September is Emergency Preparedness Month, But
Dr. John Woods 09.11.18
John J. Woods
Magnolia Outdoor Communications
SEPTEMBER IS EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS MONTH, BUT….
While September is the official FEMA month of emergency preparedness awareness, it certainly should not be the only one. The other eleven months of the year are just as important to be prepared for any disaster emergency that might strike.
Hurricane Gordon passed already after dumping nearly 20 inches of rain across Alabama and Mississippi causing lots of flooding. Now, the Cat 4 hurricane Florence is bearing down on the Eastern Atlantic coast as this is written and will likely make landfall before the time this is posted. Let’s hope the people falling under the landing of that storm were prepared.
It is a good idea to remind people annually, but better constantly that they need to be prepared for any type of SHTF event natural or unnatural that could develop at any time. We’ve already seen the devastation from a dozen or more western fires that raged out of control for weeks. People lost everything in some of those blazes though some critical items could have been saved if they had been prepared to bug out in advance.
So, how to start, where to begin? First if you are lost with no ideas how to initiate a planning process for a local, regional, or natural disaster, then ASAP consult the national FEMA site at www.fema.gov. This informational web site will provide a lot of critical information, recommendations and suggestions for making a family, home, work, and school plan to evacuate from any area that might be under the threat of an emergency situation.
Buy a notebook, three ring or other type where pages can be added or removed as revisions are formulated. Add tabs to match categories of the planning process, so you can quickly refer to escape steps, procedures, contact information, bug out routes, supply lists, and other essential information to follow when initiating an evacuation or a lock down option.
With an emergency bearing down on your location, you need to know how to assemble your family from numerous locations by designating a gathering site. Escape travel routes and options should be mapped out well in advance. Vehicles and supplies should be prepared, packed and ready to go at a moment’s notice. You may have a day, an hour, or just minutes to load and leave. Get ready now, stay ready all 12 months of the year.
