If you have a 72-hour emergency kit and a disaster plan for your family, then you have a great start on emergency preparedness. Here are some New Year's tips to help you take the next steps to be ready for whatever 2018 may bring.
Store more food and water
Your 72-hour kit is a great start and will be very helpful in a "typical" storm or power outage. But a major disaster such as a Cascadia Subduction Zone Earthquake could knock out power and water services for weeks or longer. Experts now recommend that you store 14 gallons of water per person and pets—enough for two weeks.
Get to know your neighbors
In a major disaster, professional emergency response may be delayed for hours, even days. Neighborhood connections will be especially important. Check out the Map Your Neighborhood program for a simple, step-by-step guide to help you and your neighbors prepare for an emergency.
Protect your financial well-being
Do you have copies of critical documents in a safe place that is protected from both fire and water? Are your documents available to "grab and go" in case of evacuation? Do you have emergency cash on hand? FEMA's Citizen Core and Operation Hope have developed The Emergency Financial First Aid Kit to help you prepare financially and reduce the financial impacts of disasters.
Sign up for a class
Learn skills you need to help yourself and others until help can arrive. The Eugene-Springfield CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) holds regular trainings on a variety of emergency topics, as does the local chapter of American Red Cross.
Keeping New Year's resolutions can be hard, but emergency preparedness doesn't have to be. Check out our website for handy checklists and resources, as well as tips for storing and treating water, using back-up power sources, turning off utilities in an emergency, and more.
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