Friday, August 28, 2015

Hurricanes and Being Prepared for Emergencies

September is National Preparedness Month, a time to remind everyone about the importance of being prepared for emergencies in your area.

#NationalPreparednessMonth Being Prepared for Emergencies and Disasters

Living in South Florida, I am no stranger to hurricanes or preparing for an emergency.  Thankfully, we haven't seen a hurricane in ten years.  However, those quiet hurricane seasons can make some people indifferent to the fact that we Floridians always need to be prepared. 

Now, as we are in the path of Tropical Storm Erika which may evolve into a hurricane, being prepared is more important than ever.  If your family includes pets, they need to be a part of your Emergency Preparedness Plan too.


Even though my Preparedness Plan is for hurricanes, I am sure parts of my plan would work for any type of emergency.  Here are some tips from my Plan that may work for you:

  • Be sure to have at least 3 days of water, food, medications, cat litter and other necessary pet supplies for your pets.  We usually have enough for 5 days just in case.
  • Provide a safe place for your pet to "hide" from the storm like a playpen or crate.
  • If evacuating, be sure to identify a shelter or hotel in the area you are heading that accepts pets.  Do Not Leave Your Pet Behind!
  • Make sure identification tags are up-to-date on all pets and are securely fastened to their collars.
  • Have a current photo or two of your pets with you for identification purposes. (That is not a difficult one for us - Ma's phone is filled with photos of me!)

The Ad Council, in partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is raising awareness during September, National Preparedness Month.  They are encouraging everyone to "Be Informed, Make a Plan, Build a Kit and Get Involved" so they are ready for an emergency and/or disaster. 

To learn more or to find Resources and Guides to help you with your emergency plan, you can visit Ready.gov/MyPlan.  You can also watch this short video which shows people with disabilities taking charge to prepare themselves and their families for emergencies.

Do you have an Emergency/Disaster Preparedness Plan?



27 comments:

  1. We had a tornado about 5 miles from us the other day....and we didn't even know about it! BOL! It's very unusual.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I is very lucky we don't haf to be worried about tornados butts its always good to be prepared!
    Loves and licky kisses
    Princess Leah xxx

    ReplyDelete
  3. Always best to be prepared!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Take care of yourself and your people Oz!

    ReplyDelete
  5. we have a backpack with food, water, blankets and copies of all impawtant papers. we hope we will never need it, but it's better to be prepared for the worst case, right?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Being in Florida like you, we have our eyes glued to the TV for Erika updates. Hopefully she'll just disappear! BUTT the pawrents are going grocery shopping tonight just in case. STAY SAFE!

    ReplyDelete
  7. We saw that on the news this morning and thought about all our friends who live in Florida..........we saw the grocery stores were starting to empty out already. STay really safe.
    stella rose

    ReplyDelete
  8. We don't have hurricanes here, but we have tornadoes. Momma has an emergency kit that includes stuff for all of us!

    ReplyDelete
  9. We don't have hurricanes here, but we have tornadoes. Momma has an emergency kit that includes stuff for all of us!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Sounds like good information. All kinds of disasters are possible so it would be good to be prepared.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Here in Vermont we're pretty lucky, but it's always best to be prepared. I hope Erika decides to go back out to sea!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Yikes those hurry canes are scary. Be safe friends. We like our earthquakes better cause you don't know they are coming
    Snorts,
    Lily & Edward

    ReplyDelete
  13. Great tips!! I hope Erika doesn't end up landing as a hurricane!
    -Jessica from Beagles & Bargains

    ReplyDelete
  14. Great post and advice we can never be over prepared better to be safe than sorry.

    Sheba.

    ReplyDelete
  15. So glad that you are prepared OZ. Looks like Erica is heading your way, Stay Safe buddy!
    hugs
    Mr Bailey, Hazel & Mabel

    ReplyDelete
  16. Great post, Oz - we will keep our paws crossed that Erica will change her mind and head back out to sea.

    Woos - Ciara and Lightning

    ReplyDelete
  17. We were discussing all of our blogging friends in Florida last night when the national weather showed the storm track. Y'all stay safe. We also have an emergency kit for the boys. You can't wait until it is time to evacuate to make a plan. Great post!

    ReplyDelete
  18. I forgot you're in Florida too!

    ReplyDelete
  19. I forgot you're in Florida too!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Mom said we have a plan but it isn't really a plan, it's more of plan to make a plan.

    Your Pals,

    Murphy & Stanley

    ReplyDelete
  21. We have a plan, too - but ours is due to tornadoes!
    Stay safe, Oz!
    Cammie!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Thanks for the important information. Hope you stay safe.

    ReplyDelete
  23. When mum lived up north (before moving here in 2002) she said she had to be prepared for snow storms!!!! She did not like having to dig out her car and then travel with all the crazies on the road. She said that it did help her a little the last time she went back to Connecticut and there was a snowstome the first night when she was in New Mexico!!! And also when there was a pretty bad snowstorm here in Tucson, I believe it was around 2003!!! She worked in a telephone call center that had offices in Boston, Canada and Florida and it was always the joke that all the other offices were affected by the weather, and then we were!!! Half of our employees could not get to work!!!!

    Mum said that when she was moving from CT, she had an offer from one of her online Scrabble buddies to rent a guesthouse in Florida near Gainesville, but that cos of the humidity in the summer and tornados she decided against it. It does get VERY hot here in Tucson in the summer but as the saying goes "its a dry heat" and just about everything is air conditioned!!

    Take care and stay safe

    ttfn and toodle pip

    Cookie

    p.s. -- did you ever get the e-mail with my (cookie) picture in it?

    ReplyDelete
  24. Be safe Oz! I know you are well-prepared for the coming storm but we still worry about you. One benefit of living in the city we don't have to worry about natural disasters too much, unless mom tried to burn the place down but its all brick so not likely. Will be thinking of you in the next few days. Love Dolly

    ReplyDelete
  25. Excellent post Oz! We are thinking of you and praying that you will all make out ok and that the hurricane will just turn around and go back out to sea!! We are very happy to hear that you are prepared, but hope you don't have to go anywhere!! You are in our thoughts!

    ReplyDelete
  26. It is SO important to be prepared!!! We never really had to worry too much about Tornadoes here in Ontario, but lately in the last few years, it seems like they are a more common occurrence, which scares the fur off me!!
    ღ husky hugz ღ frum our pack at Love is being owned by a husky!

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for stopping by and leaving a pawprint. I enjoy reading each and every one!
Cairn cuddles,
Oz the Terrier