Does your family know what to do if a natural disaster strikes? Should you evacuate your home, or stay?
That’s the first important decision you will have to make and it depends on your circumstances and the nature of the emergency. Your family emergency plan should include both possibilities.
PREPARING MAKES SENSE
Use common sense and information learned in advance from the Ready.gov website to determine if there is an immediate danger. In any emergency, local authorities may be swamped with calls and may not immediately be able to provide you with information on what is happening and what you should do. However, you should turn on your TV, tune in to a local radio station and/or check the Internet often for information and official instruction as it becomes available.
Read further information about staying put, called sheltering in place.
EMERGENCY INFORMATION
Whether you’re new to an area or a life-long resident, it’s important to spend time to know what kinds of disasters, both natural and man-made, are most likely to occur in your area and exactly how you will be notified with any instructions. Methods of getting your attention will vary from community to community. One common method is to broadcast via emergency radio and TV broadcasts. Other methods may include a special siren, a telephone call, or emergency workers might even go door-to-door.
EMERGENCY PLANS
You may also want to find out about emergency plans at places where your family spends time, such as your workplace, daycare and school.
Three important questions to ask are:
- How will they communicate with families during a crisis?
- Do they store adequate food, water and other basic supplies?
- Are they prepared to “shelter-in-place” if need be, AND where they plan to go if they must get away?
If no plan exists, you may want to consider volunteering to help create one.
You may also want to talk to your neighbors about how you would work together in the event of a natural disaster. In any event, you will be better prepared to safely reunite your family and loved ones during an emergency if you think ahead and communicate with others in advance.
Check out this short video for more information.
Freedom insurance cares about the safety of you and your family. Visit Ready.gov for more tips on how to prepare for a natural disaster.
We care about your safety!
Freedom Insurance
(410) 795-2000
