San Juan, Puerto Rico - The peak of this hurricane season starts tomorrow, and with two tropical cyclones powerfully churning in the Atlantic Ocean that will not affect the Caribbean directly, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) officials encourage Puerto Rico residents to get their families and property ready, today. If all inhabitants take timely preparedness measures, it will enhance the emergency response and recovery process.
“Along with the Puerto Rico Emergency Management Bureau and the National Weather Service in San Juan, we keep reminding our communities that taking all necessary steps and having emergency plans in place is the right thing to do now," said Orlando Olivera, FEMA's Caribbean Area Office Coordinator in Puerto Rico. “Talk with your family about your emergency plans. Include your neighbors, especially the elderly ones that may need your support, discuss how you can help each other before and after a disaster. Joining preparedness efforts can ease the recovery process."
FEMA’s 2023 Preparedness campaign theme, “Take Control in 1, 2, 3," encourages everyone, especially older adults, to become more prepared in three simple steps:
* Assess your needs. Everyone has unique needs. There are several factors that can affect the steps you need to take to prepare yourself and those you care for. Whether you care for pets, have children, have a medical condition or have a disability, it is important to know what your family will need to stay safe.
* Make a plan. Once you’ve assessed your needs, you can plan for what you’d do, where you’d go and what to bring if a disaster strikes. Your emergency supply kit should include items that meet your individual needs.
* Engage your support network. Get to know your neighbors because they, along with your family and friends, can be a support network before, during and after a disaster by providing emotional and practical support.
Additional information is available at www.ready.gov/hurricanes and www.fema.gov which offer tools and resources to prepare for, respond to and recover from emergency events.
Source: Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency