Are You Prepared for Hurricane Season?
Hurricane season is here again! You are familiar with the infamous Hurricanes Katrina, Irene, and more recently, Superstorm Sandy. One important question is, "As private citizens, how can we prepare ourselves for a disaster?" The good news is you may be more prepared than you know.
If you have a flashlight, a battery-powered radio, or even candles; you are well on your way to having an emergency preparedness kit.
One important step is to look at the resources listed below to determine the items that you currently own. If you see a few items that you wish to include in your kit that don't necessarily fit into a short-term budget, don't worry. There are many emergency supply calendars intended to help you take appropriate preparedness actions by listing "to-dos" and also help you create a 3-7 day supply kit over a certain period of time. The time period, depending on which supply calendar you use, can range from a three month to nine-month period.
Speaking of financial matters, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and Operation Hope offer an effective Financial First Aid Kit.
This kit will assist you in organizing your key financial records making them available during and after a disaster.
- Prepare for an evacuation and ask yourself:
- Where will I go?
- How will I get there?
- What will I bring, assuming I may lose everything left behind?
- Who, if anyone, do I need to contact?
- If I am unable to leave my home or place for a tornado, hazardous materials spill, or even a pandemic:
- Do I know how to shut of the ventilation system?
- Do I have the materials to seal off a central room, preferably one without windows?
- Will I have enough water, food, or other supplies for 3 or more days?
- Do I have a radio or other means of communication to know when it is "all-clear"?
During the time it takes to watch a typical one-hour television show, you can begin to put together your family emergency plan, identify a few contact numbers, and gather a few items to place in your emergency kit.
The most important aspect of preparing for any disaster to identify what is important to you. The time you spend preparing for a disaster will increase your chances of survival as well as help make your recovery less complicated.
Review this outline to begin preparing to survive a disaster in relative comfort. This information was taken from many comprehensive lists, several of which were found in the links included in this article.
Basic preparation: Make a Plan!
- Information
- Family Contacts
- Medical
- Financial
- Sustenance - That does not require electricity.
- Food
- Water
- Survival Gear
- Flashlight
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Radio
- Miscellaneous "camping" equipment
- Knife, can opener, plates, utensils etc...
- Family and Senior Specific Items
- Medicine
- Eyeglasses
- Pet care items
- Something to pass the time
- Cards
- Books
- Games
As many of us have support roles in the State Health Operations Center (SHOC), we need to ensure we are ready to fulfill our mission. This requires us to have plans to possibly relocate to the SHOC or another location on a short notice, leaving family and friends behind. Planning for personal responsibilities prior to an event will allow us to focus on our jobs that we may better assist our fellow Delawareans.
Review the resources listed below to reduce your possible anxiety and discomfort should you find yourself sheltering in your home or evacuating your neighborhood in the middle of the night.
Resources:
PrepareDE.org website (Office of Preparedness's website)
http://delawarepreparedness.pbworks.com/w/page/123870225/Home%20Page (SHOC 101 website resources)
Delaware Division of Public Health Office of Preparedness: http://dhss.delaware.gov/dph/php/
Ready.gov: Seniors: http://www.ready.gov/seniors
Written by James Tracy Office of Preparedness
Thank you,
RespondDE
You may also be interested in this resource: Global Guardian Hurricane Preparedness Guide
