formula, diapers, bottles, pacifiers, powdered milk and medications not requiring refrigeration
Items for seniors, disabled persons or anyone with serious allergies - including special foods, denture items, extra eyeglasses, hearing aid batteries, prescription and non-prescription medications that are regularly used, inhalers and other essential equipment.
Kitchen accessories - a manual can opener; mess kits or disposable cups, plates and utensils; utility knife; sugar and salt; aluminum foil and plastic wrap; re-sealable plastic bags
A portable, battery-powered radio or television and extra, fresh batteries
Several flashlights and extra, fresh batteries
A first aid kit
One complete change of clothing and footwear for each person - including sturdy work shoes or boots, raingear and other items adjusted for the season, such as hats and gloves, thermal underwear, sunglasses, dust masks
Blankets or a sleeping bag for each person
Sanitation and hygiene items - shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, comb and brush, lip balm, sunscreen, contact lenses and supplies and any medications regularly used, toilet paper, towelettes, soap, hand sanitizer, liquid detergent, feminine supplies, plastic garbage bags (heavy-duty) and ties (for personal sanitation uses), medium-sized plastic bucket with tight lid, disinfectant, household chlorine bleach
Other essential items - paper, pencil, needles, thread, small A-B-C-type fire extinguisher, medicine dropper, whistle, emergency preparedness manual
Entertainment - including games and books, favorite dolls and stuffed animals for small children
A map of the area marked with places you could go and their telephone numbers
An extra set of keys and ids - including keys for cars and any properties owned and copies of driver's licenses, passports and work identification badges
Cash and coins and copies of credit cards
Copies of medical prescriptions
Matches in a waterproof container
A small tent, compass and shovel
Pack the items in easy-to-carry containers, label the containers clearly and store them where they would be easily accessible. Duffle bags, backpacks, and covered trash receptacles are good candidates for containers. In a disaster situation, you may need access to your disaster supplies kit quickly - whether you are sheltering at home or evacuating. Following a disaster, having the right supplies can help your household endure home confinement or evacuation.
Make sure the needs of everyone who would use the kit are covered, including infants, seniors and pets. It's good to involve whoever is going to use the kit, including children, in assembling it.
Benefits of Involving Children
Involving children is the first step in helping them know what to do in an emergency.
Children can help. Ask them to think of items that they would like to include in a disaster supplies kit, such as books or games or nonperishable food items, and to help the household remember to keep the kits updated. Children could make calendars and mark the dates for checking emergency supplies, rotating the emergency food and water or replacing it every six months and replacing batteries as necessary. Children can enjoy preparing plans and disaster kits for pets and other animals.
Disaster Supplies Kit Checklist for Pets
Food and water for at least three days for each pet, food and water bowls and a manual can opener
Depending on the pet, litter and litter box or newspapers, paper towels, plastic trash bags, grooming items, and household bleach
Medications and medical records stored in a waterproof container, a first aid kit and a pet first aid book
Sturdy leashes, harnesses and carriers to transport pets safely and to ensure that your pets cannot escape. A carrier should be large enough for the animal to stand comfortably, turn around, and lie down. Your pet may have to stay in the carrier for hours. Be sure to have a secure cage with no loose objects inside it to accommodate smaller pets. These may require blankets or towels for bedding and warmth and other special items
Pet toys and the pet's bed, if you can easily take it, to reduce stress
Current photos and descriptions of your pets to help others identify them in case you and your pets become separated, and to prove that they are yours
Information on feeding schedules, medical conditions, behavior problems and the name and telephone number of your veterinarian in case you have to board your pets or place them in foster care.
Additional Supplies for Sheltering-in-Place
In the unlikely event that chemical or radiological hazards cause officials to advise people in a specific area to "shelter-in-place" in a sealed room, households should have in the room they have selected for this purpose:
A roll of duct tape and scissors
Plastic sheeting pre-cut to fit shelter-in-place room openings
Ten square feet of floor space per person will provide sufficient air to prevent carbon dioxide buildup for up to five hours. Local officials are unlikely to recommend the public shelter in a sealed room for more than two-three hours because the effectiveness of such sheltering diminishes with time as the contaminated outside air gradually seeps into the shelter.
NOTE: Always keep a shut-off valve wrench near the gas and water shut-off valves in your home.
2. Make a Plan
Develop a Family Disaster Plan
Families can cope with disaster by preparing in advance and working together as a team. Create a family disaster plan including a communication plan, disaster supplies kit, and an evacuation plan. Knowing what to do is your best protection and your responsibility.
Contact your American Red Cross chapter or local emergency management office — be prepared to take notes.
Ask what types of disasters are most likely to happen. Request information on how to prepare for each.
Learn about your community’s warning signals: what they sound like and what you should do when you hear them.
Ask about animal care after disaster. Animals other than service animals may not be allowed inside emergency shelters.
Find out how to help elderly or disabled persons, if needed.
Next, find out about the disaster plans at your workplace, your children’s school or daycare center, and other places where your family spends time.
Create a disaster plan
Meet with your family and discuss why you need to prepare for disaster. Explain the dangers of fire, severe weather, and earthquakes to children. Plan to share responsibilities and work together as a team.
Discuss the types of disasters that are most likely to happen. Explain what to do in each case.
Pick two places to meet:
Right outside your home in case of a sudden emergency, like a fire.
