Be Prepared

• Family communication plan
• Exit/escape plan
• Evacuation process
• Shelter-in-place procedures
• Reunification locations
• Know your evacuation routes and what hazards may affect you!

• Put plans into actions with drills
• Walk through steps to eliminate confusion
• Engage children with timers and games
• Use practice to find holes or areas for improvement
• Be familiar with plan when the time comes to use it

• Food and water - 3 day supply (1 gallon of water per day, per person)
• Flashlight and batteries
• First aid kit and medications
• Cash and important documents
• Unique household items (infants, elderly, pets)
• Build a kit over time with Safeguard Iowa's 20 Weeks To Preparedness

• Enroll in Alert Iowa here, address-based Pottawattamie County alerts, delivered by phone call, text message or email.
• Acquire a weather radio
• Have local news and weather apps on your phone
• