• Decide where your household will reunite after a disaster. Identify two places to meet: one right outside your home and another outside your neighborhood, such as a library, community center, or place of worship.
• Identify all possible exit routes from your home and neighborhood.
• Designate an out-of-state friend or relative that household members can call if separated during a disaster. If New York City phone circuits are busy, long-distance calls may be easier to make. This out-of-state contact can help you communication with others.
• Account for everybody's needs, especially seniors, people with disabilities, and non-English speakers.
• Ensure that household members have a copy of your household disaster plan and emergency contact information to keep in their wallets and backpacks.
• Practice your plan with all household members.

When developing your family's disaster plan, you should assemble and make copies of vital contact information for each family member. Use Ready New York's Emergency Reference Card (in PDF) to capture this information.