What will you do if the phone and internet lines go down? How will you keep in touch, arrange to meet up or keep up with news and weather alerts?
In most emergencies, it’s best to stay in your own home. Make your home your meeting place and have an alternative in case you can’t get there.
Talk to your family about how you will get in touch and where you will meet in an emergency.
Make sure you know your school or early childhood centre’s emergency plans. Give them names of three people who could pick the kids up if you can’t get there.
Have a solar- or battery-powered radio so you can keep up with the latest news and alerts. Know which radio stations to tune in to for information during an emergency.
Have an out-of-town contact that everyone knows about. Sometimes when local phone lines are down you can still reach people outside your area. Get everyone to check in with your out of town contact by text or online messaging in an emergency if you can.
Keep a written list of important phone numbers.
In an emergency, phone lines can become overloaded quickly. Keep them clear so emergency calls can be made and, if you can, use text or online messaging to keep in touch.