A new First Onsite Property Restoration survey illustrates that gap. While 54% of Americans say they feel personally prepared to respond to a weather-related emergency, only 13% have a written emergency plan and just 38% have an emergency kit ready. And the risk isn’t necessarily remote: 30% of respondents said they had personally experienced a weather-related disaster at their home or workplace within the past five years.

For this month’s One Thing You Can Do, take 20 minutes to create—or update—your family’s emergency plan. It doesn’t have to be complicated. Start by answering a few important questions together:

• Where will we go? Identify a safe place in your home for severe weather and decide where you could go if you need to evacuate or your home becomes temporarily unlivable.
• How will we reconnect? Choose a meeting place in case family members are separated and designate an out-of-area contact everyone can call or text.
• How will we communicate? Make sure everyone has important phone numbers saved or written down.
• What will we need? Think about medications, identification, insurance information, important documents, phone chargers and necessities for children, older family members or pets.
• Where are our emergency supplies? Keep basics such as water, nonperishable food, flashlights, batteries, a first-aid kit and other essentials together in an easy-to-access location.

Think Beyond the Immediate Emergency

Preparing also means thinking about what happens after the storm or other emergency has passed. First Onsite’s survey found that only 51% of Americans have important property documentation, such as insurance information or photos, backed up and easily accessible, while 56% had reviewed their insurance coverage within the previous 12 months.

There can also be a significant financial impact if a home becomes temporarily unlivable. Nearly half of Americans surveyed—47%—said they could afford to stay somewhere else for only one month or less, including 17% who could manage for less than a week. Another 20% weren’t sure how long they could afford alternative accommodations.

Those numbers are a good reminder to include more than an evacuation route in your plan. Keep copies of insurance policies and identification accessible, document your home and belongings with photos or video, and talk about where your family could stay if you were unable to return home.

Make Sure Everyone Knows the Plan

Once your plan is complete, share it. Make sure everyone in your household knows what to do, where to go and where emergency supplies and important information are kept. Revisit the plan periodically as phone numbers, medications, schools, workplaces and other circumstances change.

As Jenny Lindström, SVP, customer experience at First Onsite, noted in announcing the survey findings, community resilience begins with preparedness. Taking action before an emergency can help families—and ultimately communities—respond and recover more effectively.

Your One Thing This Month

Set aside 20 minutes with your family and put your emergency plan in writing.

You can’t predict when an emergency will happen. But you can make sure your family knows where to go, what to take and how to find one another if it does.

A little planning now can make a big difference when there isn’t time to make a plan.