How Prepared Are You for an Emergency?

How prepared are you for an emergency? Would you know what to do if disaster struck, and do you have supplies to get you and your family through it?

September is National Preparedness Month. While Maine may not face some of the extreme disasters other states do, we still have unexpected events that can become crises, and we encourage our families and communities to be prepared. It can make all the difference in protecting your family, your home, and your peace of mind. Planning and taking simple steps now can reduce risks, minimize damage, and ensure you and your loved ones stay safe.

Why it’s Essential to be Prepared

Emergencies happen when you least expect them. They can disrupt your daily life in ways you might not have imagined. When you’re in the middle of an emergency, it’s difficult to remember all the things you need to do to get through it. And a lack of supplies can exacerbate the emergency.

You can navigate the emergency more smoothly with preparation, practice, and planning. When emergencies strike, the time to prepare has already passed. Being proactive allows you to reduce risks, protect your family, and minimize potential damage to your home.

When you’re prepared for an emergency, you’re also contributing to the greater safety of the entire community. The burden on emergency responders is lessened when each household is ready, and recovery efforts can happen faster and more efficiently. Taking the time now to prepare ensures that when the unexpected happens, you’ll be able to respond calmly and confidently, knowing that you’ve done everything possible to protect the people and things that matter most.

In Maine, we are facing more extreme weather and weather-related events, including floods, heat waves, periods of drought, wildfires, and power outages, that can have impacts on our health and well-being. The Maine Public Health Association (MPHA) has developed these tip sheets for Mainers to use to make their homes and communities more resilient to extreme heat, flooding and storms, bad air quality days, and diseases spread by insects like ticks and mosquitoes. Individual fact sheets are linked below, or you may download them directly from the MPHA website at https://www.mainepublichealth.org/membership/committees/climate-change