Do you know that Eastern Long Island's Suffolk County is listed in the top ten areas in the U.S. most vulnerable to hurricanes? Do you know that one in three Suffolk County residents don’t know if they live in a floodplain area? Do you know that over two-thirds of our residents don’t feel strongly that they are prepared for the effects of a disaster?
Now is the time to do something -
1. Be informed about the different types of emergencies that can happen in your area and their appropriate responses.Learn about the hazards that may strike your community, the risks you face from these hazards and your community’s plans for warning and evacuation. You can obtain this information by clicking here:
More Ways To Be Informed:
2. Create a family emergency plan
Your family may not be together when an emergency happens, so it is important to plan in advance. Think about how you will contact one another, how you will get back together, and what you will do in different situations. Learn about Creating a Family Emergency Plan:
More Ways to Protect Yourself & Your Family:
Learn how to Tailor a Plan to Your Needs:
Create a Plan for Your Locations:
3. Put together an emergency supply kit
You may need to survive on your own after an emergency. This means having your own food, water and other supplies in sufficient quantity to last for at least three days. Local officials and relief workers will be on the scene after a disaster, but they cannot reach everyone immediately. You could get help in hours, or it might take days. In addition, basic services such as electricity, gas, water, sewage treatment, and telephones may be cut off for days, or even a week or longer. To find a complete checklist of the supplies your household may need in the event of an emergency, click here:
Topics related to putting together an emergency supply kit:
4. Get involved in emergency preparedness
Click here to learn about the Suffolk County Citizen Corps Councils, Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT), Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS) programs,and Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) units. Click here to learn about Volunteering as a Firefighter or EMS Provider. Ask them what you can do to prepare yourself and your community for disasters and how to get involved locally. Contact local chapters of the American Red Cross and National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster for local disaster preparedness and response service opportunities.
The Suffolk County Office of Emergency Management encourages you to take an active role in preparing for disasters. It will bring you and your loved ones some satisfaction, peace of mind and may very well help save your life.