September is National Preparedness Month ! National Preparedness Month serves as a reminder to take action to prepare now, and throughout the year, for emergencies that could affect where you live, work, or visit.

This year's theme is, “Don't Wait. Communicate. Make Your Emergency Plan Today.” You never know when a disaster will strike, and you may not be with your family when it does. Creating an emergency plan, including knowing how you'll communicate with loved ones, is a great way to prepare for emergencies.

Each week of National Preparedness Month highlights a specific preparedness theme:

• Week 1 (August 28 – September 3): Kickoff to National Preparedness Month
• Week 2 (September 4 – 10): Preparing Family and Friends
• Week 3 (September 11 – 17): Preparing Through Service
• Week 4 (September 18 – 24): Individual Preparedness
• Week 5 (September 25 – 30): Lead Up To National PrepareAthon! Day

We encourage you to participate in this national declaration to prepare individuals, families, and communities across the nation. During September, and especially on the September 30 National PrepareAthon! Day, cities and counties across the country are planning events to bring together schools, businesses, city governments, houses of worship, hospitals, individuals, and families to participate in drills and activities for hazards in their areas. We encourage you to register your participation on the America's PrepareAthon! website .

Get ready for National Preparedness Month by accessing the 2016 National Preparedness Month Social Media Toolkit on the Ready Campaign website. There, you'll find preparedness messages to share with family, friends, and colleagues.

FEMA has announced the winners of the 2016 Individual and Community Preparedness (ICP) Awards. These awards highlight innovative local practices and achievements of individuals, programs, and organizations throughout the country that contributed to making communities safer, better prepared, and more resilient.

The 11 FEMA ICP Award recipients will be recognized on September 13 in Washington, D.C. During the recognition ceremony, recipients will share their experiences, success stories, and lessons learned with fellow emergency management leaders. 

This year, you can engage directly with awardees during the America's PrepareAthon! broadcast, “Go Big with #Community #Preparedness” on September 14 at 5:15 PM ET. Tune into the broadcast on Facebook or Periscope .

A list of the ICP recipients and the honorable mentions for each category is available on the Citizen Corps website .

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently updated its 2016 Hurricane Season Outlook . Forecasters now predict a 70 percent chance of 12 to 17 named storms, of which five to eight are expected to become hurricanes, including two to four major hurricanes. With peak hurricane season now underway, it is a good time to get prepared!

Hurricanes can cause loss of life and catastrophic damage to property along and near coastlines and extending several hundred miles inland. Threats from hurricanes include:

• High winds;
• Heavy rainfall;
• Storm surge;
• Coastal and inland flooding;
• Rip currents; and
• Tornadoes.

The extent of damage varies according to the size and wind intensity of the storm; the rate, amount and duration of rainfall; the path of the storm; and other factors such as the number and type of buildings in the area, the terrain, and soil conditions.

The How to Prepare for a Hurricane guide from America's PrepareAthon! outlines steps you can take today to protect yourself and your property before a hurricane hits, including:

• Know your community's local hurricane evacuation plan, and identify several escape routes from your location in case roads are blocked;
• If you plan to evacuate by car, keep your car fueled and in good condition and be sure to keep emergency supplies and a change of clothes in your vehicle;
• If you will need to use public transportation, contact your local government emergency management agency to ask how an evacuation will work, how you will get current information during an evacuation, and the location of staging areas;
• Waterproof your home's basement and elevate critical utilities such as electrical panels and heating systems;
• Purchase flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program . You may also be able to purchase insurance for wind;
• Stay away from water, shorelines, areas that are prone to flooding, and low land areas that may be dry but prone to flash flooding;
• Listen to alerts and warnings, and be prepared to get to high ground immediately if there is a flash flood;
• Never walk or drive through floodwaters: Turn Around, Don't Drown!;
• If you are not in an evacuation zone or flood area, know where to shelter for high winds and be prepared with sufficient supplies to remain on high ground until flooding in nearby areas subsides; and
• Plan to bring inside or anchor any items that might be blown away and become projectiles in high winds. Anchor outdoor grills, fuel tanks, and other items that are not safe to bring inside.

To learn more about preparing for hurricanes, check out “When the Waves Swell” from America's PrepareAthon! Be sure to share with family, friends, and neighbors.