Published: September 21, 2021
California has always had its natural disasters (think earthquakes), but recently, residents are dealing with more urgent threats from wildfires, smoke, and storms. It’s important to know how to track where an “event” is happening and prepare appropriately for the unexpected.
September is recognized as National Preparedness Month, a time to prepare yourself and those in your care for emergencies and disasters, both large scale and smaller local events. The most important step you can take is being able to take care of yourself and those in your care for at least a short period of time following an incident. Here are some actions to take now:
1, Bookmark:
- National weather watch at weather.gov to stay informed
- CAL Fire mobile app so for up-to-date alerts on nearby fire danger
- PG&E outages alert
- Drought information and how to prepare
- Stay healthy with COVID-19 vaccine information
- Local broadcast stations and social media apps are some to have on your mobile phones
2. Actions from Home:
Prepare your family for an emergency. Ensure that you can go for at least three days without electricity, water service, access to a supermarket, or other local services. Here what you can do:
- Prepare a disaster supply kit, with at least three days of food and water. Download a supply list.
- Create a Family Emergency Plan so your family knows how to communicate during an emergency. You can also download important forms to keep track of items and property. As part of your plan, make sure to have an escape route, a meeting place, and then practice.
- Review National Weather Service (NOAA) Radio website. Here, you can get a network of radio stations broadcasting continuous weather information.
Get more practical tips on preparing for disaster at FEMA’s ready.gov. This website provides detailed information tailored to specific needs, such as people with disabilities, seniors, assisting children, business readiness, and even information for your pets.
WHA members can also bookmark our emergency preparedness webpage, for resources such as finding local access to care, nurse advice line, prescription refills, and other resource links you may need. And, be sure to download WHA’s mobile app so you can access your plan information anywhere.