WCC Emergency Preparation

Dear WCC Partner, Disaster can strike quickly and without warning. It can force you to evacuate your neighborhood, workplace or school or can confine you to your home. What would you do if basic services – water, gas, electricity or telephones – were cut off? Often times, the outcome of an emergency is directly affected by how well the people involved are prepared. WCC families will cope best by preparing for disaster before it strikes. After a disaster, local officials and relief workers will be on the scene, but they cannot reach everyone immediately. You could get help in hours or it may take days. There are real benefits to being prepared.

  • Being prepared can reduce fear, anxiety, and losses that accompany disasters. Communities, families, and individuals should know what to do in the event of a disaster such as an earthquake. They should be ready to evacuate their homes and take refuge in public shelters if the need arises and know how to care for their basic medical needs.

The need to prepare is real.

  • Disasters disrupt hundreds of thousands of lives every year. Each disaster has lasting effects, both to people and property.
  • If a disaster occurs in your community, local government and disaster-relief organizations will try to help you, but you need to be ready as well. Local responders may not be able to reach you immediately, or they may need to focus their efforts elsewhere.
  • You should know how to respond to severe weather or any disaster that could occur in your area - hurricanes, earthquakes, extreme cold, flooding, or terrorism.
  • You should also be ready to be self-sufficient for at least three days. This may mean providing for your own shelter, first aid, food, water, and sanitation.

The following information is provided as a quick reference to help you make decisions in a stressful emergency situation.

Disaster Supply Kit

One way to prepare is to assemble a Disaster Supplies Kit. Once a disaster hits, you won't have time to shop or search for supplies. If you have gathered supplies in advance, your family can endure an evacuation or home confinement.

Earthquake Safety Checklist

An earthquake is a sudden, rapid shaking of the earth caused by the breaking and shifting of rock beneath the earth’s surface. Earthquakes strike suddenly, without warning, and they can occur at any time of the year, day or night. Forty-five states and territories in the United States are at moderate to very high risk of earthquakes, and they are located in every region of the country.

Did you know?

Doorways are no stronger than any other part of the structure. During an earthquake, get under a sturdy piece of furniture and hold on. This will provide some protection from falling objects that can injure you during an earthquake.

Assemble a disaster supplies kit. If you need to evacuate your home or are asked to "shelter in place," having some essential supplies on hand will make you and your family more comfortable. Prepare a disaster supplies kit in an easy-to-carry container such as a duffel bag, backpack or small plastic trashcan. Include:

  • A supply of water (one gallon per person per day). Store water in sealed, unbreakable containers. Identify the storage date and replace every six months
  • A supply of nonperishable packaged or canned food and a non-electric can opener.
  • A change of clothing, rain gear and sturdy shoes.
  • Blankets or sleeping bags.
  • A first aid kit and prescription medications.
  • An extra pair of glasses.
  • A battery-powered radio, flashlight and plenty of extra batteries.
  • Credit cards and cash.
  • An extra set of car keys.
  • A list of family physicians.
  • A list of important family information; the style and serial number of medical devices such as pacemakers.
  • Special items for infants, elderly or disabled family members.

Consider keeping cash on hand, as ATMs and banking systems may be down or difficult to get to in the time of a disaster. It is also a good idea to include copies of important family documents (birth certificates, passports and licenses) in your kit. Copies of essential documents - like powers of attorney, birth and marriage certificates, insurance policies, life insurance beneficiary designations and a copy of your will - should also be kept in a safe location outside your home. A safe deposit box or the home of a friend or family member who lives out of town qualifies.

Helpful Emergency Preparedness Links

www.BePrepared.com

http://www.acgov.org/ready/

http://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies

Matthew 24:6-8 (New Living Translation)

6 And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. 7 Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. 8 But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come.

Jeremiah 29:11 (New Living Translation)

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. Psalm 46:1 (New King James Version) 1"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." John 3:16 (New International Version) 16"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, and whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." The following attachments include informational resources from the Federal Government and Red Cross to further assist you in your preparation.