Although National Preparedness Month has come to a close, it’s always a good time to take action and prepare for the risks unique to where you live. As the most populated region in San Bernardino County, the San Bernardino Valley is home to communities where preparedness means being ready for conditions that can change quickly.
Earthquakes can happen without warning, while extreme heat, wildfire smoke, flooding and power outages can impact your home and daily routine.
A few ways to prepare for emergencies in the valley:
- Know where to go to stay cool. Identify places in your community where you can get relief from extreme heat, such as libraries, shopping malls or community centers.
- Have access to food and water: Store at least one gallon of drinking water per person per day. Keep a supply of non-perishable food and a manual can opener.Turn your refrigerator and freezer to the coldest setting before a storm. Keep doors closed during an outage — a full freezer stays cold for about 48 hours. Freeze water containers to use as ice blocks.
- Prepare for power outages. Stock up on flashlights, headlamps and extra batteries. Avoid candles to reduce the risk of fire. Take inventory of essential items that rely on electricity and have backup options available. Keep portable chargers or power banks charged.
- Prepare for a smoke event. Stay indoors, keep windows and doors tightly shut. Set your home or vehicle’s air conditioning to recirculate to help prevent outside smoke from entering.
- Protect important documents. Keep copies of important documents in a waterproof container. Consider also creating password-protected digital copies as an additional backup.
Download the Ready SB County app and sign up for TENS, San Bernardino County’s emergency notification system, to receive important information before and during an emergency.
Preparing now can make a big difference when conditions change. Visit bit.ly/readytogethersb to learn more.
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