Be Prepared!
It’s a message all Californians have grown up with given their vulnerability to natural disasters. They have seen it all – firestorms, flooding, drought, blizzards, and of course earthquakes. Additionally, with the “Hurriquake 2011″ that struck the East Coast, and the tornadoes and storms that ravaged the Midwest and South this Spring, we would assume that disasters are a fact of life, so it would be safe to assume that preparing for potential disaster would be automatic for everyone.
Surprisingly, recent research indicates that LESS THAN HALF of all Californians have taken necessary steps to prepare for disaster and reduce their risk of damage and injury.
As disaster can strike at any moment, now is the time for Californians – and Americans – to take immediate action. Fortunately, there is no shortage of resources to help us get started.
Today, October 20, millions of Californians will participate in the 4th annual Great California ShakeOut, the largest earthquake drill in our nation’s history. It is an opportunity, not only for participants to practice the skills that can save lives in an earthquake, but to also focus on what needs to be done and how easy it can be to prepare yourself.
Simple steps such as building an emergency preparedness kit for every member of your family –including your pets – will ensure you have essential items that will sustain you should you need to evacuate immediately or find that you must go it alone until help arrives. In fact, you most likely have many of the items you need already in your home.
In an effort to promote preparedness and encourage Californians to take action, the California Emergency Management Agency, California Earthquake Authority, and California Seismic Safety Commission have partnered to launch the Totally Unprepared earthquake readiness campaign.
The campaign, which features several of the links above, is a year-long effort aimed to present preparedness info and action steps in a new, more interactive way. Californians are encouraged to get involved via YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter to not only learn for themselves but to easily share the valuable information with their own network of friends and family.In a state so prone to disasters, we all share in the responsibility of getting prepared to the greatest extent possible. While we can’t prevent or predict when and where disaster will strike, we can all be proactive in our preparedness efforts.
Every journey begins with a single step. We encourage you to take that first step and join the over 8.3 million people already registered to participate in ShakeOut this Thursday, October 20.
Don’t live in California? Don’t worry. ShakeOut may be coming to your state. We’re all in this together. Let’s get involved and get prepared.
