A useful storm plan answers four questions: how will we receive warnings, how will we contact each other, where can we go, and what must come with us? Write those answers while conditions are calm. Then use the current warning and local emergency instructions to decide when to act. This guide focuses on U.S. households facing heavy rain, flooding and power interruptions.
Start with the people and places
Make a short household record that everyone can find. Include an out-of-area contact, a meeting place, transportation arrangements and the official emergency-management page for your community. Record school, workplace and caregiver pickup arrangements so two people do not both assume the other is responsible.
For each possible destination, check accessibility, travel options and arrangements for pets. A friend who can host you during an ordinary outage may live in the same flood-prone area. Choose a second option and confirm it in advance. NWS before-flood guidance emphasizes communications, local flood risk, packed essentials and early preparation.
If someone depends on powered medical equipment, refrigeration for medication, or assistance moving, arrange an outage and transport plan with their care team and equipment provider before severe weather. Record whom to call and how much time the arrangements need. The plan should work when the usual helper is away.
Give each alert an action
Save your location at the National Weather Service and identify your local emergency-management alert service. Use more than one warning channel; the NWS explains the roles of phone alerts and NOAA Weather Radio. A weather app and its website may share the same data and connection, so think about what still works if power or mobile service fails.
| Message | Meaning | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Flood watch | Conditions favor flooding. | Check your plan, transport and current local instructions; keep monitoring. |
| Flood warning | Flooding is occurring or imminent. | Read the affected area and act on the instructions promptly. |
| Flash flood warning | Rapid flooding is occurring or imminent. | In a flood-prone location, move immediately to higher ground; follow the warning. |
These distinctions follow the NWS flood alert definitions. Storms can develop quickly; the sequence above is a reference, not a promise that every warning will have an earlier watch.
Build supplies around an interruption
Walk through a day without normal services: drinking and eating, medication, lighting, toilets, communications, warmth or cooling, and caring for children or animals. Put the essentials for leaving in an accessible bag and the larger stay-at-home supply where floodwater is less likely to reach it.
The NWS recommends enough food, water and medicine for at least three days, along with practical items such as a battery radio and flashlight. Adjust for the household and the disruption being planned for. Keep a dated inventory and rotate supplies before they expire. A charged battery pack is useful only if the matching cable is with it.
Check flashlights, radio reception and charging equipment during a calm-day rehearsal. Record the result and replace failed items. Ask your insurer about your actual coverage, exclusions and effective dates ahead of storm season; those details belong to the policy and jurisdiction.
Set power and property boundaries in advance
Portable fuel-powered generators belong outdoors. CDC guidance says to keep them more than 20 feet from the home, doors and windows, and to use battery-operated or battery-backup carbon monoxide detectors near sleeping areas. Never operate one in a home or garage, even with doors open. Read the CDC generator safety sheet and the equipment manual before an outage.
Plan safe lighting and an alternative place to stay if indoor temperatures become dangerous. The CDC's power-outage guidance covers heating, cooling and carbon monoxide precautions. Electrical connections and work on wet equipment require appropriate professional help.
Schedule roof, drainage and structural maintenance before a storm. During hazardous conditions, climbing onto a roof or entering water to reach equipment can turn a property problem into a rescue. Property-protection work should end while there is still time to leave safely.
Use the plan when conditions change
Follow evacuation orders promptly. Avoid walking or driving into floodwater and obey road closures. The NWS during-flood guidance explains why rising water requires immediate attention. A route that worked yesterday may be closed today; use current official route information.
After a flood, wait for official clearance before returning and follow local drinking-water instructions. NWS after-flood guidance also warns about hidden hazards in standing water. Report your status to the household contact and record what failed so the next plan is better.
Download the household storm-plan worksheet (plain text). Save a private copy, fill it in with the people involved, and review it when contacts, health needs or destinations change.