Living on the east coast, it was easy to brush off national weather phenomena. Scary tornados were usually confined to the Midwest, deadly earthquake were a West Coast thing, treacherous blizzards stayed to our north, and devastating hurricanes to our south. But over the years, we’ve had our fair share of bad weather hits, especially in recent years. Super Storm Sandy took many of us off guard, and the past winter of dangerously cold temperatures paired with random power outages was downright scary for some.
Because of living on the east coast, I never considered the importance of having a Family Emergency Plan. But with September being National Preparedness Month, it is a gentle reminder that you never know when the next disaster will hit – so it’s important to be ready. According to FEMA, 50% of Americans have not discussed or developed an emergency plan for family members about where to go and what to do in the event of a local disaster.
Why is an emergency plan important? When disaster strikes, communication with loved ones is key, if not essential. You want to ask yourself the questions, “How will you get in touch with each other? Where will you meet?” It’s important to make a plan now so that you will know what to do, how to find each other, and how to communicate in an emergency.
National Preparedness Month is the perfect time to coordinate this plan (especially as it is prime hurricane season)! If you are not sure where to begin, check out Ready.Gov’s How To Make a Plan post. Kids can get involved too with the printable family plan download. And, really, just researching and being aware makes you that much more ready to face what is to come. Ready.Gov has a great page with information about the hazards you may face from natural disasters such as Hurricanes, Floods, Earthquakes, Tornados, Wildfires and Winter Storms as well as tips about how to prepare.
For more information on how YOU can get prepared, visit Ready.Gov.
Disclosure: I am sharing this as part of a public service announcement. I have not been compensated for this post.
