The best way to come out on top when severe weather strikes is to put together an established family emergency plan.

If you have already taken this step and your family does have an emergency plan in place, be sure to practice, discuss and review it as the different weather seasons commence so everyone knows exactly how to respond to the situation.

If a family emergency plan has not yet been compiled, consider some of these considerations when creating it:

1. How will you receive emergency notifications?

Emergency alerts and warnings are always broadcast over televisions and radios, but thanks to today’s technologies, it is easy to receive emergency alerts and warnings through Google or a weather app on your smartphone, which enables you to quickly receive emergency alerts and provides you with valuable time in severe weather situations.

2. What are your storm shelter options?

You’ll want your shelter to be in your basement or an interior room without windows or doors and not in corners or on the outside walls on the lowest level of your home if you live in an area where tornadoes are common. Tornadoes aren’t the only weather circumstances that require a form of storm shelter, and you can find out more about more of the types of situations that call for them by visiting ready.gov.

3. Are there multiple evacuation routes?

You should always have multiple routes mapped out that can serve as evacuation routes since things such as hurricanes, flooding and fires can force you from your home in a hurry. It’s wise to have multiple routes should one route become impassable, and be sure to find accommodations that allow your pets along the way if you have furry family members evacuate with you.

4. How will you stay in touch?

Staying in touch with family is important and it is easy to rely on cell phones for this purpose, but what if cell towers are destroyed in the storm or power is lost? Cell service would be lost, cell phones will not be able to be recharged with no power, or phones could be lost or left behind in your rush to evacuate.

Your family will need an emergency communication plan in place, as well as a pre-determined, safe meeting place in case you get separated.

If a storm does cause damage to your home or business, don’t hesitate to call your friends at SERVPRO® of East Bradenton/Lakewood Ranch to get the cleanup and restoration process started.