Did you know that September is National Preparedness Month? Are you prepared in case of an emergency? Do you have a supply kit available to you that you can grab on the go? Do you have plans on where to meet family members in case of an evacuation? Do you have something in place to assist an elderly person in case of an emergency? What about your family pet? Do you have an emergency kit for them too?
Many people know all too well how life can change in a heartbeat. One day you can find yourself in an emergency situation. Will you and your family be prepared? Sometimes it takes an emergency to make people realize that you have to have plans and supplies in place. Just ask anyone that was affected by Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Irene.
Throughout the month of September there will be activities across the country to promote emergency preparedness. Over 3,000 organizations at the national, regional and local levels will be supporting and promoting efforts to encourage people and families to take action and be prepared.
Some steps you can take include creating a kit filled with emergency supplies (batteries, flashlights, non-perishable foods, water, diapers, pet foods, medications, first aid kit…), make plans (where will your family meet in case of an evacuation? What do to with elderly family members or pets?), be informed (stay on top of the news and know what is going on), and get involved (help others created an emergency plan, educated your community about the importance of emergency kits…).
Another thing you can do is sign up for Notify NYC, which is New York City’s official emergency notification system. When you subscribe you will receive text messages, e-mails, phone calls and/or Tweets about significant citywide events, as well as smaller events happening in your own neighborhood. These notifications cover topics such as severe weather, school closures, subway disruptions, and traffic advisories in all areas of the city.
I like the option of having important information sent to me via text and e-mails, especially when it comes to severe weather and school closings. My husband can appreciate the traffic advisories too since he has to travel across the river for work. Having a system like this is not only a time saver but it can also provide you with some peace of mind. It is FREE to join too.
Anyone can sign up for Notify NYC and customize the alerts they wish to receive by visiting NYC.Gov/NotifyNYC or by following @ Notify NYC on Twitter. You can also learn more by checking out their page on Facebook.
I know that not all my readers reside in the New York City area. That is why I want to encourage you to check out the Office of Emergency Management in your local area. You can often find their contact information in the Yellow Pages or you can Google it. The CDC has some great information and resources too.
To help you prepare for unexpected emergencies, Notify NYC would like to give a lucky reader a $50.00 gift card to a national home improvement store to help purchase home preparedness supplies. You do not need to be a NYC resident to enter (anyone can enter). Thank you Notify NYC!
This giveaway is open to US residents only and will end on September 15, 2012 at 12:01 AM (EST). The winner will be chosen at random using a random number generator from all eligible entries. The winner will be notified via e-mail and will have three days to reply or a new winner will be chosen.
To enter please leave a comment on this post and tell me what steps you have taken to be prepared in case of an emergency. Feel free to share any tips you might have too.
For extra entries you can use the Rafflecopter widget (below) but you must complete the initial entry requirement first or the additional entries won’t qualify.
Kimberly
*I was not compensated for this post. I posted this for the benefit of my site readers. Any opinions expressed are my own and are not influenced in any way. Notify NYC will be providing the prize.
About Kimberly
we have a generator and lots of flashlights
We have duffle bags in the coat closet with water bottles, flashlights, canned food and other things we might need in a disaster.
kerrie@mayansfamily.com
We have flashlights
Kims2312@verizon.net
i have batteries and flashlights! lol
Lots of batteries and flashlights!
I have a bag I keep in the back of the closet with batteries, flashlights and candles etc…that I NEVER touch (even if the TV remote runs out of batteries..yikes)..It is just for REAL emergencies…that way you cant lose the flash lights, or use up all the batteries!
We have a generator bottled water and lots of extra batteries
we need batteries.
We have a emergency kit together that has flashlights, batteries, first aid kit and phone numbers in it.
I have an extensive first aid kit prepared, flashlights, candles and a crank radio
We have candles, flashlights and batteries as well as bottled water and canned goods put away for an emergency
generator, BBQ, propane tanks, flashlights and bottled water
We have a lot of bottled water and flashlights at home. No generators because I live in NYC and it’s an apt.
We have a pack and flashlights.
We have emergency supplies stored in our basement that includes food, water, batteries and some cash etc. We also have a generator with enough gas to run it for several days.
We have emergency lanterns and food stuffs. We still need to get a radio though!
lots of extra bottled water, batteries and flashlights on hand
kport207 at gmail dot com
stocked up on batteries, flashlights, and non perishable foods
We keep non-perishables stocked and have a fire escape ladder among other things
*Thanks* for the giveaway!
I keep extra bottled water on hand.