September is National Preparedness Month, designated to encourage disaster and emergency readiness. To help Californians prepare for extreme heat, earthquakes, public safety power shut offs, and wildfire, University of California Cooperative Extension has created a disaster preparedness website organized for quick access to critical information.
The website ucanr.edu/Disaster contains fact sheets with tips for getting prepared.
“Unfortunately, with a warming climate, we are facing more and more extreme climate-related events such as heat waves, wildfires, power shut offs and storms,” said Susan Kocher, UC Cooperative Extension forestry advisor, who co-authored the disaster preparedness resources for the website. “All Californians need to step up their preparedness efforts to be ready to meet this more uncertain future.”
The fact sheet for extreme heat events offers suggestions for avoiding heat exposure, such as identifying nearby cooling centers and covering windows to keep heat out. It also suggests things to do during hot weather such as staying hydrated, taking cool showers and keeping pets indoors. It describes symptoms of heat-related illnesses, which can have serious health effects. The website also offers resources on earthquake, drought, food safety after a fire, and wildfire preparedness and recovery. The project was funded by a USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture Renewable Resources Extension Act grant. ■