September is National Preparedness Month: Week 3
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.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ New Wildfire Preparedness Video from America's PrepareAthon!
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!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Join the ‘Safety Friends Unite' Twitter Chat
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.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FireFree Event Inspires Community to Take Action for Wildfire Prevention
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.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The ABCs of Back-to-School Preparedness
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!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Free National Preparedness Month Webinar Series
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.
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Dates for Your Calendar!
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