(Family Features) As many know from experience, disasters can happen to anyone, anywhere.
Natural or human-caused disasters can be highly localized or have an impact regionally or even nationally. While warnings can vary from a few minutes to a few days, taking action to prepare for the unexpected can help people – and their communities – become more resilient.
Resilience is the way communities anticipate, adapt, act, recover and grow in the face of hardship and crisis.
With its hyper-local community focus and representation in nearly every community in the U.S., United Way partners with donors, volunteers and community leaders to repair homes, restore services, rebuild businesses and reignite hope.
Extending its effort to help people prepare for disasters, those partnerships are continuing to grow.
Earlier this year, United Way Worldwide and Verizon launched United We Prepare in 14 regions across the U.S. The pilot aims to create resilient communities that are ready for disasters and boost awareness of preparedness best practices through workshops and local education campaigns.
“We help our neighbors prepare for disasters before they strike, offering practical tools, clear plans and the confidence that comes from being ready for the unexpected,” said Marcus Coleman, vice president of community resiliency strategy at United Way Worldwide.
Coleman, whose career has focused on disaster preparation and resilience for more than 15 years, leads the team that supports the organization’s global network that prepares for and responds to disasters.
“We are here for the long haul,” Coleman said. “After disasters and public emergencies fade from the headlines, we help communities recover and rebuild. United Way is creating stronger, more resilient communities where neighbors face challenges together, lift one another up and thrive.”
As part of this work, United Way developed a Disaster Preparedness Guide – a curated list of preparedness tips and best practices from leading experts.
Here are five easy steps from this expert-vetted guide everyone can follow today to become more prepared for the next disaster:
1. Identify your support network and emergency contacts
Add the phone numbers of family members, friends and neighbors to your mobile device – categorized as emergency contacts – and make sure they have yours. Also add 211 – the three-digit phone line that connects people to locally available resources – to your contacts. The line also provides emergency and resource information during times of disaster.
2. Get connected
Make sure your phone is enabled to get local alerts and warnings. When emergencies happen, public safety officials use wireless emergency alerts to “ping” enabled mobile devices in those communities.
3. Assess needs
Build an emergency kit for home and a “go bag” for the car. Keep a charged power bank in each. Add medical information. Ask yourself and others in your household questions about medical needs, animal care, shelter, food, water, clothing and more.
4. Safeguard key records
Use your phone to take photos of key documents and valuables. Keep electronic copies of these important documents in a password-protected format on a removable flash or external hard drive in a fireproof and waterproof box or safe, or a secure cloud-based service.
5. Engage your support network
Now that you’ve taken these steps, make sure your family has done the same. Check in with your closest friends and extended family to share these tips. Discuss who may need extra help and designate someone to get to them in an emergency.
To read the full version of these preparedness tips and for more disaster preparation information, visit UnitedWay.org.
Photos courtesy of Shutterstock
Source: United Way
