Would you be ready if a fireman knocked on your door and told you that your family had just 10 minutes to escape an oncoming wildfire or flood?  What if you had only 5 minutes or less to evacuate?  Would your emergency backpacks and vital records be ready to go? Would your family have a plan and be ready to handle the situation in a calm and orderly manner?

Every year, millions of people around the world face devastating natural disasters.  You can be better prepared for the unexpected by:

  • Keeping a two-week supply of food and water on hand
  • Preparing an emergency backpack in case you need to leave your home quickly
  • Having a written plan indicating what your family will do, how it will communicate, and where it will go in the event of a disaster
  • Familiarizing yourself with the location of evacuation routes and shelters
  • Regularly conducting emergency drills with your family

We have compiled the following information to help you and your family be prepared for disasters. Please check this page on a regular basis for updated guidance, as well as for any emergency alerts issued by the center.

If you would like to support the center’s Voluntary Emergency Response Team (VERT), please contact the Emergency Team.

Getting Started:  Tips from Sukyo Mahikari

Sukyo Mahikari Emergency Preparedness Bulletin: November 2014 

Watch the "Ten Minute Evacuation Challenge" 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLtrntXifkY


Federal Preparedness Guides

Ready.gov (how to get informed, make a plan and build an emergency kit): www.ready.gov

Are You Ready? An In-Depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness:  http://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/7877


Local Emergency Alert Services

Arlington County, Virginia:  www.arlingtonalert.com    

Fairfax County, Virginia:  www.fairfaxcounty.gov/cean

Montgomery County, Maryland:  https://alert.montgomerycountymd.gov

Prince Georges County, Maryland:  https://www.princegeorgescountymd.gov/794/Alert-Prince-Georges

Washington, DC:  https://textalert.ema.dc.gov

 

Government Resources

CDC Emergency Preparedness & Response:  http://emergency.cdc.gov/  

Federal Emergency Management Agency:  www.fema.gov

National Hurricane Center:  http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

USGS Earthquake Alert Service:  https://earthquake.usgs.gov/ens/


Survival Resources


 
Subpages (1): Bulletin