Are You Prepared for a Disaster?

If You “Do 1 thing” at a time, you can be!

Damage. Destruction. Disaster. No one wants to hear—or read—
those words. They loom large and make you want to turn the page.

If nothing is rattling, crumbling, flooding or on fire right now, how urgent can it really be? “I’ll take care of it later; it’s on my to-do list,” you think uncertainly to yourself.

Of course, you know you should be prepared for disasters. But how? It can be overwhelming to figure out where to begin. You might not know how much preparation is enough, what it will cost, and which disaster to pick; there are too many concerns to think about.

However, if you only had to do one thing at a time, and follow a process with easy-to-understand, small steps, your goal of getting yourself, your family, and your home ready for a disaster can quickly become a reality.

By following the Do1Thing program you can take small, important steps that make a big difference in an emergency. Do1Thing is a 12-month program that makes preparing for a disaster easier and, therefore, more likely to happen. No need to put it off when it is this simple:

January: Make a Plan
Understand what puts you at risk from disasters and take steps to lower your risk.

February: Water
Store 72 hours’ worth of water – three days – for your household use.

March: Sheltering
Learn how to respond safely when instructions are given to evacuate or take shelter.

April: Food
Prepare an emergency food supply that will meet the needs of your household for three days without outside help.

May: Work, School & Community
Make sure the people who count on you are prepared for a disaster.

June: Unique Family Needs
Educate yourself and prepare for your family’s unique needs, like caring for pets, keeping medications on hand, or considering older adults’ mobility.

July: Family Communication Plan
Make a communication plan to keep in touch with family members during a disaster.

August: Get Involved
Make your community stronger by getting trained and involved.

September: Be Informed
Make sure everyone in your household can receive, understand, and act on information received during an emergency.

October: Power
Arrange to safely meet your electrical needs during an outage.

November: Emergency Supplies Pre-Packed in a Kit
Remember important items that may be overlooked when leaving your home in a disaster.

December: First Aid
Learn how to give first aid while waiting for an ambulance.

Sage advice: Benjamin Franklin famously advised fire threatened Philadelphians in 1736 that: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” True then and still true today. During a disaster is no time to start planning. The “ounce of prevention” you secure now goes a long way toward easing stress, confusion and loss later on. Today is the day!

Resources:
• City of Morgan Hill, Officer of Emergency Services (OES):
https://morganhill.ca.gov/133/Emergency-Preparedness
• AlertSCC, Santa Clara County’s Emergency Alert System:
https://emergencymanagement.sccgov.org/AlertSCC
• Do1Thing Program: https://www.do1thing.com/