How to set up an emergency plan and communicate with family in a natural disaster

09 Oct 2024, 17:47 by Faith Leroux · Android Police

Natural disasters are terrifying, especially if you're inexperienced and underprepared. You might've heard or, worse, been a victim of Hurricane Helene, which caused over $30 billion in damages across the southeastern side of the US. Not being able to contact your family when disaster strikes is stressful. We cover how to set up an emergency plan while going over all communication channels available during an emergency — you can do this on any smartphone, whether you own a Google Pixel, a Samsung phone, or another budget-friendly device.

How to use Google Maps to find emergency shelters

Find safety when nature strikes.

Our guide focuses on steps before a natural disaster hits. You can use the available tools once you've turned on the relevant settings and installed the necessary apps. If you're worried about losing phone service or battery life due to an extended outage, consider discussing it with your service provider beforehand or investing in a decent power bank.

What to do in a natural disaster

You should discuss with your family what to do in case a natural disaster hits. How will a 72-hour power outage be handled, and if the family is split, what will be the best meeting place? You should also make sure everyone has open communication channels in case plans change. It's also important that everyone knows how to handle themselves during an emergency.

A simplified emergency plan can include the following:

Download the essential emergency preparedness apps and tools, charge your phone or power bank, and keep everything on you (if possible).
Register your medical information in case of an accident.
Register your emergency contacts.
Create an emergency 72-hour kit.
Create a household evacuation plan.
Check alerts for natural disasters.
Seek emergency shelter if needed.
Use your built-in Android tools to contact emergency services or your family.

Create an emergency contacts list

You never know when you need to contact your family during a natural disaster. But you can prepare beforehand by creating an emergency contacts list. Your list can include your family, next of kin, and emergency services like hospital numbers, police, and health insurance.

You can do this by making a custom contact group or using the Emergency contacts feature in your Safety or Safety and emergency menu. The latter option is meant to be paired with Emergency Sharing, which lets you share location, pictures, and audio recordings with your registered emergency contacts. To get started with Emergency contacts, open Settings > Safety and emergency (or Safety) > Emergency contacts. Choose a contact registered in your contacts app.

Opting in Google Family Groups

You can unify the Android experience by setting up a Google Family Group beforehand. You can also do this on Samsung using the Family groups option. There are many benefits to using one. It allows app and subscription sharing and even lets parents turn on location-tracking for their kids. When an event or note is recorded in Google Calendars or Google Keep, you can have it sync up between all devices registered in the family group. Samsung family group options are more limited; it is mainly used for creating a shared family album, but if you have kids, you can use it to set up parental controls and learn their location.

Set up your emergency medical information

Adding emergency medical information to your phone's optional ID card is essential. You can add personal emergency info such as allergies, blood type, and medications to your lock screen. So, if you're ever hurt and need help, anyone with medical certification can help you. You can search for the Safety app or Safety and emergency (Samsung phones) to get started. To add/edit details, you must sign into your Google or Samsung accounts. Remember that this information will be public on your phone (it can be seen while it is unlocked), so anyone who takes it will see it.

How to add medical information to your Android phone

Your phone can help save your life in an emergency

Use and set up Android Emergency SOS Messages

If you're using an Android phone running Android 12+ or a Samsung phone, you can use the Emergency SOS or Samsung SOS to send messages to your family or loved ones. It lets you send your emergency contacts a 5-second clip, pictures, or a quick message. Use this tool when you need to contact family and loved ones.

How to set up Emergency SOS on your Android phone

Setting up emergency SOS features only takes a minute, but they could be vital in a crisis

Use Google Assistant or Bixby during an emergency

In an emergency, you may not have time to review your plan and its steps. To help you through an emergency, you can use Google Assistant or Bixby.

How to set up Google Assistant for an emergency

If your phone replaced Google Assistant with Gemini, you can still invoke Google Assistant routines through Gemini. It requires saying the "start 'routine name'" command instead. Otherwise, follow the steps below if you still have Assistant on your device (you can always revert back to Assistant). You can use Google Assistant to contact a family member. First, you must enable the Assistant's hands-free option within the settings. We also recommend toggling on Google Assistant without unlocking your phone in the Lock screen options under Popular Settings.

Open the Assistant app.
Say "Assistant settings."
Tap Hey Google & Voice Match.
Select Get started.
Follow the on-screen prompts and choose I agree.

You can't use Google Assistant to call for emergency services. If you wish to have Assistant make a call on your behalf, you can only do so with your saved contacts (like a family member).

To start using Google Assistant, say "Hey, Google" or tap on the Assistant app. To text one of your contacts, add the contact to your People or open up Google Family. To send a text, simply say, "Hey, Google, send a text to (contact name)." Then reply with the message you want to send.

