When the weather app pings on your phone and warnings appear on TV, are you ready to protect yourself and your loved ones?
Iowans know to run for the basement when high winds are expected, but what about flash flood warnings? If your home or workplace is in a low-lying area susceptible to water runoff, are you prepared to evacuate quickly?
Avoid a last-minute scramble to gather important items by assembling an emergency kit in advance, and have it standing by.
Gather: bottled water, canned food and a can opener, flashlight and radio with extra batteries, first aid supplies, personal care items such as diapers, a loud whistle, extra keys to house and vehicles, work gloves and duct tape.
To Do: Make copies of birth certificates, licenses, insurance documents (health, home, auto and others), and store them in a zippered plastic bag.
Plan where you would go for several weeks if your home was destroyed. Make arrangements in advance with an out-of-town relative or friend.
Assemble your preparedness kit in easy-to-carry containers, such as plastic bins or duffel bags. Be sure everyone in the household knows about the kit and where it is.
For more information, visit the U.S. Department of Homeland Security readiness website or visit the Safeguard Iowa website and look under the Preparedness tab.
Ann Cochran is the health navigation coordinator in the Dallas County Department of Public Health.
