September is National Preparedness Month, which encourages everybody to take the small steps necessary to be prepared for an emergency or disaster. The theme for the month this year is “Americans stand ready.”
Radcliff Deputy Fire Marshal Tommy Crane says Kentucky sees a full gambit of severe weather including tornadoes, flash flooding, extreme heat, and winter storms, but he says the need for preparedness extends to every day situations such as power outage due to a struck utility pole or a water main break.
If you know severe weather is coming, make a decision on if you are staying in your household or seeking shelter elsewhere. Make sure you are stocked up before the emergency arrives.
“Plan on at least 72 hours of emergency supplies in a big weather event, and that’s for each person in the house,” Crane said. “Examples of this, you need at least one gallon of water a day per person. If you have pets, think about your dogs.”
Have food on hand that is easy to prepare, make sure you have time to visit the pharmacy ahead of time so you do not run low on medications, and keep sanitation in mind.
“Do you have antibacterial wipes, Germ-X, things like that?” Crane said “If you don’t have running water and soap, it’s going to be hard to stay clean and keep hygiene.”
Find more tips and information at www.ready.gov.
