According to a recent survey conducted by FEMA, 50 percent of Americans have not discussed or developed an emergency plan for family members about where to go and what to do in the event of a local disaster.
- Additionally, nearly 70 percent of Americans have not participated in a preparedness drill or exercise, aside from a fire drill at their workplace, school or home in the past two years.
- “Disasters can strike anytime and anywhere,” FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate said. “America’s PrepareAthon! is about practicing what to do in an emergency with enough regularity so that it becomes second nature when the real disaster actually happens.”
To encourage more Americans to prepare and practice, the campaign offers easy-to-implement preparedness guides, checklists and resources.
- Sign up for local text alerts and warnings and download weather apps to your smartphone.
Stay aware of worsening weather conditions. Visit www.ready.gov/prepare and get the Be Smart: Know Your Alerts and Warnings to learn how to search for local alerts and weather apps relevant for hazards that affect your area. - Gather important documents and keep them in a safe place.
Have all of your personal, medical, and legal papers in one place, so you can evacuate without worrying about gathering your family’s critical documents at the last minute. Visit www.ready.gov/prepare and download Be Smart: Protect Your Critical Documents and Valuables for a helpful checklist. - Create an emergency supply kit.
Bad weather can become dangerous very quickly. Be prepared by creating an emergency supply kit for each member of your family. Visit www.ready.gov/kit for more ideas of what to include in your kit. - Develop an emergency communication plan for your family.
It’s possible that your family will be in different locations when a disaster strikes. Come up with a plan so everyone knows how to reach each other and get back together if separated. Visit http://www.ready.gov/make-a-plan for communication plan resources.
FEMA Texas Coast
The first step in being prepared is to know about the hazards that can affect you where you live and work. Hurricanes occur in coastal areas, but can impact weather across the country. To learn more about hurricanes and what you should do to protect yourself and your property download the How to Prepare for a Hurricane guide.
When people talk about preparedness, they are more likely to take action, so start the conversation! America’s PrepareAthon! offers customizable promotional materials to make your National PrepareAthon!