Prepare for an emergency or disaster
Disasters and emergencies, whether natural or man-made, are a part of our everyday lives. We encourage all residents to prepare for a potential emergency or disaster. Being prepared for these events is important for everyone involved.
Mitigation
Emergency or disaster events can happen quickly and without warning. According to FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), only about 50% of people believe they are prepared for an emergency. The most effective way to handle any crisis is to prepare in advance before an emergency takes place.
For every dollar spent on emergency or disaster mitigation, one can save anywhere from 4 to 10 dollars on future recovery following a disaster. People may need to live/survive on their own following a disaster while waiting for help to arrive or power to be restored. This means having your own food, water, medications, and other supplies in sufficient quantity to last for a few days and possibly longer. Local officials and relief workers will be on the scene after a disaster, but they may not reach everyone immediately. Basic services such as electricity, gas, water, sewage treatment, and telephones may be cut off for days or weeks.
Resident Preparedness
Business Preparedness
Preparedness is key to resilience in the face of emergencies and disasters for businesses as well. Below are resources that provide comprehensive approaches to business preparedness, which ensure that business operations can withstand disruptions and quickly recover.
Disaster Supply Kit
In some instances, you may have to evacuate at a moment’s notice and take only essential items with you. You may not have the opportunity to search for the items you need, so knowing where they are is extremely important. This is why being prepared and having a disaster supply kit/bag will come in handy.
A disaster supplies kit/bag is a collection of basic but important items that members of a household can grab quickly in the event of a disaster. A disaster supplies kit/bag will not fit everything but only the most important items such as medications, IDs, paperwork, money, and light food and water.