Don't Find Yourself Unprepared -- Plan Now

The Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) wants people to plan for emergencies and the agency is using National Preparedness Month to get the word out.

Since the beginning of 2015, Illinois residents have endured blizzard conditions, tornadoes, flooding, windstorms and excessive heat, according to a press release. For some, this weather caused temporary inconveniences, such as power outages or blocked roads. However, hundreds of others in Illinois are still working to get their lives back to normal after storms or flooding damaged or destroyed their homes and personal belongings.

While severe weather and other disasters can’t be prevented, having an emergency preparedness plan can help people stay safe and recover sooner after an event. As part of National Preparedness Month in September, IEMA and local emergency management agencies throughout Illinois are joining local, state, and federal agencies across the U.S. in a nationwide push to encourage personal preparedness. The theme for this year’s national preparedness campaign is “Don’t Wait. Communicate. Make Your Emergency Plan Today.”

“Having an emergency plan and discussing that plan with others in your home is key to staying safe in an emergency,” said IEMA Director James K. Joseph. “If a disaster occurs when your family is apart, does everyone know how to contact each other and where to meet? There’s no time like right now to have that discussion and make sure you’re prepared for the unexpected.”

IEMA offers disaster preparedness information on the Ready Illinois website www.Ready.Illinois.gov, a one-stop resource for detailed information about what to do before, during and after disasters. Throughout September IEMA will post daily preparedness tips on the Ready Illinois Facebook page www.facebook.com/ReadyIllinois.