Using Google Assistant with the Actions Block app

Actions Blocks is an app you can download on the Google Play Store. It makes it easier to customize actions without a lot of input. This is handy when you're overwhelmed during an emergency and need to get in touch quickly. The Actions Block works similarly to Bixby routines. You can customize actions that work with Google Assistant. These action blocks will take up sizeable space on your home screen, but they are meant to stand out against your app icons. We recommend creating these action blocks (well in advance) before a natural disaster occurs.

Open Actions Block app.
Tap Create action block.
Select Phone call or Send a text.
Type in the action inside the Action field. You can choose to call or customize the message sent. You can toggle on/off Speak action out loud, or Vibrate. Once done, tap Next.
Tap Test (you can also skip). Select Yes if the action works as intended.
Label the action by choosing an action block name and image. Tap Save action block.
Select Next to add the action block to your home screen. Tap Add to confirm.

Using Google Assistant for Emergency Sharing

When you need help, you can call Google Assistant for a Safety Check (set up via the Personal Safety app). If you fail the Safety Check, Assistant will automatically turn on Emergency Sharing. If you wish to skip the Safety Check, use the "Hey Google, start Emergency Sharing" command. If you need to stop Emergency Sharing, use "Hey Google, stop Emergency Sharing."

How to set up Bixby for an emergency

You can use Bixby to make calls or send text messages during an emergency. You don't need to use Bixby routines, but you can set up a routine to send an automated message to your contacts as another option. Below, we focus on using Bixby to make calls and send text messages on your behalf.

Open Settings > Advanced features.
Tap Bixby.
Toggle on Use while locked.
Tap Permissions. Select to enable Microphone, Contacts, Phone, and SMS.

To get Bixby to call 911 or your contacts:

Say "Hi, Bixby, call 911" or "Hi, Bixby, call (contact name)"

To get Bixby to send a text to a contact:

Say, "Hi, Bixby. Send text to (contact name)," then write or tell Bixby what to send. Finish the prompt by tapping or saying "Send."

Tap into emergency SOS via satellite services

Starting with the iPhone 14, Apple introduced emergency SOS via satellite, sending texts to emergency services without cellular or Wi-Fi coverage. Later, Google integrated this to the Pixel 9 series. The satellite SOS feature remains free for the first two years upon activation of your device but requires a subscription plan after. If you can access the emergency SOS feature via satellite services, you can use it to communicate with emergency services.

How to set up and use Satellite SOS on your Google Pixel 9

Helping you stay connected even when you lose cellular coverage

Install emergency preparedness apps

It never hurts to add more apps to help prepare for a natural disaster. If you find your app drawer or home screen too cluttered, you can always create an app folder dedicated to emergency preparedness. That way, you can check the folder when necessary. Below are some fantastic apps you should consider installing to help in an emergency.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA): This app is designed to help you through an emergency. It even includes a place to prepare an emergency family communication plan and how to contact services to help you through the aftermath of a disaster.
First Aid: American Red Cross: This is the go-to app for first aid help. It also provides information on how to deal with accidents with 911 integration; you can receive safety information without an online connection.
Zello PTT Walkie Talkie: A push-to-talk radio app that lets you talk to your contacts privately or join public channels.
My SOS Family Emergency Alerts: This community-based emergency response app will send SOS and calls to your friends and family on your behalf and connect you to emergency services if needed.
Disaster Alert: Provides global communities with critical hazard alerts and vital information to stay safe.
Personal Safety: Has built-in Emergency SOS, car crash detections, and safety checks for Pixel phones. You can also turn on local crisis alerts for your area.
Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System (GDACS): This system provides real-time alerts for natural disasters using maps and satellite imagery, including nearby forest fires and droughts. It also includes information on impacts and a scoring system to estimate the severity.

Our apps mainly target users in the US. If you're outside of the US, most phones come with Google Maps pre-installed, which is another indispensable tool for finding emergency shelters and getting updates on dangerous weather conditions. You can also download maps for offline use if needed.

The 10 best weather apps on Android in 2024

Never get caught without your umbrella

Practice your emergency plan

Anything can happen. We advise taking time to practice your emergency plan even if bad weather isn't forecasted. Discuss the strategy with your family and encourage everyone to practice with you. You never know when they need to use it to contact you. Also, you can check in with your service provider if they provide additional services during an emergency. If your phone is dead and you cannot share your location or send a message, you can always rely on the little friend on your wrist to get you through a crisis. Most modern smartwatches running Wear OS 4 or newer can send a safety signal or have access to emergency sharing/emergency SOS.