GREENSBORO, N.C. — As North Carolina prepares for heavy rain and winds from the remnants of Hurricane Ian, now is the time to check on your emergency preparedness kit.
Scott Muthersbaugh is the Public Information Officer for Guilford County Emergency Services. He said it's always better to prepare in advance.
“One of the issues that we run into routinely is everyone kind of gets in that mode and everyone starts thinking about how they might need extra food, extra water, with a coming storm and that has a fair amount of scarcity to it,” Muthersbaugh said. “So, there are times when people are running into those shortages and if you can prepare in advance then you're not scrambling in those situations."
What to pack in your emergency preparedness kit
Beyond food and water, Muthersbaugh said an emergency preparedness kit should include essential items like batteries, a flashlight, medication an identification card, or any important documents in case you may need to evacuate a situation.
Extra items to keep packed and ready to go
“Even things like charging your cell phone and having a pair of shoes ready to go keeps you from being in a situation where you're trying to do that in an emergency when you can be ready in advance," Muthersbaugh explained.
Know how to safely navigate your home
As we round out National Preparedness Month, Muthersbaugh wants to emphasize the importance of being aware of how to mitigate emergencies in your own home.
“So, knowing how to safely turn off the water, turn off the gas, turn off the electricity if the situation merits that,” Muthersbaugh said. “Just kind of learning the ins and outs of how to manage your own home can really help in either a small or large emergency if it's just a leaky pipe or a situation where there was a rupture because of an exterior issue."
Muthersbaugh said knowing the ins and out so your home can help in situations where emergency services may not be able to respond to you right away.