Make a family emergency plan: Ready.gov's steps, meeting places, and practicing with Japan's 171

Disasters don't wait until everyone is home. Ready.gov, the U.S. government's preparedness site, puts it simply: "Your family may not be together if a disaster strikes, so it is important to know which types of disasters could affect your area." This guide follows Ready.gov's approach and adds what people living in or visiting Japan should know.

Start with five questions

Ready.gov suggests meeting with your household and answering:

• How will I receive emergency alerts and warnings?
• What is my shelter plan?
• What is my evacuation route?
• What is my family/household communication plan?
• Do I need to update my emergency preparedness kit?

Then assess your household's needs, write the plan down, and "Practice your plan with your household."

Communication: more than one channel

• Text first. Ready.gov notes that "Text messages require less bandwidth, which means they are able to be transmitted more reliably" when networks are busy.
• Write numbers down. "Make sure you store important phone numbers somewhere besides just your cell phone." A dead phone shouldn't mean a lost number.
• Pick an out-of-town contact. FEMA's family communication card has a space for one. Someone far away may be easier to reach than someone in the affected area.
• In Japan, add 171. Japan's Disaster Emergency Message Dial lets you record a voice message that family members can play back using your phone number. The Prime Minister's Office lists trial days when you can practice: the 1st and 15th of every month, January 1–3, Disaster Prevention and Volunteer Week (January 15–21), and Disaster Prevention Week (August 30–September 5). See "Japan's Disaster Emergency Message Dial 171 and web171."

Meeting places

Ready.gov says to "Establish a family meeting place that's familiar and easy to find." FEMA's card has spaces for meeting places at several distances, from inside the home to out of town. Tokyo's official disaster book has spaces for a temporary gathering place and a place to meet if you get separated. Tokyo also advises against moving around unnecessarily right after a quake; head to the meeting place once it's safe to travel.

Write it down and practice (our suggestions)

• Put a small card with numbers and meeting places in every wallet and school bag.
• Agree who picks up the kids and who checks on older relatives.
• In Japan, record and play back a 171 message together on a trial day.
• Review the plan once a year, or when someone changes school or job.

For what to pack, see "Emergency kit vs. Japanese go-bag." A Japanese version of this article is available: "家族の防災会議" (in Japanese).