How to make a family emergency plan for earthquakes and disasters
A go-bag is not enough on its own. This guide helps your family agree a clear plan — meeting points, contacts, roles, and care for children and elders — so everyone knows what to do when disaster strikes and you are apart.
Disasters rarely wait until the whole family is together at home. An earthquake might strike while children are at school, parents are at work or in the shop, and an elderly relative is alone at home. In those moments, a shared family plan made in advance is what keeps everyone calm and reconnected.
Most Nepali families have given some thought to supplies but little thought to coordination: where will we meet, who picks up the children, how do we reach each other if mobile networks fail, and who helps grandmother on the third floor? A simple written plan answers these questions before you need them.
This guide walks you through building a one-page family emergency plan that fits Nepal's realities — congested networks, scattered workplaces, and homes with elderly relatives and young children. You can complete it in one family sitting.
Agree on meeting points
Decide in advance where the family will gather, because phones may not work and you cannot assume everyone heads home. Choose two meeting points so you have a backup if one is unreachable or unsafe.
Pick places everyone knows and can reach on foot, in open space away from buildings, walls and electric poles. In dense areas, a nearby chowk, school ground, temple courtyard or open field works well.
- A spot just outside your home (e.g. the open ground or chowk nearby) for immediate gathering
- A second meeting point further away in case your neighbourhood is unsafe or blocked
- Make sure every family member — including children and elders — knows both points by name
- Agree how long to wait at each point before moving to the next
Set up your contact plan
After a disaster, local phone lines often jam because everyone calls at once, yet a call to a distant relative may still go through. A common trick is to choose one out-of-town or overseas relative as the family's central contact: everyone checks in with that one person, who then relays who is safe.
Because many Nepali families have relatives working abroad, an overseas contact can be ideal. Agree that everyone will send a short text rather than make long calls, to keep networks free and battery use low.
- Choose one out-of-area or overseas relative as the central 'check-in' contact
- Everyone texts that person to report they are safe; they relay updates to the rest
- Write the key numbers on a card kept in each person's bag and wallet, not only in phones
- Include Police 100, Ambulance 102 and Fire 101, plus neighbours and schools
Give everyone a role and know your hazards
In an emergency, things go smoothly when people know their job. Assign clear roles so nothing is forgotten in the rush: who grabs the go-bag, who shuts off the gas and electricity, who is responsible for each child or elderly relative, and who carries the first-aid kit.
Also talk about the hazards specific to your area. Kathmandu Valley faces strong shaking and dense buildings; hill areas face landslides after quakes; Terai areas may face flooding and liquefaction. Knowing your local risk helps you choose meeting points and escape routes wisely.
- Assign who grabs the go-bag, who shuts off gas/electricity, and who helps each child or elder
- Identify a backup adult to collect children if parents cannot reach school
- Note your local hazards: shaking, landslides, fire, flooding, or blocked narrow lanes
- Plan more than one route from home, work and school to your meeting points
Plan for children, elders and people who need extra help
The youngest, oldest and least mobile members of a family are most at risk in a disaster and need specific planning. Teach children their full name, parents' names and the meeting points, and reassure them so they do not panic. Confirm what your child's school does in an emergency and who is authorised to collect them.
For elderly or disabled relatives, plan how they will get out and who is responsible for them. Keep a week's spare of essential medicines, a list of conditions and prescriptions, and any aids (spectacles, walking stick, hearing-aid batteries) in or near the go-bag.
- Teach children names, contacts and meeting points; practise so it is not scary
- Confirm your school's emergency and pickup procedure
- Plan exit help and a responsible person for elderly or disabled family members
- Keep spare medicines, prescriptions and mobility aids ready for those who need them
Key takeaways
- ✓Agree two meeting points everyone can reach on foot, in safe open space.
- ✓Pick one out-of-area or overseas relative as the central check-in contact.
- ✓Text instead of calling, and keep key numbers on paper, not only in phones.
- ✓Give each person a role: go-bag, gas/electricity shut-off, and care of children/elders.
- ✓Plan specifically for children, elderly and disabled family members and their medicines.
- ✓Write the plan on one page, share copies, practise the routes, and review it yearly.
Make a Family Emergency Plan for Earthquakes (Nepal Guide) — FAQ
Why pick an out-of-town or overseas relative as the contact person?+
After a disaster, local phone lines jam because everyone calls at once, but a call or text to a distant relative often still gets through. Having everyone check in with one out-of-area or overseas person — common for Nepali families with relatives abroad — lets you confirm who is safe without overloading local networks.
What should be on a family emergency plan?+
Two meeting points, your central contact person, key phone numbers (Police 100, Ambulance 102, Fire 101, schools, neighbours), each person's role, escape routes from home/work/school, and any special needs such as medicines or mobility aids for children and elders.
How do I plan for my children if a quake hits during school hours?+
Confirm your school's emergency and pickup procedure, teach your children the family meeting points and key names and numbers, and name a backup trusted adult who is authorised to collect them if parents cannot reach the school quickly.
How often should we update the family emergency plan?+
Review it at least once a year and whenever something changes — you move home, children change schools, someone changes jobs, or a family member's needs change. Keep it together with your go-bag and earthquake drill so all three stay current.
Sources & data note
These guides explain widely-accepted SEO, AEO and GEO practice as documented by Google Search Central, schema.org and current industry research. Search and AI systems evolve continually — treat specific thresholds (e.g. Core Web Vitals targets) as current guidance and verify against the latest official documentation. Examples are tailored to Nepal's market.