DISASTER PREPAREDNESS

Whether it’s storm and hurricane season or the peak time of year to guard against wildfires, it pays to be prepared before natural disaster strikes.

Preparing for Hurricanes and Tropical Storms

Hurricanes are one of nature’s most powerful storms. Aside from producing strong winds and thunderstorm activity, extremely heavy rainfall can lead to disastrous flooding, tornadoes, and rip currents that pose numerous threats to the safety of people, animals, and property. Make sure you’re prepared well before hurricane season, which starts June 1 in the Atlantic and May 15 in the Pacific.

Gather safety items and medication now for a hurricane emergency kit rather than waiting until a warning is issued and inventory is scarce. Put together a family emergency and evacuation plan including routes, meet up locations and communication plans. Make sure to review your insurance policy to see what’s covered including flood insurance. Strengthen your home including keeping trees trimmed to prevent damage from broken branches and trees, have proper materials to fortify and board up your windows, invest in a portable generator in case of loss of power and secure all doors on the property. Be sure to sign up for weather watch and warning alerts.

Earthquake Preparedness

An earthquake is a sudden and rapid shaking of the ground caused when two blocks of the earth slip past one another suddenly on the fault. Earthquakes can have foreshocks, or smaller quakes that happen before a larger earthquake or mainshock and are always followed by aftershocks that can continue for days, months, or even longer. Earthquakes happen without warning and can result in serious injury and damage to property. Earthquakes can also be the cause of fires, tsunamis and landslides.

Have a plan to protect yourself during an earthquake and be sure to drop to your knees, cover your head and neck with your arms, and hold on to stable furniture - being ready to move with it if it moves - until the shaking passes. Be sure to prepare well before an earthquake by practicing drop, cover, and hold on, securing heavy items in your home that may fall and cause injury, create a family emergency and communication plan, create an emergency kit including food, water, a flashlight, fire extinguisher, and first aid kit, review your insurance policy for earthquake insurance, and strengthen your home including improvements to fix structural issues that could collapse during an earthquake.

Wildfire Evacuation

Wildfires, or rural fires, are an unplanned and uncontrolled fire in a natural combustible area often caused by humans or lighting. Wildfires can disrupt communication, transportation and power as well as ruin homes and cause injury in people, pets and wildlife. Wildfire season can last 6 to 8 months and are particularly prevalent in the summer, fall, and winter months during peak dry periods and can be exacerbated by high winds.

Make sure you’re prepared by signing up for your community’s warning system, have an evacuation and communication plan, gather emergency supplies including N95 respirator masks that filter out particles in the air you breathe in, using fire-resistant materials in your repairs, reviewing insurance coverage, and keep important documents in a fireproof place.