Okay, two weeks ago, I posted a little bit of what FEMA has posted online.
I will now post a little bit of what I posted two weeks ago, plus explore more of their nice, useful, information.
As I started looking around their page, I started to realize, they have a huge amount to look at.
First, here is the main page:
www.ready.gov/…
After an emergency, you may need to survive on your own for several days. Being prepared means having your own food, water and other supplies to last for several days. A disaster supplies kit is a collection of basic items your household may need in the event of an emergency.
- Water (one gallon per person per day for several days, for drinking and sanitation)
- Food (at least a several-day supply of non-perishable food)
- Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert
- Flashlight
- First aid kit
- Extra batteries
- Whistle (to signal for help)
- Dust mask (to help filter contaminated air)
- 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 and a backup battery
I posted all that, plus more, two weeks ago.
There is a lot more information on that page.
This time, I looked at the left side of the page.
I saw a long list of other pages, with other lists.
I clicked on “Low and No Cost Preparedness”
www.ready.gov/…
- Know what kind of disasters and emergencies are most common for where you live.
- Create your emergency communications plan. Use our free template to conveniently record important contact and medical information about your family, which you then can share with others and store copies both digitally and on paper.
- Make sure you store important phone numbers somewhere besides just your cell phone.
- Sign up for emergency alerts in your area to receive life-saving information from your state and local municipality.
- Download the FEMA App (available in English and Spanish) to receive weather alerts, safety tips and reminders and be ready for the unexpected.
- Build your emergency supply kit over time. Start with items you may already have in your home, like a flashlight, extra batteries, copies of important documents, water and non-perishable food. When you go to the grocery store, you can pick up an extra item each time that you use regularly, especially if it’s on sale! Community food banks are a potential resource for food-insecure families to stock their emergency supply kits.
- Talk with family or members of your household about where you will go if told to evacuate. Having a plan before disaster strikes can help you save precious time and money.
- Store important documents and items like passports, birth certificates, maps and electronics in a flood-safe place like a high shelf or upper floor in resealable water-tight plastic bags to help waterproof them. Store important documents like insurance policies digitally.
- Contact your local fire department. They may have programs that provide fire or carbon monoxide detectors.
- Check online for free or discounted CPR courses offered near you.
- Visit Floodsmart.gov to know your area’s level of flood risk.
- Download free preparedness resources.
I especially like the bullet point, “Build your emergency supply kit over time.”
That is, to some extent, what I have been doing.
I probably need to do more.
For example, I need to gather my first aid supplies all into one kit.
Or my main batch, plus a smaller “go bag” kit, maybe.
See, I have not yet worked out my details.
I am not a know-it-all, telling all of you what to do.
Back at the main page, on the left, this page caught my eye:
www.ready.gov/…
Financial Preparedness Tips
Americans at all income levels have experienced the challenges of rebuilding their lives after a disaster or other emergency. In these stressful times, having access to personal financial, insurance, medical and other records is crucial for starting the recovery process quickly and efficiently.
- Gather financial and critical personal, household and medical information.
- Consider saving money in an emergency savings account that could be used in any crisis. Keep a small amount of cash at home in a safe place. It is important to have small bills on hand because ATMs and credit cards may not work during a disaster when you need to purchase necessary supplies, fuel or food.
- Obtain property (homeowners or renters), health and life insurance if you do not have them. Not all insurance policies are the same. Review your policy to make sure the amount and types of coverage you have meets the requirements for all possible hazards. Homeowners insurance does not typically cover flooding, so you may need to purchase flood insurance from the National Flood Insurance Program.
- For more helpful financial preparedness tips, download the Emergency Financial First Aid Kit (EFFAK) to get started planning today.
Be Safe
- Be cautious about sharing personal financial information, such as your bank account number, social security number, or credit card number.
- Do not click on links in texts or emails from people you don’t know. Scammers can create fake links to websites.
- Remember that the government will not call or text you about owing money or receiving economic impact payments.
- Be aware that scammers may try to contact you via social media. The government will not contact you through social media about owing money or receiving payments.
- Keep in mind that scammers may try to take advantages of financial fears by calling with work-from-opportunities, debt consolidation offers, and student loan repayment plans.
- Contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at ftc.gov/complaint if you receive messages from anyone claiming to be a government agent.
I especially like that advice about keeping some cash on hand, in the form of small bills.
I do have a little cash on hand, but all in twenties.
I need to go to my credit union, and maybe get all fives.
Someone posted here that after a big storm, the retail stores could not take plastic, and could not give change.
Once again, I need to take steps myself.
I am not a know-it-all, telling all of you what to do.
Wait a minute.
What about the first item on that left column:
www.ready.gov/…
This is called Disasters and Emergencies.
I went there to answer the question, what are we prepping for, exactly?
Hazard Information Sheets: Download the Full Suite or download individual sheets for Active Shooter, Avalanche, Cyberattack, Earthquake, Extreme Heat, Financial Emergency, Flood, Hurricane, Landslide, Novel Pandemic, Nuclear Explosion, Power Outage, Thunderstorm, Lightning, and Hail, Tornado, Tsunami, Volcano, Wildfire, Winter Storm.
Okay.
That is the list, from FEMA, the list of disasters and emergencies.
They have a page for each one of those items.
Here in Wichita, Kansas, our most likely are these: heat, maybe flood, power outages, of course, and storms with high winds that knock down dead trees, lightning, hail, freezing rain that takes down tree limbs, and tornadoes.
And winter storms.
Anyway, give me your feedback, including what your part of the world needs to watch out for, in the comments.
Hugs!