Be Prepared, Not Scared for Disasters

It’s hurricane season and a great time of year to practice being prepared for an emergency or disaster in your area. September marks National Preparedness Month and the theme this year is “Be Prepared, Not Scared”. It’s important to have disaster preparedness plans in place whether you are at home, work or traveling when an event occurs. You never know what type of emergency could affect you. Follow these guidelines to help you and your loved ones be prepared for any situation and help give your family peace of mind with a plan in place.

Here’s the best steps to take to be prepared:

Be Informed: When it comes to being prepared for a disaster, there is no such thing as being too prepared. For example, this can involve making sure you have proper insurance coverage if you live in a potential flood area. Most homeowners’ and renters’ insurance do not cover flood damage which means you would need to obtain additional insurance to cover possible flooding. There are many other ways to plan financially for disasters and you can find out more information from clicking this link. Other ways to keep yourself informed include learning about potential hazards that may strike your community and your community’s plans for warning and evacuation when these events do occur. Awareness is truly the first key to being prepared. Want to know more? Visit https://www.ready.gov/be-informed to see an entire list of potential disasters and how to be prepared for each of these events.

Make an Emergency Plan: Put a plan in place with your family and loved ones simply over a conversation at dinner. You always want to be prepared for the “what ifs” so that when the emergency occurs, you feel more confident in contacting and locating your loved ones. Keep in mind how you will get in touch with each other to check in and know you are safe or if you need help. You also need to know where you plan on meeting to get back together when a disaster occurs. For more information on making a plan, visit http://www.ready.gov/make-a-plan.

Build a Kit: Use building a kit as an opportunity to bond with your family and loved ones. Involve children in the process too so that they feel they are contributing to ways they can help their family in an emergency. Things to include in a supply kit include food, water and other supplies in sufficient quantity to last for at least three days. Local officials and relief workers will be on the scene after a disaster, but they cannot reach everyone immediately. You could get help in hours, or it might take days which is why you want to have plenty of food and water to survive on. In addition, basic services such as electricity, gas, water, sewage treatment, and telephones may be cut off for days, or even a week or longer. To find a complete checklist of the supplies your household may need in the event of an emergency, visit http://www.ready.gov/build-a-kit.

Get Involved: Now is a great time to get involved in your community’s preparedness initiatives. Did you know that Community Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) train volunteers to prepare for the types of disasters that their community may face? Find your local CERT: https://community.fema.gov/Register/Register_Search_Programs.

Cell Phone Sally wants to remind you that 9-1-1 is a valuable resource and way to get or find help in any emergency. And remember to never use 9-1-1 for fun as it can clog up the phone lines for real emergencies.