Supporting community preparedness is a big part of our mission. Here are some tips to prepare.
Have an emergency supply kit ready
Make sure you have enough water, food and medications for yourself and your service animal (if you have one) to last at least three days. Think about other items you may need as well - extra eyeglasses, batteries for hearing aids, medical supplies, etc.
Have an emergency communication plan in place. How will you contact your family members if something happens and you're separated? Share your emergency plan with neighbors, friends and relatives so they know how to contact you if the power goes out.
Develop a map of resources around where you live and work
so members of your support network who are unfamiliar with your neighborhood can find and get what you need. You may want to include nearby places to buy food and water. Also, include fire, police, other city agencies and local apartment/commercial buildings with their own sources of power should the citywide/town-wide power be out. Consider adding taxi stands/bus stops/subway stations, and parking regulations/parking lots, etc.
Ask others about what they will do to support you in an emergency. If you are a person who relies on dialysis, what will your provider do if there is an emergency? If you rely on home care or deliveries, such as Meals on Wheels, ask about emergency notifications and their plan to maintain services. If you use paratransit, find out their plans for providing service in an emergency. If you use oxygen or other life-sustaining medical equipment, show friends how to use these devices so they can move you or help you evacuate, if needed. Practice your plan with the people in your personal support network.
Keep assistive devices and equipment charged and ready to go.
Consider having an extra battery on a trickle charger if you use a power wheelchair or scooter. If available, have a lightweight manual wheelchair for backup and extra chargers and charging cables for all assistive devices.
Make sure you have access to important documents.
Collect and safeguard critical documents. Store electronic copies of your important documents on a password-protected thumb drive and in the "cloud," and if you feel comfortable doing so, give a copy to a trusted relative or friend outside your area. This way, you'll have a record of critical identification documents; medical information including where and how to get life-saving supplies and medications; financial and legal documents; and insurance information as well as important phone numbers, instructions and email addresses.
Hurricanes don’t only affect people living along the coast. They can cause damage hundreds of miles from the shore. Learn how to be prepared.
Featured Resource:
Be Ready! Hurricanes Infographic
Learn more >
Hurricane season starts on May 15 in the north Pacific and June 1 in the Atlantic and the Caribbean. It ends on November 30. Before hurricane season each year, make sure you and your family are prepared by planning ahead.
During and after a hurricane, you may need supplies to keep your family safe and healthy. Remember that a hurricane could cut off your power and water supply. You also may not be able to drive because of damage to your car. Roads may be flooded or blocked.
That’s why it’s best to be prepared—stock up on everything you might need now. Be sure to prepare the following:
Listen for National Weather Service alerts on TV or radio or check for them online. There are two kinds of alerts:
For more information about hurricane watches and warnings, check out the National Weather Service’s Hurricane Center. If you hear that there is a hurricane watch or warning in your area, you can take steps to get ready.
Make sure your car is ready before the storm hits.
If you don’t own a car, consider making plans with friends or family or call authorities to get a ride if you need to evacuate.
Always listen to authorities regarding whether you should evacuate or stay at home.
If a hurricane is coming, you may hear an order from authorities to evacuate (leave your home). Never ignore an order to evacuate. Even sturdy, well-built houses may not hold up against a hurricane. Staying home to protect your property is not worth risking your health and safety.
You may hear an order to stay at home. If driving conditions are dangerous, staying at home might be safer than leaving.
If you need to evacuate:
If you need to stay home:
Emergency Documents:
Imagine how hard it would be after a disaster if you couldn’t prove your identity or if you didn’t have access to your bank account. Avoid difficult situations by making copies of your important documents and keeping them in a waterproof bag. Include the following items:
Think about your day to day needs for independence. Plan now for your health away from home. Label medical equipment with your contact information.
Flooding
Each year, more deaths occur because of flooding than any other hazard related to thunderstorms. The most common
flood deaths occur when a vehicle is driven into hazardous floodwater. Fortunately, you can take steps to protect yourself,
your family, and your home.
