American Red Cross Encourages Every Household to Develop A "Family Communication Plan"

American Red Cross
Saturday, 27 August 2005

As thousands of coastal residents in Hurricane Katrina's path begin evacuating, it is important for evacuees to have a plan in place to keep in touch with loved ones. One simple call or e-mail message will give those who care about you peace of mind about your well-being and safety. The need to create a family communication plan is critical, and now is the time to do so.

During the unprecedented hurricane season of last year, with four hurricanes in just six weeks, the American Red Cross received more than 300,000 phone calls — most were from people seeking loved ones. If you are in the path of a hurricane, reach out to those that care about you before it strikes and let them know what your plans are, where you expect to be going, when you are leaving and how they can stay in contact with you. By designating one person outside the affected area that you will stay in contact with, others can call this person to check on your well-being.

Due to widespread power and telecommunication outages, service may not be restored for several days. During this critical time, your family and friends may not be able to reach you. Your initiative to establish contact quickly with a designated person will save your loved ones from making multiple calls to reach you or you needing to make multiple calls to reach out to those that care about you. This one simple act can help to alleviate their anxiety. It also helps to reduce the overwhelming number of phone calls that can often overload the system following a disaster.

To assist families with staying connected following a disaster, the Red Cross recommends having a communication plan in place beforehand.

Evacuees maintaining contact with loved ones inside the affected area:

• Plan ahead for the possibility of becoming separated from your family and friends.


• Because local phone lines may be out of service or overloaded after a disaster, it's often easier to call out of the area.


• Designate an out-of-town contact that each family or household member can call or email should a disaster occur. Your selected contact should live far enough away that they would be unlikely to be directly affected by the same event. They should be aware that they are the chosen contact.


• All of your loved ones should have the phone number for the contact as well as each other's phone numbers and email addresses. Loved ones should agree to call the out-of-town contact to report their whereabouts and welfare. Consider having a laminated wallet-sized card made to carry with you at all times.


• Many people overwhelm telephone lines when emergencies happen. Your family and friends should know that if telephone lines are not working, they need to be patient and try again later or try email. Sometimes e-mails go through when calls cannot.


• Regular contact with your designated person will help to keep them informed of your well-being.


• As calls or e-mails are placed to the out-of-town contact from family members affected by the disaster, there will be peace of mind that comes from knowing that everyone is safe.

Evacuees maintaining contact with loved ones outside the affected area:

• Make an emergency contact list.


• Write contact information including name, home, work and cell phone numbers and e-mail address. Be sure to include the out-of-town contact on the card as well.


• Make a card and copy the card for each loved one to carry with them in the event of a disaster or other emergency when you will want to contact each other.


• Place a call to family and friends before a disaster strikes to let them know your plans and as soon as possible after disaster strikes to let them know your whereabouts and your well-being.

Preparing for a disaster, such as a hurricane, ahead of time can help alleviate the stress you may face during the storm, and ease the burden on your family and loved ones. For more information regarding how individuals and families can prepare for disasters, visit www.redcross.org.

All American Red Cross disaster assistance is free, made possible by voluntary donations of time and money from the American people. You can help the victims of this disaster and thousands of other disasters across the country each year by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, which enables the Red Cross to provide shelter, food, counseling and other assistance to those in need. Call 1-800-HELP NOW or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish). Contributions to the Disaster Relief Fund may be sent to your local American Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross, P. O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013. Internet users can make a secure online contribution by visiting www.redcross.org.

For more information, or to contact American Red Cross, see their website at: www.redcross.org