如何 为灾难做准备

你永远不会想到它会发生在你身上. Maybe you’ve seen disasters strike neighbors, coworkers, friends or even close family members. Yet somehow you assume that your good luck (so far) will continue to keep you safe. 但灾难可以影响任何人.

Being prepared will help you and your family feel more confident if a disaster strikes — and might even save lives.

知道哪 你可能面临的灾难

这取决于你住在哪里, 你可能会面临野火, 洪水, 地震, 海啸, 龙卷风和更多. It’s important to find out which disasters are 在你的地区最常见. You wouldn’t evacuate for an earthquake, 例如, but you might for a wildfire, flood or tsunami. And your escape route might be different for a wildfire than for a flood.

有灾难计划吗 练习它

灾难可能很快就会发生. Your best defense is creating a readiness plan for you and your family. Having a solid plan in place will help everyone better respond, cope, and recover.

Your local authorities can offer advice on preparing for specific disasters. But here are some key steps everyone can take:

获取紧急警报. 的 sooner you know about an approaching disaster, the better. Most newer mobile phones receive emergency alerts from FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency). Set up your notifications so you’ll get alerts when something’s coming. Check your mobile phone’s settings for “Government Alerts” or “Emergency Alert Messages.，或下载 联邦应急管理局应用 to your mobile phone to receive real-time weather and emergency alerts.

回顾基础知识. 在家里配备手电筒, 灭火器和灭火毯, and make sure everyone in your home knows where to find them. 如果你有孩子, teach them to dial 911 in an emergency. Someone in your household should learn CPR and first aid too. You should also know how to shut off your utilities, in case the authorities ask you to do so.

规划家庭逃生路线. Identify at least two exits from each room in your home, and make sure they aren’t blocked. If you have second-story bedrooms, consider installing escape ladders. (If you’re at home during an earthquake, stay indoors. 搬到走廊或靠墙的地方.)

练习逃离家. Share your escape plan with your family and do practice runs twice a year, including at night. If you have young children, pets or older family members at home, assign someone to help them escape. And make sure to designate an outdoor meet-up place.

计划社区疏散. Depending on the situation, you may need to evacuate your neighborhood. Local authorities can share the best routes for various disasters. 在洪水中, 例如, it’s often best to head inland (but avoid driving through flood waters, 它可能会把你卷走). 的 联邦应急管理局应用 provides the locations of shelters in your area.

If you need to evacuate, don’t return home until the authorities give you the thumbs-up. And if your home gets damaged, have an inspector check it out before entering.

制定家庭沟通计划. If you get separated from family and your phone loses power, you’ll have a hard time finding loved ones. So create a paper document that lists family members’ phone numbers and e-mail addresses. 的n give each family member a copy to store in their wallet. 联邦政府建议使用这种方法 方便的形式.

让你的孩子做好准备. If you have children, teach them what to do in a disaster. 用这些让它变得有趣 灾难准备游戏.

制作一个灾难工具箱 补给可以维持几天. 应急包应包括:

• 现金和一张信用卡
• water and food that won’t spoil (such as canned food and protein bars)
• 睡袋
• 换洗的衣服和鞋子
• 特殊的婴儿用品，如果需要的话
• 宠物用品，如果需要的话
• a first aid kit (including any prescription medications)
• 一条毯子
• 火柴(存放在防水容器中)
• 信号弹
• 电池供电的收音机
• 一个手电筒
• 额外的电池

It’s also smart to keep 一条毯子 and water in your car.

组织 重要文件

If you need to evacuate, you’ll want to have access to drug prescriptions and other key information.

所以要确保两者都有 digital and hard copies of 重要文件. 纸副本, 存放在你的应急包里, will come in handy if your phone dies or you can’t get Internet reception.

有用的文件包括:

• personal identification (such as birth certificates, driver’s licenses and passports)
• 医疗记录(包括处方)
• 保险政策
• 你的房契、租约或租赁协议
• 财务账户信息
• emergency phone numbers (for employers, schools and social service providers)
• a list of belongings that you would want insurance to replace, along with the purchase prices; for big-ticket items like appliances and electronics, 有收据很有帮助

有 应急资金准备就绪

If a disaster happens, the last thing you need is trouble accessing money. It can be helpful to set aside actual cash. If you have a safe, store a couple hundred dollars in it.

You should also have an emergency fund to help get you through a disaster. Most financial experts recommend having three months’ worth of expenses, held in a savings account. 如果你有孩子, work in a volatile industry or are self-employed, consider setting aside enough money to pay expenses for six months.

Make sure you know where your checkbooks, credit cards, and debit cards are located. Your emergency fund should be with a bank that has a network of ATMs and a reliable mobile app.

一旦你从灾难中恢复过来, work on rebuilding your emergency fund so you’ll be prepared for whatever comes next.