Download our Disaster Ready Austin brochure here to become a Disaster Hero: Disaster Ready Austin brochure
Make a Plan
Your family may not be together when disaster strikes, so it is important to plan in advance: how you will contact one another; how you will get back together; and what you will do in different situations.
Build a 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.
For more information on building your kit, please visit FEMA's Ready site here: http://www.ready.gov/
Before, during and after a disaster, it is critical that you listen for the most local, up-to-date information from emergency officials. Local media will convey instructions from local, state and federal government partners, such as:
Orders to evacuate
Details about evacuation routes
Locations of evacuation shelters
How to safely stay where you are
Where to find assistance
Weather warnings and watches
Make sure your battery-powered radio is working in case the electricity goes out. Have extra batteries on hand.
It’s also important to know what kinds of threats could occur in the Austin/Travis County area. Explore the Are You Ready? Disaster links to learn more about these threats and how to respond to them. Knowing what to do during an emergency is an important part of being prepared.
Austin HSEM has a Reverse 911 system referred to as the Emergency Notification System. It will leave messages on a land line or cell phone. You may register for this service here.
Know Your Neighbors
Get to know your neighbors. It is the most significant step you can take to improve your safety. In an emergency, your neighbors can respond faster than anyone else.
Working with neighbors can save lives and property. Meet with your neighbors to plan how the neighborhood could work together during a disaster until help arrives. If you’re a member of a neighborhood organization, such as a home association or crime watch group, introduce disaster preparedness as a new activity.
Know your neighbor’s special skills (e.g., medical, technical) and consider how you could help neighbors who have special needs, such as disabled and elderly persons. Make plans for child care in case parents can’t get home.