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Create An Emergency Contacts List

When a hurricane hits, you need to know who to call. But what if you can't access your phone's contacts?

Hurricane season is here again, and it looks like the tropics will be busy again. The odds of a major hurricane striking near Florida this year are at 44% (according to projections from Colorado State University), so it’s vital that we prepare ourselves over the next few months.

A surprising step that many homeowners forget in their preparations is to gather all their important contacts. Creating a physical contact list could save your life and your property in the event of catastrophe, and it only takes a few minutes to write down most of the phone numbers and email addresses you'll need in an emergency event.

Our society is built off of phone numbers and emails, so taking care of this before the storm will make reacting to disaster substantially easier and less stressful.

Who are your contacts?

If you lose access to your phone during the storm, you lose access to your contacts. You should have a full list of contacts on your phone anyway, but keep a physical list of important phone numbers so you can make calls from any phone.

Here is a list of contacts you should consider having in writing in a safe location:

  • Family

  • Friends

  • Neighbors

  • Out-of-town contact

  • Doctor/pediatrician

  • Veterinarian

  • Bank

  • Boss/manager at work

  • Coworker(s)

  • Kids' schools

  • Insurance company

  • Industry professionals:

  • Roofer

  • Window contractor

  • Water remediation contractor

  • Mold remediation contractor

  • Fire remediation contractor

  • Electrician

  • Public adjuster

Some of these are more important than others, and many homeowners don’t consider certain contacts, so let’s focus on a few that are often forgotten.

Out-of-town contact

One that many people don't consider is an out-of-town contact in case you need to evacuate and know a place you can stay. If a storm forms so fast that you can't react and hotels book up too quickly, having that phone number written down can be the difference between a bed and a crowded shelter.

Boss/manager at work

Around 12% of Florida’s workforce is self-employed, meaning that the remaining 88% need to be able to contact their direct supervisors. Maybe it’s not safe to drive to the office. Or maybe you work from home and have no power. Some people working from home may have employers in other cities or states, meaning that your supervisors might not know whether or not you were affected by the hurricane. No matter what, make sure you have a way to inform your boss of your situation.

Insurance company

In the event that a storm hits, your insurance company will likely be inundated with calls. Get your carrier’s number, but also look for other ways to contact them. Many insurance companies have email addresses for customer service representatives on their websites, and some carriers even let you file a claim through their websites. Find this information now and write down the ways to contact your insurance company to cut down your hours on hold.

Industry professionals

You should also have some industry professionals in case your home gets damaged. Your roof could leak, a window could shatter, a phone line could start a fire. Some scenarios are more likely than others, and hopefully you never experience property damage for any reason, but there are a ton of things that could happen. Having a physical list of those numbers means that you'll be prepared for any damages that occur. And being able to contact these contractors or professionals quickly means your home gets fixed sooner. Since some damages will only get worse over time, addressing them ASAP could save you thousands of dollars in repair costs.

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If you have reputable professionals, great! If not, now’s the time to get recommendations from your neighbors.

Include email addresses, too!

Losing access to your phone is less likely than losing access to your computer. Phones don't need to be plugged in to function (and power banks for them are affordable), but computers are compromised in the event of a power failure.

When you write down your contacts and their phone numbers, try to include an email address for each one just in case. It doesn't take much more effort, but the effort is worth it if the power goes out and you need to email your kid's school.

Your list won't just let you email important contacts from any computer, but from any cell phone! Many Floridians still primarily use their computers for emailing, but most phones have popular email apps built in. If you primarily use email on your computer, consider setting up an email app on your phone so that you can send out vital emails in a pinch, no desktop computer required.

Tip - Don't forget the handicapped.

Usually, most of your neighbors can take care of themselves. But you likely have one or two people on your street that need a support network. Many people rely on home care services when they're not able to live independently, whether because of age, medical condition, or physical ability. If a hurricane hits, these services may not be able to get to their homes, which can result in preventable injuries and deaths.

Our communities are always stronger together, and it's important that we don't leave anybody behind. Get the contact information for the people on your street who would struggle on their own and just check up on them in the aftermath of the storm to make sure they're okay. If they need assistance, gauge your ability to help and do what you can to find a professional who may provide the care these neighbors need.

Store your list safely.

Keeping your contact list on technology isn't going to cut it if you can't use your phone or computer. But paper is much more literally delicate. You need to protect it from potential leaks and flooding, and it's hard to predict where (or if) those might occur.

Start by using technology to your advantage while you can. After finishing your physical list, make copies! After the work you put into this, you shouldn't just put all your eggs in that one basket. Have more than one copy of the list so you're more likely to have it in the event of a disaster.

You should also invest in a waterproof container (like this one) for your important documents, such as your insurance policies (home, auto, health, and life), deeds, wills, social security cards, and anything else that needs protection. Your contact list definitely qualifies as an important document, so throw a copy in there for safekeeping.

Who ya gonna call?

This contact list isn't the most important step in hurricane prep. (That would probably go to stocking up on potable water or putting up hurricane shutters.) But creating a physical contact list could be a life saver or save you thousands of dollars in property damage in the event of any disaster, not just a hurricane. You should never put yourself in a position where you don't know who to call, so spend a few minutes putting this in writing. This blog post is only a five minute read; how many contacts can you write down in the next five minutes?