As thousands of residents in Florida , Texas and Louisiana begin preparations in anticipation of Hurricane Rita possibly reaching those areas later this weekend, it is important for families to have a plan in place to keep in touch with loved ones.

One simple call or e-mail message will give those who care peace of mind about your well-being and safety. The American Red Cross urges households to create a family communication plan, and now is the time to do so.

The necessity for such a plan was underscored three weeks ago, during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. After that storm hit, the American Red Cross received thousands of phone calls from people seeking loved ones. Although many families have since been reunited, the Red Cross urges those in potentially affected areas to create a family communication plan.

A family communication plan consists of the following:

• Reach out to those who care about you before the approaching storm strikes,
• Let them know what your plans are should the storm hit,  
• Where you expect to be going immediately,
• When you are leaving,
• How they can stay in contact with you and
• Designate one person outside of the affected area who you will stay in contact with, and others can call this person to check on your well-being. Remain in continuous contact with this designated person as best as possible.

Due to widespread power and telecommunication outages that can result, service may not be restored for several days. The initiative to establish contact quickly with a designated person will save loved ones from making multiple calls. This one simple act can help to alleviate their anxiety. It also helps to reduce the overwhelming number of phone calls that can often overload the system following a disaster.

Preparing for a disaster, such as a hurricane, ahead of time can help alleviate the stress that results during and after the storm, and ease the burden on family and loved ones. For more information regarding how individuals and families can prepare for disasters, visit www.swpa.redcross.org .