The theme for Week 3 (September 13 – 19) of National Preparedness Month is hurricane. Since
hurricane season is currently at its peak, this would be a great time to
take action and prepare your family for these powerful storms.
Each year, many parts of the United States
experience heavy rains, strong winds, floods, and coastal storm surges from
hurricanes and tropical storms. Hurricanes can also affect inland communities.
Get the How to Prepare for a
Hurricane guide from America’s
PrepareAthon! to learn hurricane basics and how to protect yourself
during these storms, including:
- Stay away from
windows and glass doors;
- Go to a small,
interior, windowless room such as a bathroom or closet, on the lowest
level not likely to flood;
- If you are in
an area that is flooding, move to a location on higher ground; and
- If the power
goes out, use a flashlight, not a candle for lighting.
Also, power outages can last longer than
expected, so having a disaster supply kit
can help your family survive. Check out this story from a disaster survivor who understands the importance
of being prepared for the unexpected.
Stay informed about hurricanes by monitoring
weather reports and signing up to receive
local alerts. The National Weather Service (NWS) issues hurricane watches and warnings
to let you know when a storm is headed your way. You can also download the FEMA mobile application to receive NWS weather
updates. Be sure to follow directions from local authorities if they issue an evacuation
order.
Imagine a wildfire raging in your community and only
having minutes to evacuate your home. What do you want to take out of your
home? How will you communicate with loved ones? These are just some of the
questions you should be able to answer before a disaster strikes.
America’s PrepareAthon! released a new video,
“Cloud
of Smoke,” that gives a first-hand account of what it’s like to
experience a wildfire, and highlighting the importance of being prepared. Here
are a few things you can do to get ready now:
If you try to prepare while an emergency is
happening, it will be too late! To learn more about wildfires and how to
protect your family, download the How
to Prepare for a Wildfire guide from America’s PrepareAthon!
Let’s hear it
for National Preparedness Month!
Get in the spirit of preparedness during a special Twitter chat titled, “Safety
Friends Unite on Twitter for National Preparedness Month” hosted by America’s PrepareAthon! on
Tuesday, September 22 at 3 PM ET.
This chat will highlight activities everyone
can do including families, youth, and schools to prepare for emergencies. Featured
guests will include preparedness friends from federal agencies and
organizations that serve the community:
- Ready
Wrigley (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention);
- Flat
Stella and Stanley (the Ready
Campaign);
- Sparky
the Fire Dog (National Fire Protection Association);
- Owlie
Skywarn (National Weather Service);
- Ready
Robin (Robins Air Force Base);
- Fred the Prep
Dog;
- Lassie; and
others!
Follow along using #SafetyChat.
In May
2015, Project
Wildfire and its partners coordinated FireFree
events in Oregon as part of the second annual National Fire Protection
Association Wildfire Community Preparedness Day. The events held in Deschutes
County and Jefferson County gave residents the opportunity to dispose of their
yard debris free of charge at collections site in the counties.
With nearly 38,000 cubic yards of debris
recycled, the 2015 event broke all prior FireFree records, and homeowner
participation increased 27 percent over the previous year. These events served
as the community’s preparedness activities for America’s PrepareAthon!
To learn more about FireFree, read
the full article located on the “Stories” page of the
America’s PrepareAthon! website. You can also
download the How
to Prepare for a Wildfire guide to learn how to protect your
family and home against these devastating fires.
Hey parents
and caregivers! Disasters can strike even when your child is away at school, so it
is important to have plans in place so you can connect during an emergency.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), preparing
your child for emergencies that may happen during the school day is as easy as
A-B-C.
The CDC lists three steps you
should take to protect your child:
A: Ask how you will be reunited with your child in an
emergency or evacuation;
B: Bring extra medications, special food, or supplies
your child will need if you are separated overnight; and
C: Complete a backpack card and tuck one in your
child’s backpack and your wallet.
To
learn more, visit emergency.cdc.gov/children.
You can also download and complete the Family
Emergency Communication Plan now available from America’s
PrepareAthon!
Do you have a plan in
place to keep business operations running when a crisis hits?
Having a continuity plan
is essential to establishing a successful and resilient small business. The
cost of creating a disaster preparedness plan is small compared to the
financial losses that may occur if there’s no plan in place.
Get help with
preparedness planning through a series of free webinars hosted by the U.S.
Small Business Administration and Agility Recovery. The series is presented in
collaboration with the Ready Campaign
during National Preparedness Month.
The 30-minute webinars
will be presented at 2 PM ET each Wednesday in September.
Topics
include:
- September
16: “Recover from the Most Likely Disaster: Power Outage”
- September
23: “Protect Your Most Valuable Asset: Prepare Your Employees”
-
September
30: “If
You Do Nothing Else this Year…” Simple tips to build your
organization’s resilience.
Please use this link to register for the webinars.
Disclaimer: The reader recognizes that the
federal government provides links and informational data on various disaster
preparedness resources and events and does not endorse any non-federal events,
entities, organizations, services or products. Please let us know about other events
and services for individual and community preparedness that could be included
in future newsletters by contacting citizencorps@fema.dhs.gov.
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