Are You Prepared?
September marks the start of National Preparedness Month (NPM). Every year since 2004, NPM has been observed during September and is sponsored by FEMA and their Ready Campaign. NPM aims to bring a focused awareness of the importance of preparing for the disasters and emergencies we face.
The theme of NPM for this year is “Take Control in 1, 2, 3”. This campaign is focused mainly on preparing older adults for disasters, emphasizing subsets of this group, such as those with disabilities, who face even greater risks. The following sites contain great information you can share with your friends, families, and those we serve:
- Resources for Older Adults
- https://www.ready.gov/older-adults (English)
- https://www.ready.gov/es/adultos-mayores (Spanish)
- Resources for Those with Disabilities
- https://www.ready.gov/disability (English)
- https://www.ready.gov/es/discapacidad (Spanish)
That said, we are all aware of the disasters we face living in California—predominantly wildfires and earthquakes. However, earlier this year, intense winter storms brought widespread flooding to our area. To add to the unusual weather, Southern California was hit by Hurricane Hilary, which arrived as a Tropical Storm—bringing over one foot of rain to some areas of California. In addition, we are officially expecting an El Niño weather system this winter.