Happy New Year!
Disasters and emergencies raise our awareness of the need to prepare ourselves, our families, and our communities for the types of disasters that can affect us. Hurricanes Harvey and Irma are reminders that disasters are often unpredictable.
Sit down with your loved ones to take stock of your preparedness efforts and consider taking the following actions:
- Talk with your family and neighbors about planning for an emergency and identify an out-of-town emergency contact that can help your household reconnect of a disaster affects you.
- Consider the costs associated with disasters such as insurance deductibles and evacuation costs, and plan for those costs. Anticipate initial out-of-pocket disaster expenses for lodging, food, gas and more. Check out insurance coverage to make sure you are protected against the risks you face. Most homeowner’s insurance policies do not cover damage or losses from flooding.
- Consider starting a savings account, if you don’t have one already, to help you recover from an emergence or disaster. Use the Emergency Financial First Aid Kit to get started. The EFFAK is a flexible tool designed to help individuals and families at all income levels collect and secure the documentation they would need to get on the road to recovery without unnecessary delays, should disaster
- Download the FEMA app, which allows you to sign up for weather alerts from the National Weather Service for up to five locations across the country. Also, sign up for local alerts and warning systems your community may have. Ours are located at hendersonema.org by clicking on the top link to sign up for alerts.
- Learn where your community’s shelters are located (an whether or not they are pet-friendly).
- Practice using your community’s evacuation routes should you be required to leave – this way, you know exactly where you would go, how to get there, and what to do if an emergency occurs.
To participate and share your achievements with the rest of the nation, register your preparedness action on the Preparation website and post about your success on social media with the hashtags #HowIPrepare or #HowWePrepare
Preparedness is the answer;
STAY CALM and follow your emergency plans.
“BE AWARE – BE PREPARED – MAKE A KIT”
“Don’t Be Scared… Be Prepared”
Remember: Being prepared starts at home:
Don’t fall into the false sense of security that when bad things happen – it will always happen to the “other guy” or, “that will never happen to me”! BE PREPARED, some day YOU may be the “OTHER GUY”!!
This has been another Public Service Announcement from your Henderson Emergency Management Agency where “We Care About Your Safety”.
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