September is National Preparedness Month
Posted By Adam S. On Tuesday, 04 September 2018
The 2017 Atlantic Hurricane Season was the costliest tropical cyclone season on record with 17 named storms that caused over $280 Billion in damages. In the US, the historic season affected 47 million people, or roughly 15 percent of the population. In addition, hurricanes like Irma and Maria caused dramatic damage in the Carribean. Overall, tens of thousands of emergency response proffesionals and volunteers mobilized to aid in the recover.
Evey September FEMA organizes the National Preparedness Month providing an opportunity to remind us that we all must prepare ourselves and our families now and throughout the year. The 2018 National Preparedness Month will focus on planning, with an overarching theme: Disasters Happen. Prepare Now. Learn How.
Each week of September will follow a theme in order to better prepare individuals and businesses for a hurricane or other natural disaster. The highlight of the month comes on September 15th with the National Day of Action.
The National Preparedness Month schedule is as followed:
Week 1: September 1-8- Make and Practice Your Plan
- Make an Emergency Plan
- Sign up for alerts and warnings in your area
- Learn your evacuation zone and have an evacuation plan
Week 2: September 9-15-Learn Life Saving Skills
- Know basic home maintenance to protect your family and home. Learn how to mitigate your home against flood damage, or protect against the impacts of earthquakes.
- Learn how to turn off utilities like natural gas in your home.
- Put smoke alarms on every level of your home, test them monthly, and replace them when they are 10 years old.
- Know the ways to keep your home safe from cooking, heating & electrical fires.
- On National Day of Action, Saturday, September, 15, hold a preparedness event. Some examples of events might be hosting a CPR class or Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training at your business, school, or house of worship; or volunteering with a local disaster response or recovery agency.
- Life Saving Skills video
- Life Saving Skills Graphics
Week 3: Sept 16-22-Check Your Coverage
- Insurance is the first line of defense; check your insurance coverage and review the Document and Insure Property guide.
- Flood Insurance allows communities and families to recover more quickly and more fully. Visit Floodsmart.gov to learn more about flood insurance and how to protect your home or business.
Week 4: Sept 23-30-Save For an Emergency
- Plan financially for the possibility of disaster.
- Complete an Emergency Financial First Aid Kit (EFFAK)
- Maintain emergency savings for use in case of an emergency
You can also download the FEMA App in order to receive real time weather alerts, emergency safety tips, shelter locations, and more. Download the app here: