In the disaster preparedness classes I've taken, it is always taught that the first telephone lines to be restored after a natural disaster will be the out-of-state, long distance ones. Getting news out of the state will happen before phone services are likely to return to the local community. This leads to the recommendation that everyone have an out-of-state communication plan to let friends and family know that you're OK. This is my attempt at setting up such an emergency phone tree.
This page includes contact information that members of the extended family can use to give and get news about other family members during natural and other disasters. Please be careful with this information.
For this initial pass, I've just made up some calling arrangements. They should not be considered carved in stone.
The first column is the state with the disaster or emergency. The second is the contact person in another state and the last is the number to call to leave a message or get news. Whether the phone number will be answered or used as a voice mail drop box is up to the person with the number.
| Disaster or Emergency in | Call | At this Number |
|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | Craig & Karin Ward | 310-371-7015 |
| California | James & Shirley Ward | 972-223-1520 |
| Texas | Ron & Janice Taylor | 865-484-0524 |
This page maintained by . Contact him with corrections or suggestions on making it better. (If you don't live in Texas, California, or Tennessee, suggest additions or volunteer to be a relay.)
On the left of this page, I've added some links to emergency preparedness web sites. I participate in the local CERT program (the first link is the national web site) and I highly recommend that everyone who has a local CERT participate. No matter where you are, there's always something Mother Nature will throw at you. Here in California, we have earthquakes. Others areas will be more prone to tornados, hurricanes, or something else. CERT organizations can help you prepare for these and other events.