Develop and Practice Your Family Communication Plan

 In a dangerous situation, your first thoughts will be the safety of your family and friends. In case you are not together when authorities issue a flood watch or flood warning, practice how you will communicate with each other. Remember that sending texts is often faster than making a phone call.

Two helpful communication tools your family can include are:

Life360 Locator App: Family Locator by Life360 is the most accurate family locator on the market.
Family Locator simplifies life in the digital world by making it easy to stay connected to the people who matter most.

Emergency App by The Red Cross:  Help keep your family safe in severe weather,as well as man made/natural hazards, with Emergency by the American Red Cross. Monitor conditions in your area or area of loved ones, prepare your family and your home, check to see if loved ones are safe and let them know you’re safe. A must have for anyone who lives in areas prone to severe weather or have loved ones that do.

A few helpful tips regarding communicating with loved ones during an emergency are:

1. Keep important numbers written down in your wallet not just in your phone.

2. It is sometimes easier to reach people outside of your local area during an emergency, so choose an out-of-town contact for all family members to call or use social media.

3. Decide where the members of your household will meet after the 
flood.

4. Consider purchasing a two-way radio communication device for each adult in your household. In disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and 911, internet and cell communication towers were both down. Many lives were lost, including those of first responders, due to the inability to receive timely warnings and the innability to ask for outside help.

5.  If you have not done so already, you can visit www.ready.gov/make-a-plan for instructions on developing a Household Communication Plan.