At Go Bag, FEMA recommends packing food and water for three days, physical maps of the area, changes to clothing and copies of important documents. According to Checklist From your agency, these must include birth certificates, medical information, copies of rental or home lease and insurance contracts, car title and registration, bank information sealed in waterproof containers or bags. Consider adding items specific to your climate and geographical environment (sunblocks in excess layers of desert conditions or cold areas) and items specific to your home needs (such as pet medication, baby diapers).
Practice for emergencies
Nicole Mall, national spokesperson for the Red Cross, says, “To know your location first and that it can be at risk will really help you prepare for what you may come.” Ready.gov,FEMA-related resources currently maintain a list of hazards with their respective safety pointers, but FEMA is National risk index You can see the dangers your county is most exposed to.
Emergency scenario practice can mean anything from testing a new manual radio to mapping different exit routes from your area when the main roads are unable to pass, to coordinating with friends and family about who will touch the base if something happens. Mariel Fonteyn, director of US emergency response at The Disaster Relief Nonprofit Americas, recommends writing down important phone numbers on paper and preparing them in advance for scenarios where communications don’t work as normal.
“If the network is overwhelmed, the phone will not be notified, but ultimately there will be text messages,” she says. “Depending on what happens in the network, text messages outside the damaged area tend to pass better. If you have family or friends living in another condition, it can be better than trying to send that person a message to each other within the damaged area.
In some cases, knowing how to safely handle emergency supplies and situations can be the difference between life and death. Fonteyn says deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning are not uncommon following extended blackouts due to improper use of resistant generators.
“If you have a generator, make sure you know exactly how to use it safely and where to place it safely. Do not use it internally.
Prepare how post-disaster political situation will affect the federal response
After a disaster occurs that is too big for the state to handle on its own, the governor can request a disaster declaration from the White House. This declaration allows FEMA to come to the affected area and adjust recovery. The declaration also opens up a variety of services for survivors to help support temporary housing, legal assistance, home repairs and grants to help pay tax bill relief, helping the nation do everything from rebuilding infrastructure to restoring utilities like water and electricity.
