County Officials Advise Residents To Prepare Now For Emergencies

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — Just in time for Dorian to cause trouble on Labor Day, Sept. 1-7 is "Save Early for Disaster Costs," which is part of September's National Preparedness Month. The 2019 theme is Prepared, Not Scared, according to FEMA. Anne Arundel County's office of emergency management wants to remind individuals and families that rebuilding lives after a disaster or an emergency is challenging, but taking steps now will help.

The county office of emergency management suggests doing the following:

• Gathering financial and critical personal, household, and medical information; such as, health/life/home/renters insurance, photo ID, birth certificates, Social Security card, military service, and Pet ID tags;

• Establishing an emergency savings account for a disaster or emergency;

• Keeping a small amount of cash at home, in a safe place, since ATMs and credit cards may not function in a disaster;

• Reviewing your homeowner’s insurance policy. Homeowner’s insurance does not typically cover flooding, so you may need to purchase flood insurance from the National Flood Insurance Program; and

• Using the Emergency Financial First Aid Kit (EFFAK) to help you prepare financially and provide tips to lessen the impact disasters can leave you with financially.

Be sure to register for the Anne Arundel County’s Mass Notification System to receive
emergency alerts. Download the Regroup Mobile App – AlertMe to stay informed with alerts set
specifically to your area. Use the registration code 6a2377784f when downloading the app.

To learn more about preparing your family and friends, attend the Anne Arundel County Office of Emergency Management’s Emergency Preparedness Expo on Saturday, Sept. 21, from 10 a.m. to
2 p.m. at the Marley Station Mall.