Are You Prepared?

Personal Preparation

Here are some great resources for creating kits and otherwise getting yourself and your family prepared for all types of emergencies:

• Ready.gov is a comprehensive resource for general preparation including step-by-step instructions for putting together plans and lists for how to build a kit.

• Michelle Dragony of Coastside Buzz has curated home and car emergency supply checklists for you.

• SF72 is focused on San Francisco's preparedness, but has useful information for us on the Coastside, too.

• Los Altos Lutheran Church Emergency and Disaster Preparedness, Santa Clara County Resources

• City of Los Altos Emergency Supply Kit Essentials

• Do 1 Thing is a web-based twelve month preparedness program that focuses on a different area of emergency preparedness each month, and provides a range of preparedness options for each topic

Fire Safety Resources

• Watch the NFPA video on preparing your home against firebrands / ember storms. Dr. Jack Cohen, Fire Science Researcher with the USDA Forest Service, explains current research about how homes ignite during wildfires, and the actions that homeowners can take to help their home survive the impacts of flames and embers. Featuring footage from the IBHS Research Center showing ember experiments on full-scale structures, this primer helps explain the basic steps to protect homes, and shows where to find more information.

• Check out DisasterSafety.org's Wildfire site for projects to help you protect your property from fire damage.

• The National Fire Protection Association has many useful resources in the wildfire public education section.

• PG&E's Safety Action Center has helpful information about wildfire risks and what you can do before, during and after an emergency to keep your family safe.

Interactive California Hazard Maps

Enter your address into these maps to see what hazards exist near your home.

• Cal OES, the Governor's Office of Emergency Services, provides the MyHazards site as a tool for the general public to discover hazards in their area (earthquake, flood, fire, and tsunami).

• The California Department of Conservation provides the California Earthquake Hazards Zone Application ("EQ Zapp") online map to allow you to check whether your property is in an earthquake hazard zone.

Earthquake Resources

• Ready.gov's Earthquakes page provides you with useful information to prepare yourself and your household.

• The HayWired scenario examines a hypothetical earthquake and its aftermath (potentially 90 days without utilities and services in San Mateo County).