I received a Facebook message this afternoon from my boyfriend saying that a 7.8 scale earthquake had struck the coast of Ecuador. My immediate reaction was to not type a message back but get him on the phone immediately so I could hear his voice. Why? Because he’s currently in Ecuador, and so are his family and loved ones.

It’s an awful feeling knowing that a natural disaster has struck somewhere in the world and those you love are in the middle of it. As a traveler, it’s something that I know may happen whilst I’m on the road, but in reality there’s not much you can do to prevent it. It’s a wrong place, wrong time scenario.

Thankfully this afternoon my boyfriend messaged to let me know the earthquake had happened (as Australia is not usually up to minute on reporting overseas natural disasters) and that he, his family and friends were all okay. Being able to hear his voice through the power of WhatsApp gave me such ease, especially after hearing the devastation that much of Ecuador, where I was so recently, is now dealing with.

But what do you do if you have a friend or family member who’s caught up in a natural disaster? Or what if you’re the traveler caught up in one yourself?

If you’re someone at home who, like me, gets word that something has happened and you have someone special there, the first real action you should take is not to panic. Truly. Don’t panic. Losing control initially can make things a million times more stressful and it’s not going to help you find your loved one.

The second action you should take is to know in your heart that your son, daughter, parent, or friend knows that people at home will be panicking and worried when they hear what’s happened. All travelers know that those we left behind worry, and if something disastrous does happen, after ensuring our own safety, the first thing we do is try to make contact.

Today, thankfully, my boyfriend was able to message me before I heard the news elsewhere. Mobile and wifi apps like Facebook, WhatsApp or Viber make contacting those around the world so much easier. Even if you can’t speak directly with your loved one, know that if they can get to working wifi and send you a message, they will.

As a traveler the fastest way I can think to make contact on a large scale would be to post something to Facebook. I know word with spread to those that are desperately waiting for it, and I would try as hard as I could to be in contact again as soon as I possible.

Those at home really do need to rest assured that whilst we travelers can be a crazy, adventurous bunch of wanderlust-filled free spirits, when something goes wrong or disaster strikes, we are just as desperate to give you the news that everything’s okay as you are to hear it.

As a traveler sometimes I take the worrying of my friends and family for granted, and often brush it aside as needless stress. But today having had just a small taste, I realise how stressful bad news from afar can be on those who love and miss you.