Disasters can strike anytime, anywhere. Often, there’s not much time to prepare when an earthquake just struck your town, as Utah has seen this year, or the Coronavirus that hit and left people home for months.
Read today’s blog on the steps you need to take in preparing for a national disaster, so you and your family stay safe.
National Disaster Preparedness
There are two significant steps to take when preparing for a national disaster: creating an emergency plan and getting weather and emergency alerts, as outlined by the usa.gov website. Below, we’ll discuss each step in detail.
Create an Emergency Plan
Is it just you at home, or are you, empty nesters? Or do you have children? How old are they, and do they have special needs? Do you live in a highrise apartment, rambler, or a multi-storied home? The dynamics of your family unit should factor into your national disaster emergency plan first and foremost. Here is a checklist for creating your plan:
- A family emergency plan that includes where to find shelter, an evacuation route, and how to say in contact with family members
- An emergency kit you can make yourself that contains all the necessary supplies to survive. This includes water, food, batteries, flashlights, first aid kit, whistle, dust mask, cell phone with chargers and a backup battery, local maps, and more
- Medication and medical supplies each family member needs and may need if injured. Also, information on preparing medications and what to do with those who have a disability
- The important financial and medical information, and the creation of an emergency savings account (if not already created), and insurance needs covered
- Pet emergency plan to get your pet ready by building a kit with basic survival items and more.
- Business emergency plan in preparing your organization for hazards, including identifying your risk, and how to stay safe from types of disasters
Obtain Weather and Emergency Alerts
It’s integral to ensure you have ways to get emergency alerts via your phone, computer, or even by radio/ham radio. To get your home, family, and business ready for natural disasters, do the following:
- Get emergency information from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) app. It includes weather warnings for up to five locations, disaster, aid, and shelter information.
- Receive emergency alerts by enabling your smartphone with the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) public safety system. You receive automatic notifications for severe weather, disasters, and national emergencies.
- Find government information and services to aid you or family members in dealing with a disaster or crisis while living outside or traveling outside the U.S.
After a National Disaster, Call Black Diamond Restoration
After a national disaster, you need quality services from a restoration company that serves all your needs 24/7. Black Diamond Restoration employs licensed and certified professionals who can help restore your home or commercial property, so please reach out and contact us at (801) 512-4194 today.
