Recently here in Central Ohio quite a few folks had to survive without electricity for over a week due to a violent electrical storm with high winds. It is amazing how many little things (lights, refrigeration, air conditioning) we take for granted that simply were not there that week.
September 2012 marks the ninth annual National Preparedness Month, sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in the US Department of Homeland Security. Sept/Oct is a good time for a new start in preparing for the unexpected.
There is a boatload of useful information and checklists on the FEMA website: www.ready.gov.
My purpose with this article is to summarize the three steps you should take now to be prepared for the next emergency.
- Identify what types of disasters could happen to you. In Ohio, flooding is most frequent.
- Know what your local community warning signals are and what they mean.
- Listen to NOAA Weather Radio or local news for information and instruction.
- Develop a list of ER phone numbers, including someone out-of-town to contact following a disaster.
- Teach children when and how to use these numbers.
- Install smoke detectors on each level of your home.
- Learn when and how to shut off water, gas, and electricity.
- Know two ways out of every room.
- Establish a meeting place
- immediately outside your home and
- an out-of-area destination in case you cannot return home.
- Incorporate special needs for elderly, disabled and for pets.
Build a Kit
- Prepare an Emergency Supply Kit – food and water for 72 hours, medicines, clothing, sanitation, tools.
- Print the FEMA list for a detailed checklist to shop from.
- Keep a vehicle ER kit in your car for accidents and emergencies while you are on the road.
These three steps are doable, aren’t they? Choose one to start with and work your way down the list. Let’s make a commitment to keep our families as safe as we possibly can.
In an upcoming blog post, we’ll look at specifics to keep in mind during and after a disaster.