Floodwater can pose a drowning risk for everyone— regardless of their ability to swim. Swiftly moving shallow water can be deadly, and even shallow standing water can be dangerous for small children.
Floodwaters contain many things that may harm health. We don’t know exactly what is in floodwater at any given point in time. Floodwater can contain:
After you return home, if you find that your home was flooded, practice safe cleaning.
The initial damage caused by a flood is not the only risk. Standing floodwater can also spread infectious diseases, bring chemical hazards, and cause injuries.
After you return home, if you find that your home was flooded, practice safe cleaning. Remove and throw out drywall and insulation that was contaminated with floodwater or sewage. Throw out items that cannot be washed and cleaned with a bleach solution: mattresses, pillows, carpeting, carpet padding, and stuffed toys. Homeowners may want to temporarily store items outside of the home until insurance claims can be filed. See recommendations by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Clean walls, hard-surfaced floors, and other household surfaces with soap and water and disinfect with a solution of one cup of bleach to five gallons of water.
After a hurricane, flood or other natural disaster you need to be careful to avoid electrical hazards both in your home and elsewhere.
During extremely cold weather or winter storms, staying warm and safe can be a challenge. Winter storms can bring cold temperatures, power failures, loss of communication services, and icy roads. To keep yourself and your loved ones safe, you should know how to prepare your home and your car before a winter storm hits.
Be prepared before a winter storm hits by planning ahead. If you are in an area prone to winter weather, be sure to create a communication and disaster plan for your family ahead of time.
If you plan to use a fireplace or wood stove for emergency heating, have your chimney or flue inspected each year. Ask your local fire department to recommend an inspector or find one online.
Check out our infographic, Be Ready! Winter Weather for tips on getting your family, home, and car ready for a winter storm.
If you or a loved one are over 65 years old, place an easy-to-read thermometer in an indoor location where you will see it frequently. Our ability to feel a change in temperature decreases with age. Older adults are more susceptible to health problems caused by cold. Check the temperature of your home often during the winter months.
It is best to avoid traveling, but if travel is necessary, keep the following in your car:
Listen to weather forecasts regularly and check your emergency supplies, including your emergency food and water supply, whenever you are expecting a winter storm or extreme cold. Even though we can’t always predict extreme cold in advance, weather forecasts can sometimes give you several days of notice to prepare.
If you have pets, bring them indoors. If you cannot bring them inside, provide adequate shelter to keep them warm and make sure they have access to unfrozen water.
Have maintenance service on your vehicle as often as the manufacturer recommends. In addition, every fall, do the following:
Winter storms are dangerous. They can bring cold temperatures, power failures, loss of communication services, and icy roads. This can make being outside dangerous, so you should limit your time outside. Although staying indoors as much as possible can help reduce the risk of car crashes and falls on the ice, you may also face hazards inside your home.
Protect yourself and your loved ones during a winter storm. Take extra steps to make sure you heat your home safely, and follow the tips below.
If you plan to use a wood stove, fireplace, or space heater, be extremely careful. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions and remember these safety tips:
Check out our infographic, Be Ready! Winter Weather for tips on getting your family, home, and car ready for a winter storm.
If there is a power failure:
Babies
Infants less than one year old should never sleep in a cold room because they lose body heat more easily than adults. Follow these tips to keep your baby safe and warm during the extreme cold:
Older Adults
Older adults often make less body heat because of a slower metabolism and less physical activity. Check on elderly friends and neighbors often to make sure their homes are heated properly.
If you are over 65 years of age, check the temperature in your home often during extremely cold weather.
Extreme cold can cause water pipes in your home to freeze and sometimes rupture or break. When you are expecting very cold or freezing temperatures:
Children handle emergencies in different ways. Resources are attached below for preparation and understanding weather related emergencies.
https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/types-of-emergencies/flood.html
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