September is National Preparedness Month and the Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) wants all First State residents to be ready for any type of emergency.
A Business Insider-MSN poll released this past June, showed 49-percent of Delawareans say they are “not at all” prepared for a natural disaster.
DEMA spokesman Gary Laing says those poll numbers concern emergency managers in Delaware, and is why the “get prepared” message is more important than ever.
“Throughout the years we go out with the message of preparedness. But September, National Preparedness Month, is an opportunity to really push the idea that people need to have their homes, their automobiles, their businesses and their families prepared for any type of emergency; it’s all hazards," Laing said.
Laing says September is a great month to emphasize this message since it is the peak month for tropical storms and hurricanes in the mid-Atlantic region.
In fact, the National Hurricane Center in Miami is currently keeping a close eye on Hurricane Florence which could affect the First State this week.
“The theme this year is “Disasters Happen. Prepare Now. Learn How.” Disasters can happen at any time; they can come in any form, they can be man-made disasters, they can be natural
hazards, they can be accidents that occur, they can even be terrorism. So, we need to be prepared for any type of emergency,” said Laing.
Laing says the time to prepare is now, emphasizing all Delawareans should have a home emergency kit.
A complete list of items that should be in an emergency kit is available online here or here.
