September is National Preparedness Month–a great time to make sure you and your loved ones are disaster ready. Any time of the year, Travis County and Central Texas could face wildfires, tornadoes, flash floods, or man-made disasters. We are in the middle of hurricane season, and August and September are two of the most active months of the season.
How can anyone prepare for the possibility of these different disasters? Take practical steps, so that you are informed and ready for events beyond your control:
- Stay informed. Monitor news reports for emergency information. Remember that there may be no electricity during a disaster, so a hand-crank radio is recommended. Register your cell phone, phone landline, email address or pager to receive Regional Notification System alerts by voice call, email or text at wireless.capcog.org. The Travis County Emergency Services Facebook (TravisCoEmergencyServices) and Twitter (@TravisCountyES) ppages also provide updates during emergencies.
- Build a disaster supply kit. Your kit should include enough non-perishable food, one gallon of water per day per person, prescription medication and other supplies, such as flashlights, batteries and a first-aid kit. Keep a list of your family’s disaster supply kit items in the new FEMA app fema.gov/smartphone-app.
- Make a plan tthat extends from home to vehicle, workplace and other locations. Remember to have supplies at all locations, and keep vehicle fuel tanks at least half full.
- Prepare your home and decrease the threat of wildfires to you and your property by following the Ready, Set, Go! brochure at traviscountytx.gov/fire_marshal/.
- Get involved–Prepare your community for emergencies: : For more information on National Preparedness Month and getting others involved, go to: ready.gov/september or ready.gov/es/septiembre, and follow #NatlPrep.
Benjamin Franklin said, "By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail." If you doubt the importance of preparedness, view the video, "It Started Like Any Other Day," below and join America’s PrepareAthon at ready.gov/prepare.
