Is your family prepared for a disaster?
September is National Preparedness Month, an annual campaign led by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to remind us to prepare for emergencies and disasters. Here are some resources to help families get ready for potential disasters.
Many of you (including myself) probably didn't know that September is National Preparedness Month, an annual campaign led by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to remind us to prepare for emergencies and disasters.
After the leftovers of hurricanes that have swept through and the harsh winter last year (for Philadelphia standards), I thought it would be worth highlighting some of the many resources available for children and families.
Where can you get started? Use this FEMA form to create your own family emergency plan and here's a recommended disaster supplies kit from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Some other helpful resources include:
For more information on preparing for disasters: AAP Family Readiness Kit, FEMA Family Emergency Plan tool,, and Sesame Street Let's Get Ready materials.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a series of children's activities books called Ready Wrigley that covers tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes and winter weather.
Remember that children have distinct healthcare needs in regard to their anatomic, physiologic, developmental, and psychological characteristics, as highlighted in this blog post from the CDC.
Tips on how to talk to your children about disasters from the AAP.
Sign up for Wireless Emergency Alerts. These are emergency messages sent by authorized government alerting authorities through your mobile carrier. Government partners include local and state public safety agencies, FEMA, the Federal Communications Commission, the Department of Homeland Security, and the National Weather Service.
Save the Children's Get Ready Get Safe initiative aims to help communities protect and care for children during disasters. The Webpage features a 2014 U.S. Preparedness Map, which tells you if your state has plans in place to evacuate children in childcare, reunite families after disasters, for children with disabilities and other needs, and plan for all K-12 schools.
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