Imagine waking up tomorrow and your world has been turned upside down. A hurricane has ravaged your community, leaving behind a trail of destruction. Flood waters have forced you and your family to evacuate. Power lines are down, and you’re going to be without electricity for at least the next week.
Jaclyn Rothenberg
Director of Public Affairs, FEMA
“The increase in extreme weather events is devastating communities and changing lives. It is no longer a question of “if,” but “when” — which is why we all need to prepare.”
Looking back, is there anything you wish you had done to prepare before the storm hit? Did you have an evacuation plan? Did you prepare a go bag? What supplies, food, and medicine do you need for you and your pets? Do you know where your insurance documents are or how to access them online? And most importantly, do you know how to get in touch with your loved ones?
These are the questions we should all be asking ourselves today — on beautiful blue-sky days when there are no storms in sight.
Witnessing devastation
As the director of public affairs at Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), I’ve traveled with FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell and witnessed the devastation and deadliness of extreme weather events firsthand. I’ve seen wildfires rip through communities in Colorado. I’ve seen floodwaters split roads and swallow homes in South Dakota. In Iowa, I met a woman who survived a tornado that tore her entire home from its foundation, leaving her alive in what was once the basement.
We all watched as Hurricane Beryl made history as the earliest category 5 hurricane to form in the Atlantic, causing widespread flooding and extensive power outages. And at the beginning of August, there were more than 80 fires burning across our nation.
The increase in extreme weather events is devastating communities and changing lives. It is no longer a question of “if,” but “when” — which is why we all need to prepare.
3 steps to get prepared
Preparedness doesn’t need to be daunting. Here are three steps everyone can take today to protect ourselves, our families, our communities, and our pets from all types of disasters and emergencies.
- Know your risk: Know when and where you may experience an extreme weather event and know what you need to do to prepare. Visit Ready.gov or Listo.gov to learn more.
- Be in the know: Because disasters can happen quickly, being in the know about how to evacuate safely can save time and save lives. It’s important to know your location’s unique risks, where you will evacuate, what you will bring with you, and where to get reliable information.
- Make a plan: I encourage everyone to visit Ready.gov or Listo.gov, where you can complete and download the free family emergency plan form and supplies list.
While I encourage everyone to take these steps, I want to assure you that FEMA remains more committed than ever to helping people recover from the disasters that require federal assistance as directed by the President of the United States.
Every day, FEMA strives to help people and communities across the nation recover from disasters. Most importantly, we make sure people have the tools they need to prepare today for what tomorrow might bring. Visit Ready.gov to learn more about hazards you might face and steps you can take to protect yourself before, during, and after disasters.
