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FROM THE DESK
During a recent tornado warning, my wife texted me, my daughter texted my wife, and I tried to call both of them. All three of us were trying to reach each other simultaneously, clogging up a cell network that was already overloaded. We were all fine. We were all panicking about each other. A 30-second plan, agreed on in advance, would have prevented five minutes of confusion.
Here's what I've got this week.
THE BRIEF
Your Family Communication SOP: Make It Automatic
We covered communication plans in Issue 8 and various communication tools since then: mesh networks (Issue 40), radios (Issues 55), encrypted messaging (Issue 63). This week ties it all together into a single, rehearsed Standard Operating Procedure that your family follows automatically when something happens.
An SOP removes decision-making from the emergency. Instead of "What should I do? Should I call? Should I text? Who goes first?", the SOP says: "Send a text to the family group. Wait 15 minutes. If no response, try the radio. If no radio, go to the meeting point." Every family member knows the sequence. Nobody has to think.
Your communication SOP should cover five scenarios: we're all home (sheltering), we're separated (some at work/school), we can't reach each other by phone, we need to evacuate, and we need to rally at a meeting point.
For each scenario, define the action sequence. Example for "separated and phones work": send a text to the family Signal group (Issue 63). Message format: "[Name] [Location] [Status: OK/Need Help]." Wait for responses. If all check in, continue with individual plans. If someone doesn't check in within 30 minutes, the designated contact calls the out-of-area contact (who serves as a message relay).
For "phones don't work": switch to FRS radios (Issue 40), channel and time predetermined. If radios don't reach, proceed to primary meeting point. If primary meeting point is inaccessible, proceed to secondary.
The out-of-area contact is critical. During a regional emergency, local phone networks overload but long-distance calls often work. Designate a family member or friend in another state as your relay. Everyone calls one person instead of trying to reach each other directly.
Write it on one page. Print copies for every family member, every kit, every vehicle, and the fridge. The SOP should fit on a single laminated card or a single printed page. If it's longer, it's too complex to follow under stress.
Rehearse it once a quarter. A 5-minute family drill where everyone sends the check-in text from wherever they are confirms the system works and keeps it fresh in memory.
ONE THING THIS WEEK
Write your family communication SOP on one page and print it.
Define: who contacts whom, in what order, using what method, with what backup. Post one copy on the fridge. Put one in each go-bag. Give one to your out-of-area contact.
ON THE RADAR
We Are at Solar Maximum — A Worst-Case Storm Could Disable GPS, Satellites, and the Power Grid Simultaneously
A January 2026 report from the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council mapped worst-case space weather scenarios in detail. An extreme geomagnetic storm — the kind that occurs roughly once every 100 to 200 years — would simultaneously knock out satellites, take GPS offline, and drive geomagnetically induced currents through power lines strong enough to overload transformers and collapse the grid. Recovery could take months or years. We are currently at solar maximum, the peak of the sun’s 11-year activity cycle, meaning more frequent and intense solar events. The last storm of this magnitude was the 1859 Carrington Event — before there was a modern grid to destroy.
Source: Space.com, Daily Galaxy
LESSON FROM: REMI ADELEKE
Remi Adeleke's SEAL training, documented in Transformed, emphasized that communication under pressure works only if it's rehearsed to the point of automation. In combat, there's no time to think about communication protocols. They have to be reflexive.
Adeleke's civilian advice: the moment you have to think about your communication plan during an emergency, the plan has failed. It should be as automatic as dialing 911. That level of automaticity comes from simplicity (one page, clear steps) and repetition (quarterly practice). A plan your family has rehearsed four times is a plan they'll execute. A plan they've read once is a plan they'll forget.
WHAT'S HAPPENING
The “Affordable” Care Act Now Costs More Than a Mortgage for Millions of Americans
When the Affordable Care Act launched in 2010, its premise was simple: make health insurance accessible for every American. In 2026, the average unsubsidized Silver plan on the ACA Marketplace costs $752 a month — up 21% from last year. For families, that number climbs well past $2,000. When enhanced premium tax credits expired this year, 22 million Americans saw their monthly premiums jump an average of 114%. Vermont’s average unsubsidized premium reached $1,224 a month — more than most mortgages in the state. The result: 27 million Americans are now uninsured, the highest number in years. The law named for affordability is pricing out the people it was designed to protect.
Preparedness angle: an unexpected medical emergency with no insurance is a financial disaster and decreases your overall preparedness. If you’re in this gap, a direct primary care membership, a health-sharing plan, or a dedicated cash reserve becomes critical infrastructure.
WHAT WE’RE TESTING
Family Communication SOP Card (Laminated)
I created a single-page SOP covering four scenarios with step-by-step instructions for each. It includes our family Signal group name, FRS radio channel and backup channel, primary and secondary meeting points (with addresses), out-of-area contact name and number, and a standard check-in message format.
I laminated four copies: fridge, my go-bag, wife's purse, and daughter's backpack. The card is about the size of a postcard, double-sided.
We've rehearsed it twice. Both times, all three family members sent check-in texts within two minutes. The second rehearsal was faster than the first. That's the progression we want.
Cost: about $3 for lamination. The time investment was 20 minutes to write the SOP and 5 minutes per rehearsal. The clarity during the next real event: worth immeasurably more.
Budget alternative: A folded piece of paper in each family member's wallet with phone numbers, meeting points, and radio channels. Free. Gets the core information where it needs to be.
OVERRATED / UNDERRATED
Overrated: Complex communication plans with decision trees and multiple contingencies. If the plan requires a flowchart to understand, nobody will follow it under stress. Simplicity is the design constraint.
Underrated: The standard check-in message format. "James. Home. OK." Three data points in three words. Everyone sends the same format. You know who, where, and what in one text. No ambiguity. No conversation needed.
THE LINK DUMP
Ready.gov: Communication Plan — Federal template for family communication planning.
Signal.org — Encrypted messaging for your family group.
Red Cross: Family Communication Plan — Printable templates and guidance.
Grokipedia: Standard Operating Procedure — Background on SOP design principles.
FEMA App — Location-based alerts that trigger your SOP automatically.
NEXT ISSUE
Issue 100. We're looking back at everything we've covered, distilling it down to what matters most, and setting the direction for the next hundred.
PS: After the tornado warning debacle, our family communication drill took 90 seconds. Three texts, three check-ins, zero confusion. The difference between panic and a plan is practice. And practice takes less time than worrying.
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