Now is a great time to prepare
September is National Preparedness Month. This annual observance is a great time to consider the natural and human-caused hazards that are part of living here. Some key actions can make you and the people you care about more resilient when facing known hazards, including wildfires, winter storms, flooding, earthquakes and more.
This year the National Preparedness Month theme focuses on helping older adults get ready for disasters, especially older adults from communities that are disproportionally impacted by disasters. In Snohomish County, 15% of residents are 65 years or older. Ready.Gov offers disaster preparedness?advice for older adults in English, Spanish and 10 other languages.
Learn more about the hazards where you live and work, as well as along your commute and the places you go for recreation. The Snohomish County Hazard Viewer makes that easy. This tool uses interactive maps to allow searches by address across the county, helping you to identify, research and prepare for potential hazards wherever you go. We?ve updated the hazard viewer with new content and features designed to better help keep you informed and ready.
We joined emergency managers in King, Pierce, and Thurston counties on Aug. 22 in announcing a regional commitment to Ready, Set, Go! emergency messaging during disasters.
These clear, straightforward messages are intended to save lives as people prepare to evacuate ahead of wildfires and other emergencies.
?When I was a young child, my family had to evacuate our home to escape a wildfire,? Lucia Schmit, director of Snohomish County Emergency Management, said in a press release announcing the public awareness campaign. ?I know what an emotionally wrenching experience it can be?the uncertainty of whether to go and when. With the Ready, Set, Go! messaging, we hope to alleviate some of that stress, and hope residents will take the time to learn what the different phases mean so they are able to spring into action when needed.?
The graphic below, describing the steps to be taken during each Ready, Set, Go! alert phase, is available for viewing on the wildfire pages on the Snohomish County Public Safety Hub in English and Spanish.
Want to become more confident that you are ready for emergencies? Sign up for a great, hands-on training opportunity,?When Disaster Strikes: Prepare, Act, Survive.
We've been working with Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service and partners to host sessions of this course in Everett, Marysville, Sultan and Tulalip. Registration is happening now for these FREE 1.5-day weekend trainings, which are designed to prepare people ages 14+ to help themselves, their families and others during disasters.
?Use the links below to learn more and register:
Sept. 30-Oct. 1, 2023
Everett: https://bit.ly/4327RQY
Sultan: https://bit.ly/3JyV3L6
Tulalip: https://bit.ly/3NRmAda
Nov. 18-19, 2023
Marysville: https://bit.ly/3PsSQoo
The November training, offered in coordination with City of Marysville?emergency managers and the Center for Independence, is geared toward students with disabilities or access and functional needs, their families and caregivers..
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Coming soon! We have teamed up again this year with The Daily Herald in Everett and other partners to assemble a disaster preparedness guide filled with information, tips and ideas to help residents stay safe. The guide is scheduled to be published Sept. 16, in print and online. We also plan to post a digital version on our website as a resource that will be available year round.
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Snohomish County is earthquake country. On Oct. 19 at 10:19 a.m.,?Drop, Cover, and Hold On to practice staying safe when the ground shakes. Register for the Great ShakeOut to learn more.
Make sure you can access critical information during emergencies. Sign up for SnoCoAlerts to receive emergency messages on your phone when it matters most. Be sure to also bookmark the Snohomish County Public Safety Hub?where we will post evacuation maps and other guidance from first responders.
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