The start of a new year is the perfect time to ensure your disaster supplies are up to date. While disaster planning isn’t usually at the top of everyone’s to-do list, a small amount of planning now can make a big difference when you’re faced with a natural disaster or emergency.
January 17, 2022
The start of a new year is the perfect time to ensure your disaster supplies are up to date. While disaster planning isn’t usually at the top of everyone’s to-do list, a small amount of planning now can make a big difference when you’re faced with a natural disaster or emergency.
Creating a disaster plan can feel daunting. Here are a few tips and tricks to help you get started, as well as resources to facilitate planning with confidence.
Depending on where you live in Washington, it’s possible to experience floods, wildfires, unhealthy air conditions (smoke), earthquakes, excessive heat or cold, snow, tsunamis or other natural disasters.
FEMA recommends having at least 72 hours’ worth of emergency supplies, while Washington state recommends being “two weeks ready” if disaster strikes.
Check out the following resources to help you get started:
The Washington Emergency Management Division has a “Prepare in a Year” plan for individuals and families. Materials are available as a webinar, YouTube video and booklet (available in several languages). There are also resources and tips for preparing and caring for your pets in a disaster.
Ready.gov is a federal resource that has information about specific disasters; ideas for preparing kids for when disaster strikes; ways to sign up for emergency alerts; and more.
The American Red Cross has a quiz you can take to check the readiness of your emergency kit, plus a chat feature for any questions you may have.