Outside your neighborhood in case you can’t return home. Everyone must know the address and phone number.
Safe and Well Website
Following the 2005 hurricane season, the Red Cross developed the Safe and Well website, which enables people within a disaster area to let their friends and loved ones outside of the affected region know of their well-being. By logging onto the Red Cross public website, a person affected by disaster may post messages indicating that they are safe and well at a shelter, hotel, or at home, and that they will contact their friends and family as soon as possible. During large-scale disasters, there will be telephone-based assistance via the 1-866-GET-INFO hotline for people who live within the affected areas and do not have Internet access, but wish to register on the Safe and Well website.
People who are concerned about family members in an affected area may also access the Safe and Well website to view these messages. They will be required to enter either the name and telephone number, or the name and complete address, of the person about whom they wish to get information. Red Cross chapters will provide telephone-based assistance to local callers who do not have Internet access and wish to search the Safe and Wellwebsite for information about a loved one.
Be assured that the information on the Safe and Well website is secure and that information about the locations where people are staying is not published. Privacy laws require the Red Cross to protect each person's right to determine how best to communicate their contact information and whereabouts to family members. The Red Cross does not actively trace or attempt to locate individuals registered on the Safe and Well website.
Ask an out-of-state friend to be your “family contact”. After a disaster, it’s often easier to call long distance. Other family members should call this person and tell them where they are. Everyone must know your contact’s phone number.
Discuss what to do in an evacuation. Plan how to take care of your pets.
Families should develop different methods for communicating during emergency situations and share their plans beforehand with all those who would be worried about their welfare. Options for remaining in contact with family and friends if a disaster strikes include:
Phone contact with a designated family member or friend who is unlikely to be affected by the same disaster.
Email notification via a family distribution list.
Registration on the American Red Cross Safe and Well Website.
Use of the toll-free Contact Loved Ones voice messaging service (1-866-78-CONTACT).
Use of the US Postal Service change of address forms when it becomes necessary to leave home for an extended period of time, thus ensuring that mail will be redirected to a current address.
Complete this checklist
Post emergency telephone numbers by phones (fire, police, ambulance, etc.).
Teach children how and when to call 911 or your local Emergency Medical Services number for emergency help.
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.
Show each family member how and when to turn off the water, gas, and electricity at the main switches.
Check if you have adequate insurance coverage.
Teach each family member how to use the fire extinguisher, and show them where it’s kept.
Install smoke detectors on each level of your home, especially near bedrooms.
Conduct a home hazard hunt.
Stock emergency supplies and assemble a disaster supplies kit.
Take a Red Cross first aid and CPR class.
Practice your plan
Test your smoke detectors monthly, and change the batteries at least once a year.
Quiz your kids every six months so they remember what to do.
Conduct fire and emergency evacuation drills.
Replace stored water every three months and stored food every six months.
Test and recharge your fire extinguisher(s) according to manufacturer’s instructions.
3. Be Informed
Learn How to Shelter in Place
"Shelter-in-place" means to take immediate shelter where you are—at home, work, school, or in between. It may also mean "seal the room;" in other words, take steps to prevent outside air from coming in. This is because local authorities may instruct you to "shelter-in-place" if chemical or radiological contaminants are released into the environment. It is important to listen to TV or radio to understand whether the authorities wish you to merely remain indoors or to take additional steps to protect yourself and your family.
How do I prepare?
At home
Choose a room in advance for your shelter. The best room is one with as few windows and doors as possible. A large room, preferably with a water supply, is desirable—something like a master bedroom that is connected to a bathroom.
Contact your workplaces, your children's schools, nursing homes where you may have family and your local town or city officials to find out what their plans are for "shelter-in-place."
Find out when warning systems will be tested. When tested in your area, determine whether you can hear or see sirens and/or warning lights from your home.
Develop your own family emergency plan so that every family member knows what to do. Practice it regularly.
Assemble a disaster supplies kit that includes emergency water and food supplies.
At work
Help ensure that the emergency plan and checklist involves all employees. Volunteers or recruits should be assigned specific duties during an emergency. Alternates should be assigned to each duty.
The shelter kit should be checked on a regular basis. Duct tape and first aid supplies can sometimes disappear when all employees know where the shelter kit is stored. Batteries for the radio and flashlight should be replaced regularly.
In general
Learn CPR, first aid and the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED). (Contact your local American Red Cross chapter for more information.)
How will I know when I need to "shelter-in-place"?
Fire or police department warning procedures could include:
"All-Call" telephoning - an automated system for sending recorded messages, sometimes called "reverse 9-1-1".
Emergency Alert System (EAS) broadcasts on the radio or television.
Outdoor warning sirens or horns.
News media sources - radio, television and cable.
NOAA Weather Radio alerts.
Residential route alerting - messages announced to neighborhoods from vehicles equipped with public address systems.
Facilities that handle potentially dangerous materials, like nuclear power plants, are required to install sirens and other warning systems (flash warning lights) to cover a 10-mile area around the plant.
For more information, contact any of the following:
For checklists to help prepare to shelter-in-place in your home, at work, in your car, or at school or day-care, read How Do I Shelter-in-Place?
Your local American Red Cross chapter
Your state and local health departments
The Humane Society of the United States
Your local emergency management agency
CDC Public Response Hotline
English 1-888-246-2675
Spanish 1-888-246-2857
TTY 1-866-874-2646)
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