Public Safety

Now’s the Time to Be Ready for Any Disaster

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Meteorologists are saying that Southern California’s winter could be rainier than usual. And fall typically brings the peak of fire season.

The County Office of Emergency Services can’t look into the future but emergency managers do recommend that residents prepare for all potential disasters – this is easier to do in advance as opposed to scrambling to gather supplies and materials and trying to come up with a plan in the middle of an emergency.

September is National Preparedness Month, and this year’s theme is “Don’t Wait. Communicate. Make Your Emergency Plan Today.” Are your family and neighbors equipped to safely respond to and recover from a disaster? If not, do something about it this month and encourage others to do the same.

The County encourages you to participate by making a plan so you and your family will know what actions to take before, during and after an emergency. Start by creating an up-to-date contact list for everyone you may need to reach during a disaster. Then establish alternate methods of communication in case traditional means such as phone lines are not available.

National Preparedness Month focuses each week on a different hazard. Local tips will be given on Facebook and Twitter related to these disasters:

  1. Week 1: September 1-5 Flood
  2. Week 2: September 6-12 Wildfire
  3. Week 3: September 13-19 Earthquake (It’s hurricane in other parts of the country but we substituted another natural disaster.
  4. Week 4: September 20-26 Power Outage

Here are a few ways you can be ready and help spread the preparedness message.

  • To learn more about how to prepare yourself and your family for any disaster, visit ReadySanDiego.org or ListoSanDiego.org and click on how to better prepare at home and work.
  • Download the SDEmergency App in English or Spanish to receive emergency information during a disaster, but also to carry your emergency plan with you and share it with other family members.
  • Register for AlertSanDiego, the County’s emergency notification system that sends emergency notifications to people at their mobile phone number which is connected to a street address that may be affected by a disaster.
  • Be counted and add your preparedness activity on the America’s PrepareAthon! website.
  • Use the hashtag #NatlPrep and encourage your followers to do the same.
Yvette Urrea Moe is a communications specialist with the County of San Diego Communications Office. Contact