Disaster Preparedness
No one can predict when and how long you might be displaced from your home when disaster strikes. Being prepared will lessen the stress.
Create a Plan
- Discuss with family members a contact plan and place.
- Identify responsibilities of each member of the household.
- Develop a contingency plan for family members with disabilities or special medical needs.
- Identify an out-of-town contact person or place, or local community shelter, where you might go, if you must vacate your home.
Make an Emergency Kit
- Flashlights and extra batteries
- Battery-powered or hand-cranked radio
- Three day supply of non-perishable food items
- Water, 3 gallons per person
- Medications and first-aid supplies
- Sanitation and personal hygiene items
- Multi-purpose tool
- Copies of personal documents and forms of identification
- Cell phone chargers
- Cash
- Blankets
- Pet supplies
Portable Generators
- Operate generators outdoors in a well-ventilated area, away from doors, windows, and vents, to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.
- Do not run a generator in a garage, even with the door open.
- Observe the generator manufacturer’s instructions for safe operation.
- Never try to power the house wiring by plugging the generator into a wall outlet, a practice known as “backfeeding.” This creates an electrocution risk and is extremely dangerous for utility workers and neighbors served by the same electric transformer.
- Notify CU that you have a generator when reporting an outage.
Avoid Carbon Monoxide
- DO NOT use a charcoal grill indoors, even in a fireplace.
- DO NOT sleep in any room with an unvented gas or kerosene space heater.
- DO NOT use a gas range or oven to heat your home, even for a short time.
- DO NOT ignore symptoms of illness, particularly if more than one person is feeling them. You could lose consciousness and die if you do nothing.
- DO NOT strike any matches until you are certain there are no gas leaks.
Other Emergency Management Resources