Be Aware

Being aware involves knowing what potential dangers are facing your community. Consider the following list of potential disasters that would require you to be ready: blackouts, earthquakes, fires, floods, hurricanes, pandemics, landslides, terrorism, tornadoes, tsunamis, volcanoes, wildfires, winter storms. While this list is long, focus on learning about the disasters that are most likely to occur in your area and think about how each of these disasters might force you to prepare in a slightly different way.

Many local governments offer city-specific preparedness plans on their websites, so you should familiarize yourself with standard government responses where possible. State Offices and Agencies of Emergency Management are a great resource.

While the Emergency Alert System (EAS) will broadcast over various media, including cable and satellite, make sure you also know how to find the emergency broadcast channel on the radio.

Acquire Emergency Supplies

Create an emergency essentials" kit so you will be prepared in the event of a disaster. Your kit should include items that you would need to survive, including the following list, as recommended by the US government's Ready campaign:

  • Drinking water. The federal government suggests at least 3 days worth for each member of your family, but other sources suggest two weeks or more. As a general rule of thumb, each person will require 1 gallon of water per day.
  • Food. Again, the federal government suggests at least 3 days of non-perishable food, but you can begin to build a reserve of two weeks or more.
  • Flashlight and extra batteries. It’s amazing how dependent we are on electricity, so if it goes out, you need to have an alternative source of light.
  • Battery-powered or hand crank radio. This serves as a great connection to news sources if the electricity powering your television were to fail or be disrupted at any point.
  • First aid kit. In case of injury, be prepared with first aid essentials; have the resources to clean and treat at least minor wounds on your own.
  • Additional items that may come in handy. Work gloves, dust mask, and a whistle are all great additions to any emergency preparation kit.

While this list is fairly standard, one additional item - a web-based document storage system called Orggit - could provide much needed help in the wake of disaster. Orggit is the first and only system that consolidates all of your most essential information (such as copies of wallet contents, passport, insurance information, etc.) in one place, acting as a secure online platform for information organization and storage. That way, if you need to evacuate your town or if your filing cabinet is damaged or destroyed, you will still have access to your essential information through any web connection.

Develop a Family Communications and Meeting Plan

Talk with your family and agree upon a communications and meeting plan. You should think through where you will meet if you are at work or your children are at school. You should have an out of town contact that everyone in your family can call since it may be easier to dial out of the city rather than within it. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Ready website offers a downloadable family emergency plan.

Practice

There is a reason that you grew up practicing fire drills at your elementary school or at summer camp. Similarly, families should also have emergency drills and children should become familiar with the communications and meeting plan. Disaster preparedness includes practicing the procedures and communications necessary for successfully executing your disaster recovery plan. You can learn more about preparing children for emergencies at the FEMA website.

Additionally, volunteering for the local Red Cross or US Department of Homeland Security's Citizen Corps will give you additional experience in an emergency situation. You will get hands-on training, as well as crucial practice to help you turn your theoretical plans into confident action during the moment of crisis.

If you follow these four recommendations, you can be assured that you will be more prepared for any potential emergency situation or disaster that you or your family may confront.