September is National Preparedness Month

Observed during the month of September, National Preparedness Month is nationwide campaign that encourages people living in the U.S. to prepare for emergencies and disasters. Even small steps taken to prepare today can make a big difference in responding to emergencies and recovering from them in the future.

This year’s theme is Preparedness Starts at Home. Ready.gov shares a lot of tips, information, and resources to help individuals, families, and communities prepare for emergencies. Here are four key actions Ready.gov recommends you to take to prepare for any disaster you may face:

1. Know your risk of experiencing emergencies and disasters

2. Make a family emergency plan

3. Build an emergency supply kit

4. Get involved in your community by taking action to prepare for emergencies

Learn more

Here are a few ways you can learn more about emergency preparedness at the national and local level:

• Visit the National Preparedness Month website to learn more about how you and your family can prepare for and respond safely to emergencies and disasters in your local area.

• Find more emergency preparedness resources for individuals living in the Portland Metro area on our website.

• Learn more about the Ready. Set. Connect! program at Upstream Access, a Portland area non-profit that supports the resilience of individuals with disablities. Ready. Set. Connect! is a monthly virtual meet-up that “focuses on a specific emergency preparedness topic, facilitated by individuals with disabilities, followed by community members sharing their experiences.”