General Preparedness

Disasters, both natural and man-made, can strike at any time. It's important to be prepared and have plans for anything that may arise. Here you can find tips for preparing and information on how to make plans.

Planning for an Emergency

Always Remain Calm

Be prepared to adapt this information to your circumstances and make every effort to follow instructions received from authorities on the scene. Above all, stay calm, be patient, and think before you act. With these simple preparations, you can be ready for the unexpected.

Develop a Family Communications Plan

Your family may not be together when disaster strikes, so plan how you will contact one another and review what you will do in different situations. It may be easier to make a long-distance phone call than to call across town. Have a family member or friend who lives in another location be a designated contact if this is the case. Be sure each person knows the phone number and has coins or a prepaid phone card to call the emergency contact. Getting through may be tough so be patient. Cell phones are another option.

FEMA's Ready.gov site can help you prepare a family plan with details and downloadable materials on their Make a Plan page.

Deciding to Stay or Go

Use common sense and available information to determine if there is immediate danger. In any emergency, local authorities may or may not immediately be able to provide information on what is happening and what you should do. You should watch TV, listen to the radio, and check the websites of news organizations and government officials often for information or official instructions as they become available.

Staying Put and "Sheltering in Place"

If you see large amounts of debris in the air, or if local authorities say the air is badly contaminated, you may want to "shelter in place" (staying put and creating a barrier between yourself and potentially contaminated air outside). Plan where you will take shelter. Choose an interior room or a room with as few windows and doors as possible.

Quickly bring your family and pets inside, lock doors, and close windows, air vents, and fireplace dampers. Turn off air conditioning, forced air heating systems, exhaust fans, and clothes dryers. Seal off all windows and air vents in the room with heavyweight garbage bags or plastic sheeting and duct tape.

Getting Away

If you choose to evacuate, plan how you will assemble your family and anticipate where you will go. Choose several destinations in different directions so you have options in an emergency. If you have a car, keep at least a half tank of gas in it at all times, or store an extra gas can in a safe location. Become familiar with alternate routes as well as other means of transportation out of your area. Take pets with you if you are going to evacuate. However, if you are going to a public shelter, keep in mind that they may not be allowed inside. Research ahead of time for pet-friendly locations or what shelters will allow pets and what kinds they will allow. Also, contact your local animal shelters. Many of them will have the ability to provide you with information on what can be done with your pet in cases of emergency.

For more information on planning for an evacuation, visit the "Evacuating Yourself and Your Family" page.

Basic Emergency Supplies Kit

A basic emergency supply kit could include the following recommended items:

• Water, one gallon of water per person per day for at least ten days, for drinking and sanitation
• Food, at least a ten-day supply of non-perishable food
• Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• First aid kit
• Whistle to signal for help
• Dust mask to help filter contaminated air and plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter in place
• Moist towelettes, garbage bags, and plastic ties for personal sanitation
• Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
• Manual can opener for food
• Local maps
• Cell phone with chargers, inverter, or solar charger

Once you have gathered the supplies for a basic emergency kit, you may want to consider adding the following items:

• Prescription medications and glasses
• Infant formula and diapers
• Pet food and extra water for your pet; put together a Pet Emergency Kit
• Cash or traveler's checks and change
• Important family documents such as copies of insurance policies, identification, and bank account records in a waterproof, portable container
• Emergency reference material such as a first aid book or free information from this website
• Sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person. Consider additional bedding if you live in a cold-weather climate.
• Complete change of clothing including a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, and sturdy shoes. Consider additional clothing if you live in a cold-weather climate.
• Household chlorine bleach and medicine dropper - When diluted (nine parts water to one part bleach) bleach can be used as a disinfectant. Or in an emergency, you can use it to treat water by using 16 drops of regular household liquid bleach per gallon of water. Do not use scented, color, or bleach with added cleaners.
• Fire extinguisher
• Matches in a waterproof container
• Feminine supplies and personal hygiene items
• Mess kits, paper cups, plates, paper towels and plastic utensils
• Paper and pencil
• Books, games, puzzles, or other activities for children

In any emergency, a family member or you may suffer an injury. If you have these basic first aid supplies you are better prepared to help your loved ones when they are hurt.

Knowing how to treat minor injuries can make a difference in an emergency. You may consider taking a first aid class, but simply having the following things can help you stop bleeding, prevent infection, and assist in decontamination.

• Two pairs of Latex or other sterile gloves if you are allergic to Latex
• Sterile dressings to stop bleeding
• Cleansing agent/soap and antibiotic towelettes
• Antibiotic ointment
• Burn ointment
• Adhesive bandages in a variety of sizes
• Eye wash solution to flush the eyes or as a general decontaminant
• Thermometer
• Prescription medications you take every day such as insulin, heart medicine, and asthma inhalers. You should periodically rotate medicines to account for expiration dates.
• Prescribed medical supplies such as glucose and blood pressure monitoring equipment and supplies
• Non-prescription drugs
  • Aspirin or non-aspirin pain reliever
  • Anti-diarrhea medication
  • Antacid
  • Laxative

• Other first aid supplies
  • Scissors
  • Tweezers
  • Tube of petroleum jelly or other lubricant