Writing a Family Emergency Plan:

A family disaster plan helps you to prepare for and respond to a disaster if one should occur. This proactive step will ready you and your family of an evacuation or to contact family members when communications are disabled.

For information about what to include in an emergency plan, visit:

• Are You Ready?
• Está listo? Español
• Ready.gov: Make a Family Communications Plan

Preparing a Kit:

It may be difficult to obtain supplies before, during or after an emergency, such as food, medicine or water, because stores or roads may be closed or supplies exhausted. A disaster supply kit helps to keep you comfortable and healthy.

For more information on how to build a preparedness kit, visit:

• American Red Cross: Your Family Disaster Supplies Kit
• Ready.gov: Build a Kit
• Food and Water in An Emergency

Financial Recovery after an Emergency:

Financial recovery, though often complex, may be eased if financial information and documentation, such as proof of identity, bank numbers and insurance documents are accessible. Steps should be taken before an emergency occurs to safe-guard vital information and records.

For information about financial recovery, visit: FEMA | Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Mental Health Recovery:

Stress, anxiety and other mental health issues can be triggered or intensified by a disaster or traumatic events. These issues can affect anyone from older Delawareans to children.

For information on mental health recovery, visit:

• Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health: Crisis Intervention
• CDC: Coping with a Disaster or Traumatic Event

Stay Informed:

One way to prepare for an emergency is to stay updated on the latest health issues affecting Delaware (DPH Services: Health Alerts). Please remember to visit the Delaware Emergency Management Agency website for other emergency advisories.

• Return to Preparedness for Your Needs home page

Please note: Some of the files available on this page are in Adobe PDF format which requires Adobe Acrobat Reader. A free copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader can be downloaded directly from Adobe . If you are using an assistive technology unable to read Adobe PDF, please either view the corresponding text only version (if available) or visit Adobe's Accessibility Tools page.