Prepare for Severe Weather
Be prepared for power outages that often accompany
severe weather like wind, snow and flooding.
Prepare for the possibility that you may have to stay
home for several days.
Know safe routes from your home, work and school
in case you need to evacuate.
Learn the signs of hypothermia and how to treat it.
Hypothermia is a common problem during cold winter
weather, especially with young children and older
adults who are most vulnerable.
Keep an eye on the sky. Pay attention to weather
clues around you that may warn of imminent danger.
Look for darkening skies, flashes of lightning or
increasing wind, which may be signs of an
approaching thunderstorm. Listen for sounds of
thunder. If you can hear thunder, you are close
enough to the storm to be struck by lightning.
Go to safe shelter immediately.
Pick a safe place in your home where family members
can gather during a thunderstorm. This should be a
place where there are no windows, skylights or glass
doors that could be broken by strong winds, flying
debris or hail.
Stay aware of your surroundings. Look for places you
might go if severe weather threatens.
Prepare for flooding and landslides that
often accompany severe storms.
4
041512489_03
To register for NIE, visit us
at
seattletimes.com/nie
or
call
206.652.6290
.
Puget Sound Offices of
Emergency Management
Prepare for a Flood
Learn the safest route from your home to high ground.
Make arrangements for housing in the event you need
to evacuate your home.
Teach all family members how, where and when to
turn off utilities.
Plan for a meeting place outside of the hazard area.
If it has been raining hard for several hours, or raining
steadily for several days, be alert to the possibility of
a flood.
Consider purchasing one or more pumps to use to
remove water in and around your home during heavy
rains or flooding.
Prepare for severe storms and power outages which
often accompany floods.
Review your flood insurance policies for structure and
contents coverage. Don’t have insurance? Contact your
insurance representative or visit
floodsmart.gov
.
Will you be ready to Make it Through?
In a large disaster, the infrastructure you rely on daily will be
severely disrupted. Everyday utilities like electricity, water and
sewer will be non-existent. Transportation along roads and bridges
will come to a halt, eliminating any form of public transportation
as well as the freight capabilities that carry our basic supplies to
and from our local retailers and suppliers. Communication will be
silenced, as only critical interaction between first responders will
be available in the time of crisis.
So the questions you need to ask yourself are, “How will my family
and I survive? Are my current plan, emergency kit, and community
connections sufficient for being on my own for more than just a
few days? Am I ready for both minor and major impacts to supplies
and services I need on a regular basis? Do my loved ones know
what to do if we are separated during a crisis?”
Prepare now to make it through. You’ll be glad you did.
Here are the steps to take to prepare for resiliency in the event
of a large disaster.
Name
Disaster meeting place
(if I cannot return home)
:
Landline
TIP
You may
be able to send
a text to your
loved ones
from your cell
phone. Keep
these messages
short.
Meeting place in case of house fire:
Cell phone
In case of local emergency, contact:
Name
Phone
OUT OF AREA CONTACT PERSON
ma k e i t t h rough . o rg
Find your very own Make it Through Contact Card
downloadable at
makeitthrough.org
.
Make it Through Contact Card
You’ll want to make a plan for the people and pets in
your family first. Talk with your family about making
a plan for your home as well. After making your
communication plan, review and practice it to be sure
that you and your family are prepared. Learn more about
making a plan at
makeitthrough.org/make-a-plan/
.
Building a kit with seven to 10 days of supplies is key
to making it through the days following a disaster.
You should also create a safe place for important
documents, as well as make custom kits for your pets
and family members’ work locations. Learn more about
building kits at
makeitthrough.org/build-a-kit/
.
Emergency preparedness works best when we can help
each other. One way for you and your family to help
each other is to participate in training sessions for such
skills as first aid and cardiopulmonary resusitation (CPR.)
Also, talk with your family about getting involved in
your community. Emergency preparedness is easier when
neighbors work together. Learn more about helping each
other at
makeitthrough.org/help-each-other/
.
KEEP THIS
SECTION AS A
RESOURCE IN
YOUR HOME
SO YOU KNOW
HOW TO MAKE
IT THROUGH
For more information on winter
weather preparedness, go to
takewinterbystorm.org
.
