REGISTER FOR COMMUNITY ALERTS: It's like having 911 call you! Del Norte OES uses a Community Alert System to notify community members when emergencies impact them. Register today to ensure you receive these important notifications.​​​​

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KNOW YOUR EVACUATION ZONE: Del Norte County is split into numbered zones for the purposes of evacuation. Knowing your zone in advance can help you be more ready when evacuations in your area are threatened or actual. Get to know your zone now.​

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KNOW YOUR TSUNAMI HAZARD ZONE: Del Norte County is especially vulnerable to tsunami threats. Find searchable and printable maps on the Redwood Cost Tsunami Work Group website to discover whether your home, school, workplace, or other places you frequent are in the tsunami hazard zone. Map your routes in advance to areas of safety.​​

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BUILD COMMUNITY: Of all the preparedness measures you can take, the most important might be to build your community. Get to know your neighbors. Exchange names and phone numbers (and sugar!). Host a block party or a barbecue. Befriend coworkers; other parents at your child's school; the people from your community, religious, or volunteer groups; and other pet people at the dog park. Volunteer. Practice giving and receiving help. Disaster research shows that most rescues after disasters are performed by ordinary community members, and that social ties are among the most powerful predictors of recovery. ​

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MAKE A PLAN: Do you know the best way to evacuate your home? Your neighborhood? Your community? Have you and your loved ones discussed how you will contact one another if you are separated in a disaster and/or where you will reunite? Do you have backup copies of important identification, insurance, and medical information? Get started on creating your plans today.

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BUILD A KIT: You should be prepared to leave your home quickly in case of an emergency, with enough supplies to take care of yourself and your loved ones for at least 3 days. You should also store supplies at home in case local businesses close, ATM machines are down, transportation routes are disrupted, or you need to shelter in place. In our area, we recommend that your home kit contains enough supplies to sustain your household for up to two weeks.

 

Preparedness does not need to be expensive. See these tips from FEMA for low-cost preparedness tips. You can build a kit slowly, over the course of 21 weeks, using this plan from the Red Cross. Be sure to include the needs of seniors, people with medical or mobility needs, children and pets.

 

​When it comes to preparedness, don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good. If water is all that you can store, store water. You will be grateful tomorrow for any steps you take to get ready today.

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