How to Create a Family Earthquake Emergency Plan (Free Template)

An earthquake emergency plan isn't a document you write once and forget. It's a living agreement between everyone in your household about exactly what to do when the ground starts shaking — and how to reconnect when communication systems fail.

Most families don't have one. Among those that do, many have never practiced it. This guide walks you through building a plan that actually works, with a free template you can customize and share.

Why You Need a Written Plan

During an earthquake, your brain's fight-or-flight response takes over. Rational thinking degrades. Memories become unreliable. Phone numbers you "know by heart" vanish.

A written plan, posted in a visible location, removes the need to think under stress. It turns panic into procedure.

What research shows:

• Families with practiced emergency plans evacuate 30% faster
• Written plans dramatically reduce separation anxiety for children
• Post-earthquake family reunification is faster when meeting points are pre-agreed
• Plans that include communication protocols work even when cell networks fail

Step 1: Identify Your Household Members

List every person and pet who lives in (or frequently visits) your home:

• Full name
• Cell phone number
• School or workplace address
• Any special needs (medical conditions, medications, mobility limitations)
• Who picks up children from school in an emergency

Include regular visitors — grandparents who visit weekly, nannies, roommates.

Step 2: Establish an Out-of-Area Contact

After a large earthquake, local cell networks become overloaded within minutes. But long-distance calls and texts often still work because the distant cell towers aren't congested.

Choose one person outside your city (or outside your country) who everyone in the family will contact to report their status. This person becomes your communication hub.

Your out-of-area contact should:

• Know they have this role
• Save everyone's phone numbers
• Be available during business hours (choose someone in a different time zone if possible)
• Use a text-based platform (SMS or messaging app) as the primary channel

Example flow:

1. Earthquake hits İstanbul
2. You text your cousin in Ankara: "I'm safe, under desk at work"
3. Your spouse texts the same cousin: "I'm safe, picking up kids from school"
4. Cousin becomes the central information point

Step 3: Choose Two Meeting Points

Communication may fail entirely. Meeting points are the physical fallback.

Meeting Point 1: Near Your Home

Choose a specific, unmistakable location within sight of your home:

• The big oak tree across the street
• The mailbox at the end of the driveway
• The neighborhood park's entrance

This is where you meet if everyone is home and needs to evacuate the building.

Meeting Point 2: Outside Your Neighborhood

Choose a location within a few kilometers that everyone can walk to:

• A school
• A community center
• A well-known park or landmark
• A relative's home in a nearby neighborhood

This is where you meet if your home area is unsafe or inaccessible.

Step 4: Plan for Children at School

If an earthquake strikes during school hours:

• Know your school's earthquake policy — most schools will shelter students in place and not release them until a parent/guardian arrives
• Designate authorized pick-up people — make sure the school has current emergency contacts (not just parents — include trusted neighbors, relatives)
• Talk to your children — explain that teachers will keep them safe and that you will come for them as soon as it's safe
• Don't drive to school immediately — roads may be damaged or blocked. Wait for communication before driving.

Step 5: Map Your Home's Safe Spots and Hazards

For each room in your home, identify:

Safe spots (for Drop, Cover, and Hold On):

• Under sturdy tables and desks
• Against interior walls (away from windows and heavy objects)
• Under reinforced doorways (only in older buildings where doorframes are genuinely stronger)

Hazards to avoid:

• Windows and glass doors
• Heavy bookshelves or cabinets (especially if not anchored)
• Kitchens (falling dishes, heavy appliances)
• Areas below hanging light fixtures

Draw a simple floor plan and mark safe spots with green and hazards with red. Post it in a central location.

Step 6: Document Utility Shutoffs

Every adult in the household should know how to shut off:

When to shut off gas: Only if you smell gas, hear hissing, or see a broken gas line. Once gas is shut off, do NOT turn it back on yourself — call the gas company.

Step 7: Prepare Your Emergency Kit

Your plan should reference the location of your emergency kit(s):

• Primary kit location (near the front door or in the garage)
• Secondary kit (in the car)
• Office kit (basic supplies at your workplace)

Each kit should sustain one person for 72 hours. See our complete earthquake emergency kit guide for a detailed packing list.

Step 8: Address Special Needs

Infants and Young Children

• Extra formula, diapers, and baby food in the emergency kit
• A comfort item (stuffed animal, blanket) that stays in the kit
• Childproof the kit location

Elderly Family Members

• Extra medication supply (30-day rotation)
• Backup hearing aid batteries
• Written medical information (conditions, medications, allergies)
• Mobility aids accessible and secured against falling

Pets

• Carrier or leash in easy reach
• Pet food and water in the emergency kit
• Vaccination records in the document bag
• ID tags with current phone numbers

Medical Conditions

• List all medications (names, dosages, prescribing doctors)
• Include a 7-day supply in the emergency kit
• Note where the nearest hospital and urgent care are located
• If anyone uses electrical medical equipment (oxygen concentrator, CPAP), have a battery backup

Step 9: Communication Protocol Summary

Write out the exact communication steps everyone should follow:

1. During shaking: Drop, Cover, Hold On. Do nothing else.
2. Immediately after: Check yourself and others for injuries.
3. First 5 minutes: Check for hazards (gas, fire, structural damage).
4. Within 15 minutes: Text your out-of-area contact with your status and location.
5. If home is safe: Stay home, turn on your emergency radio.
6. If home is unsafe: Go to Meeting Point 1. If that's unsafe, go to Meeting Point 2.
7. If separated: Text the out-of-area contact. Go to the nearest safe meeting point. Wait.

Step 10: Practice the Plan

A plan that hasn't been practiced is just paper. Schedule drills:

Quarterly full drill:

• Announce it at the beginning of the day
• Trigger a mock earthquake at a random time
• Everyone executes the full plan: Drop, Cover, Hold On → check hazards → send status text → gather at meeting point
• Debrief afterward: What worked? What was confusing?

Monthly micro-drill:

• Practice Drop, Cover, Hold On in a different room each month
• 30 seconds, no advance warning
• Great for building muscle memory, especially for children

Free Earthquake Emergency Plan Template

Copy and customize this template for your family:

🏠 [Your Family Name] Earthquake Emergency Plan

Date created: _______________
Last reviewed: _______________

Household Members:

Out-of-Area Contact:

Meeting Points:

Utility Shutoffs:

Emergency Kit Locations:

• Primary: _______________
• Secondary (car): _______________
• Work: _______________

Emergency Numbers:

• Local emergency: _______________
• Gas company: _______________
• Water utility: _______________
• Nearest hospital: _______________

Communication Protocol:

1. Drop, Cover, Hold On
2. Check for injuries and hazards
3. Text [contact name] at [phone number]
4. If home safe → stay, radio on
5. If home unsafe → go to _______________

Add Technology to Your Plan

Modern earthquake alert apps are a force multiplier for any family plan. When your phone buzzes with an alert seconds before shaking hits, everyone in the household can immediately begin their response.

GeoShake uses community sensor networks to detect P-waves and deliver push notifications before S-waves arrive. The app includes:

• Real-time earthquake alerts customized to your location
• Interactive map of seismic events
• Adjustable alert radius — get notified only for earthquakes that affect your area

📱 Download GeoShake — free on iOS and Android.

Related Articles:

• Earthquake Preparedness: The Complete Guide
• What to Do in the First 10 Seconds of an Earthquake
• Building an Earthquake Emergency Kit
• How Earthquake Early Warning Works: P-Waves vs S-Waves