Emergency Preparedness

August 2024 Message

Dear Durham Stake Members,

As we begin to feel the effects of Tropical Storm Debby, it's a reminder that we are well into hurricane season, which has its peak weeks in late August and September.  What to do now:

Prepare an emergency kit, or check and update your current emergency kit.  Each person in your family should have an emergency kit with supplies for at least 72 hours, especially food, water, and clothing, and it should be portable in case evacuation is necessary.  This site has a great list of items to include in an emergency kit. 

Have a family plan.  Make sure your whole family has a plan, including communication strategies in case of power outages or evacuations.  This site has some good tips on what your plan should include.  It's a good idea to have some emergency contact phone numbers written down in different places, such as in your car glove compartment, in case your cell phone dies and you don't have numbers memorized.

Update your food storage, battery, and candle supplies, etc.  Unless your home becomes flooded, the most likely scenario is that you may be stuck at home in a hurricane, sheltering in place, possibly without power.  Make sure you have enough supplies to not need to leave your house for several days.  During and after a storm, avoid driving until flooded areas, downed trees, and power outages have had time to be resolved.

Know these important safety rules of thumb:

• Never go near a downed or sagging power line.  Do not attempt to remove debris from power lines, as the lines could still be energized.

• If a traffic light has lost power, the intersection should be treated like a four-way stop, but you should still be very cautious because many drivers don't know this rule.

• Use generators, camp stoves, and kerosene heaters in well ventilated outdoor areas only.

In Hebrews we read about Noah, who "being warned of God of things not seen as yet... prepared an ark to the saving of his house."  Let us all heed the counsel of our leaders, and prepare now, doing everything within our power to be safe during hurricane weather.

Holly & Chris Earls

Stake Emergency Preparedness Coordinators