September is National Preparedness Month.
September is National Preparedness Month, designed to raise public awareness about the importance of emergency preparedness at home, work, business, school, and place of worship. The recent hurricanes and resulting flooding and devastation remind us of the importance of pre-planning. In a disaster, you probably won’t be able to shop for the supplies you need, so advanced preparation is key.
When preparing for a possible emergency situation, it's best to think first about the basics of survival: fresh water, food, clean air and warmth. However, your disaster kit may include other essential items that your family may need in the event of a disaster such as prescription medicine, diapers or spare contact lenses.
Since you may need to survive on your own after a disaster, you’ll need food, water and other supplies 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. Basic services such as electricity, gas, water, sewage treatment, and telephones may be cut off for days, or even a week or longer. Or, you may have to evacuate at a moment’s notice and take essentials with you.
Disaster may also strike when you are at work or traveling, so make sure each of your vehicles contains a “go bag” – a portable emergency kit for your car. Consider items necessary for immediate safety if you must evacuate quickly while in your car. Assemble these items in a backpack or other type of container that you can lift and carry quickly. Each member of your family should have a “go bag” with an identification tag.
Register for emergency messaging (calls, texts, and emails) through the City’s emergency notification system - AlertOC.
Visit ReadyOC.org for more disaster preparedness tips. The ReadyOC app is a quick way to tap in to emergency resources and is available for Apple/IOS devices and Android devices.