Let’s Be Ready: Nor’easter Floods Shore Towns, Here’s How To Prepare For The Next One

Let's Start with A "Go Bag"

I’ve kept a go bag, aka emergency kit,  ready for a while now, and if you don’t have one yet, it doesn’t take much to put together.

It should include few days of prescription medications, a basic first aid kit, bottled water, non-perishable snacks, a flashlight, portable phone charger, extra batteries, a little cash, and updated emergency contacts — both on paper and saved in our phone.

A few other smart additions are copies of important documents, an extra set of keys, basic toiletries, a change of clothes, a battery-powered or hand-crank radio, and any supplies specific to your household, such as eyeglasses, hearing-aid batteries, pet food and medications, or supplies for children. Keep your bag somewhere easy to grab. The whole point is that you don’t want to be searching around the house for these things when a storm is already on the way. Keep your bag somewhere easy to grab. The whole point is that you don’t want to be searching around the house for these things when a storm is already on the way.

The American Red Cross recommends having at least three days of food and water for an evacuation kit, along with medications, a flashlight, first aid supplies, extra batteries and other essentials. You can see the full American Red Cross emergency kit checklist here.

Keep your bag somewhere easy to grab. The whole point is that you don’t want to be searching around the house for these things when a storm is already on the way.

This Week I Signed Up for Smart911

Here’s what I had not done until this week: I registered for Smart911.

It’s a free service that allows you to create a Safety Profile with information that could help emergency responders — things like your address, household members, medical conditions, allergies, medications, mobility or accessibility needs, pets and even important details about your home. In communities that participate in Smart911, that information can be displayed to a 911 call taker when you call for help. One important note: Smart911 services can vary depending on where you live, so check what is available in your community.

I signed up myself, and I also registered for my county’s emergency notification system and downloaded the FEMA app. None of this took very long, and now the information and alerts are already in place if I ever need them.

Alerts Worth Having Before the Next Storm

Signing up for alerts matters most before the water starts rising, not after. A few worth setting up now:

• Smart911: smart911.com — create a free Safety Profile with information that may help 911 and first responders during an emergency.

• Atlantic County Emergency Alerts: Atlantic County Emergency Notification System — alerts can be sent by phone, text, email and mobile app for emergencies including flooding, severe weather, evacuations and other significant incidents.

• Cape May County Emergency Management: capemaycountynj.gov/149/Emergency-Management — provides emergency and storm information as well as preparedness resources for county residents.

• NJ Alert: njalert.gov — New Jersey’s statewide emergency alert system.

• Nixle: Many local police and public safety agencies use Nixle for community alerts. Check with your municipality to see which system it currently uses.

• FEMA App: The free FEMA app provides weather alerts, preparedness information and disaster resources. FEMA also recommends staying connected to local government alerts because those are often the source of evacuation orders and other community-specific instructions.

• Red Cross Emergency App: Another free option that provides weather alerts, preparedness guidance and information on Red Cross shelters and disaster resources.

Don’t Forget a Simple Family Plan

Emergency preparedness isn’t only about supplies.

Decide ahead of time where you would go if you had to evacuate, how you would contact each other if cell service were disrupted, and who would be responsible for children, older relatives or pets.

The Red Cross also recommends having a designated meeting place and making sure everyone in the household knows the plan.

If flooding is expected, don’t wait until the last minute to move your car, charge your phones, fill prescriptions or make arrangements for pets.

Take Twenty Minutes This Week

Between packing your go bag, downloading apps and signing up for your county’s emergency alerts, you can get a lot done in about twenty minutes. It is easy to put off when the skies are blue, but it is a vital step in being prepared the next time Mother Nature reminds us who is in charge.

Take the time today because the best time to prepare for an emergency is before is happens.