Five Steps to Get Ready for Disaster (Not Stuck in it)

From Popular Mechanics, August 2007, Glenn Derene
• Evacuation If it becomes necessary to leave your home, there may be little advance notice. Determine ahead of time what to bring, where to go and how to get there. Create a backup plan in case your primary route or destination becomes unworkable. Then, practice: Make sure everyone in the family knows the location of rendezvous sites. Keep at least a half-tank of gas in your car­, and keep weather-resistant clothing and sturdy shoes handy.
• Health When assembling a disaster kit (see foldout checklist), include both general medical items (bandages, antiseptic, etc.) and up-to-date supplies of prescription medications. Also, keep baby formula available and personal hygiene items such as sanitary napkins and toilet paper in waterproof containers.
• Documents Keep copies of important paperwork in three places: your grab-and-go bag, a safe-deposit box and with a friend or family member in a different location. Include identification cards, insurance documents, marriage certificates, property deeds, prescriptions and pictures of family members to show to first responders in case anyone gets lost.
• Communication Keep a card with an updated list of family contact info in your wallet at all times. (Don’t rely exclusively on a cellphone’s contact list; you may not be able to recharge the phone.) Make sure every family member carries the number of a point person at least 50 miles away in case local telecommunications fail. This creates a hub-and-spoke system: If family members can’t talk to each other, they can coordinate through the third party.
• Technology If you have tax records or other personal information stored on your computer, keep regular backups in an out-of-town location or archive to an Internet service such as box.net. Consider maintaining a landline and corded phone to supplement cordless, cellular or Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephones, which all rely on the electrical grid. (Telephone landlines carry their own current.) Keep a battery- or crank-powered NOAA radio on hand for weather information and news updates — these can become lifesavers if you lose access to television and Internet sources of information during a disaster.
Risk Assessment-Are you in a Danger Zone? Natural threats vary by region, but no area is immune from all disasters. Hazard maps available on FEMA's Web site break down the frequency of several types of disasters on a state and local level. Take such information into account in your planning. If you live in a flood or earthquake zone, insure your property accordingly.