Kentuckians face a multitude of natural disasters, mostly weather related, and man-made challenges throughout the year; from tornadoes, flooding, straight line winds, lightning, winter storms, hazardous chemical spills and daily personal emergencies. Every household and every business should be prepared to face these challenges at any given time.

Be Aware:
• Know what risks face your community
• Know in advance your weather forecasts 

Be prepared: 

• You should have at minimum a three-day supply of food and water for each member of your family (including your fur babies). Changing out periodically.

• Put together an emergency kit to include essentials such as: medicines, flash lights, radio, extra batteries, matches, candles, first aid supplies, eye glasses, extra keys, CASH, etc. 

Have a plan:
• Discuss your plan with family members, neighbors and an out of state
   contact.
• Drill - practice your plan with household members.

Recovering from Disaster

1. If you have damages following a disaster, contact your local emergency manager.
2. If you have insurance, contact your insurance agent to file a claim.
3. Recovering from a disaster is a gradual process, take care of yourself and your family.

Safety Issues

🚨  Watch for washed out roads, contaminated water, gas leaks, broken glass, damaged electrical wiring, and loose power lines.

🚨  Watch out for animals, especially poisonous snakes. Use a stick to poke through debris.

🚨  Do not enter your damaged home if:

• You smell gas.
• Floodwaters remain around the building.
• Authorities have not declared it safe to enter.

For more information on recovering from disaster, click here

Understanding Disaster Events

• Acknowledging your feelings helps you recover.
• Focusing on your strengths and abilities helps you heal.
• Accepting help from community programs and resources is healthy.
• Everyone has different needs and different ways of coping.

Easing Stress

• Talk with someone about your feelings - anger, sorrow and other emotions - even though it may be difficult.
• Seek help from professional counselors who deal with post-disaster stress.
• Take steps to promote your own physical and emotional healing by healthy eating, rest, exercise, relaxation and meditation.

Reassuring Children After a Disaster

🌱  Encourage your children to talk about their feelings.

🌱  Spend extra time with your children such as at bedtime.

🌱  Understand that your children will have a range of reactions to disasters.

🌱  Monitor and Limit Exposure to the Media

To read the full article from ready.gov on coping with disaster, click here.

*For additional disaster and emergency resources, visit https://www.ready.gov/be-informed or click here.