CHICAGO –September is National Preparedness Month, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) encourages everyone to make disaster preparedness a priority.

“National Preparedness Month serves as a reminder that we all need to prepare for disasters and emergencies,” said Andrew Velasquez III, FEMA Region V Administrator.  “Plan in advance so your family knows what to do if a disaster strikes: how you will get to a safe place; how you will contact one another; how you will get back together; and what you will do in different emergency situations.”

Severe weather and other emergencies can strike with little or no warning and can have disastrous impacts. Already this year, the Midwest has experienced several waves of destructive storms, tornadoes and flooding. Whether at home or on the go, be aware of emergency plans in place wherever your family spends their time: work, daycare and school, houses of worship, sports events and commuting. Be disaster ready, wherever you may be.

It’s simple to start planning for emergencies: download the Family Communication Plan for Parents and Kids onReady.gov/make-a-plan and fill out the sections before printing it or emailing it to your family and friends.  Consider also downloading the free FEMA app, available for your Android, Apple or Blackberry device, so you have the information at your fingertips to prepare for severe weather.

Throughout the month, FEMA will offer tips to help you be better prepared, including steps you can take to protect yourself and your family. Follow FEMA Region V online at twitter.com/femaregion5 and www.facebook.com/fema, to receive the latest preparedness updates.

For detailed information about how to be ready for severe weather in your area, including a list of items you will want to have in your emergency kit, visit www.ready.gov, or our Spanish site at www.listo.gov.

Follow FEMA online at twitter.com/femaregion5, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema.  Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at twitter.com/craigatfema. The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

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