We all love a good end-of-the-world story. Power outages. Government collapse. A quiet, creeping sense that nothing is going back to normal. The stories are exciting—until they’re not. Because behind every mushroom cloud or zombie horde in fiction is something far more human: someone just trying to get back to their family. This post isn’t about bunkers or beans. It’s about what happens in those first critical moments when something big goes wrong. It's about having a plan—a real, practical, lived-in plan—for finding the people you love when the world goes sideways.
Start with a Conversation
No one wants to talk about worst-case scenarios over a nice Sunday roast, but a little awkward conversation now can save a lot of heartbreak later. Sit down with your household—whether that’s your partner, your kids, your mum, your flatmate, or your dog—and ask the uncomfortable questions. What sort of emergencies could actually happen here? A major flood? A blackout? Civil unrest? Would we stick to the official evacuation plan, or do our own thing? If mobile networks go down, how will we get in touch? Who’s responsible for what? These chats aren’t about doom—they’re about clarity. They give everyone a voice, a role, and a bit of reassurance.
Agree Where You’ll Go
If your home is no longer safe, where’s your fallback? Better yet, where are your first three fallback spots? You need a primary meet-up spot, ideally within walking distance. A park, a pub car park, somewhere familiar. Then choose a secondary location—in case the first is compromised. And finally, a long-distance fallback, like a family member’s house out of town. Don’t rely on memory or assumptions. Write it all down. Share maps. Walk the routes together. Practice getting there without Google Maps. If roads are closed or trains are down, you’ll need to think like someone in a dystopian novel: calm, clever, and two steps ahead.
Assign Responsibilities Before Things Go Wrong
In an emergency, decisions are made fast. If you haven’t assigned roles in advance, chaos will fill the gaps. Who’s checking on elderly neighbours? Who’s rounding up the pets? Who contacts extended family? Who leaves a note at the house, if there’s time? Think through the logistics now, so everyone knows what to do without waiting for instructions. And don’t forget to revisit these roles every so often. Circumstances change—people move house, get new jobs, buy new pets, develop new allergies...
Plan for Getting Separated
Let’s say the worst has happened. You’ve been separated. Phones aren’t working. The signal is gone. What then? This is where your plan becomes more than just a conversation. Have a rule: wait X hours at the agreed meeting spot before moving on. If you have to leave, make sure everyone knows how you’ll leave a sign—maybe a note, a chalk mark, or something discreet but obvious. Designate an out-of-area contact—someone not caught in the same emergency, who can pass on messages. It’s old-school, but effective. And if you’re really prepared, agree on fallback communication tools: two-way radios, CB frequencies, even a code word system if you’re feeling dramatic. Don’t Just Plan It—Live It. The most detailed family plan in the world means nothing if it stays in a drawer gathering dust. Review it. Update it. Practise it. Have a casual drill every few months. Make it a game with the kids, or a Saturday morning “just in case” walk to your meet-up spot. These rehearsals build muscle memory, calm the nerves, and often reveal flaws in your plan that you wouldn’t spot otherwise.
Download the Family Emergency Plan Template
To make life easier, we’ve created a free downloadable PDF that you can fill out and keep in your home, car, and go-bags.
Inside you’ll find space to record:
- Your designated meeting spots
- Important contact numbers
- Responsibilities for each family member
- Communication strategies
- A separation protocol
- Notes & useful info sections
Print it. Fill it out. You don’t want to be the family arguing in the driveway with no idea where to go.
>> Click here to download the PDF.
In the stories we love, the end of the world is always cinematic. But in real life, it will likely be messier, quieter, and altogether more British. Wet socks, no mobile signal, a lot of apologetic queuing.
But having a reunification plan? That’s not dramatic. That’s just common sense. Because no matter what happens—power cut, pandemic, apocalypse—the only thing that really matters is getting back to the people who make it all worth surviving.