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Hurricane season
seems to be getting worse every year and the national
weather service isn’t expecting it to get better in the
future. Earthquakes on the west coast, tornados in the
Midwest and floods throughout the nation cause hundreds
of emergency evacuations every year.
Hurricane Katrina displaced tens of thousands of people, most of them
hundreds of miles away from home or other family
members. Many of these with injuries or medical
conditions were treated by doctors that had incomplete
information about the patients medical history putting
the patient at serious risk.
FEMA and the Red Cross
both recommend you maintain a 72 hour emergency kit.
Plan
for Emergencies
You can begin
this process by gathering family members and making sure
each person is well-informed on potential hazards and
community plans. Discuss with them what you would do if
family members are not home when a warning is issued.
Assemble a Disaster Supplies Kit
You may need to survive
on your own after a disaster. This means having your own
food, water, and other supplies in sufficient quantity
to last for at least three days. Local officials and
relief workers will be on the scene after a disaster,
but they cannot reach everyone immediately. You could
get help in hours, or it might take days.
Basic services such as electricity, gas, water, sewage
treatment, and telephones may be cut off for days, or
even a week or longer. Or, you may have to evacuate at a
moment’s notice and take essentials with you. You
probably will not have the opportunity to shop or search
for the supplies you need.
A disaster supplies kit is a collection of basic items
that members of a household may need in the event of a
disaster.
Are You Ready?
Are You Ready? An
In-depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness is FEMA’s most
comprehensive source on individual, family, and
community preparedness. You can find it
HERE
TAGS: Disaster kit, 72
hour, FEMA, hurricane, flood, earthquake, tornado
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