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New York City News Safety Top Story 

September Is National Preparedness Month

LaToya

Are you prepared for an emergency? Act now to prepare for the emergencies that could affect us where we live and work:

  • Make an emergency plan

Discuss what you and your family/caregivers will do in the event of an emergency. Know all the exit routes in your building, and where to meet up. Be sure to account for everyone’s needs, including seniors, people with disabilities, non-English speakers, children, and pets/service animals. Plan for where you will stay in the event of an evacuation. If possible, you should plan to stay with a family member or friend who lives outside of NYC’s hurricane evacuation zones. Identify an out-of-area contact who family or friends can call to coordinate with if you’re separated during an emergency. Practice your plans often to make sure everyone is familiar with what to do, where to go, and who to call.

If you have a disability and would not be able to evacuate on your own, call 311 for assistance. If you or someone in your household depends on life-support equipment, call to register with the power company so they will know your address needs special attention during a power outage: ConEdison: 1-800-752-6633, PSEG (Rockaway): 1-800-490-0025.

  • Gather Supplies

In case you need to leave home in a hurry, pack a go bag, including important documents, keys, clothing, cash, first aid kit, water, nonperishable foods, and other items for your personal needs. Every household member, including pets and service animals, should have a go bag!

Keep at least a week’s worth of non-perishable food (such as canned food or granola bars) and drinking water at home in case stores are closed. Don’t forget to keep a manual can opener on hand in case the power is out! Stock up on any items you may need if you have to shelter in place: first aid supplies, medication, back-up medical equipment if possible, pet food and supplies, cash, flashlights, a hand-crank or battery-operated AM/FM radio, extra batteries, portable cell phone chargers, and any child care supplies or other special care items.  

Example of a go bag. Check out this video for tips on how to keep your go bag and emergency supply kit stocked and ready.
  • Stay Informed

Sign up for Notify NYC (nyc.gov/notifynyc) to stay informed. Register for free by visiting nyc.gov/notifynyc, calling 311 (212-639-9675 for Video Relay Service, or TTY: 212-504-4115), following @NotifyNYC on Twitter, or downloading the free Notify NYC mobile application for your Apple or Android device.

When coastal storms are approaching, New York City evacuates by zones, zone 1 being the most likely to flood and zone 6 being the least likely. You should know what evacuation zone you live and work in, and where to go for shelter if you cannot stay with a family member or friend outside of the evacuation zone. Don’t know your zone? Find out at nyc.gov/knowyourzone.

Visit New York City’s National Preparedness Month page at nyc.gov/npm for more resources to help you prepare this month, and all year round!