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In case of emergency: How to prepare for natural disasters

What to know and how to prepare before natural disasters strike

BANGOR (NEWS CENTER Maine) — Watching natural disasters unfold around the country can make anyone feel uneasy. The best way to relieve concern is to be informed and prepared, knowing what you would do if a disaster were to strike in your hometown.

The director of Penobscot County Emergency Management, Michelle Tanguay, says preparation starts with getting educated, specifically about where you live.

"I would urge people to have awareness of emergency management. Do they live in a low-lying area that might get flooded easily? Do they know their evacuation route plan? If they are in one of those low-lying areas, are they aware of their communities evacuation plan so they know where they go?"

If someone plans to hunker down and stay home through the storm, they also have to plan ahead.

According to the Department of Homeland Security's website, a good "preparedness kit" includes:

  • water (one gallon per person for at least three days for drinking and sanitation)
  • food (at least three days worth of non-perishables)
  • radio (ideally, a battery-powered or hand-crank weather radio)
  • flashlight,
  • first aid kit,
  • batteries,
  • local maps,
  • a portable cell phone charger

Tanguay says, "Every emergency kit is different because every family is different. If you have a young family, well then you need coloring books and crayons and stuff to keep your children occupied."

She also says if you take medication that is something to think ahead about.

If you still have questions about your specific emergency or evacuation plan, go to the experts.

Tanguay says emergency officials would welcome the opportunity to sit down with any concerned citizens. "Call your local or county emergency management agency. We would love it if people would come in and we can talk about what's specific to them."

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