As a family, choose a friend or relative who lives outside of the Pacific Northwest and ask them to be your out-of-area contact. In a disaster, you may be unable to make phone calls due to service outages or overwhelmed cell towers. Instead of trying to call, text your out-of-area contact where you are and if you are okay or need help. This person can serve as a relay between you and your family, sharing important messages and each other’s locations. Download our contact card to fill out and keep in a safe place, like your disaster kits.
Use the Web Make sure to let your family know that these websites are available so they know to check for each other there. The American Red Cross has a website that lets you search for loved ones and register yourself as “safe and well.” https://safeandwell.communityos.org/ Facebook has a “safety check” that can be implemented after a disaster. https://www.facebook.com/about/safetycheck/
Official Sources Know how officials will communicate with you. Counties and cities often have their local alert systems, the state of Washington will use the Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alerts. This will come across all forms of media, TV, radio and smart phones. Sign up for your local emergency alerts at mil.wa.gov/alerts
www.mil.wa.gov