Get Ready for Hurricane Arthur with Ready.Gov

We are just a month in to Hurricane Season, and we're already on our way to hitting our first big hurricane, Arthur, this coming weekend. While here in the Philly area we are fortunate to not see hurricanes often, we've had our fair share of hits the past couple of years.  Between Hurricane Irene and Superstorm Sandy, we felt the force of these powerful natural disasters: driving rain, 75+ mile-an-hour winds, hail, thunder, lightening and the threat of tornados.

The New York and New Jersey coasts were wrecked after Sandy, many still working to rebuild several years later. I think many of us on the east coast had fallen into a false sense of security that we just don't get these kind of weather phenomena. So we were blindsided by the devastation, with many as far as the western Philly suburbs dealing with week-long power outages and damage.

The best way to handle a hurricane is to BE PREPARED. Ready.Gov is a wealth of knowledge and resources about how to be ready for the next natural disaster. Here are a few tips they give on getting prepared:

Sign up for Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEPS)

Wireless Emergency Alerts are automatic texts sent to you in an emergency. Alerts received at the right
time can help keep you safe during an emergency. With WEA, warnings can be sent to your mobile device when you may be in harm's way, without need to download an app or subscribe to a service.

Build an Emergency Kit

When power outages are widespread, it is important to have food, water supplies on hand. The Build a Kit page on Ready.Gov encourages you to have enough supplies to last at least 72 hours. Head to this page for a recommended supplies list.

Make a Family Communication Plan

What happens if a disaster strikes and your family is not in the same place together? Having a Family Communication Plan will help you know how to respond in any situation. Identifying contacts, creating contact cards and teaching all family members how to call and text are essential in the case of an emergency situation.


It is also highly recommended to have the How To Prepare For a Hurricane Guide from FEMA on hand.


How will YOU prepare before the the next disaster strikes?

For more information, check out Ready.Gov today!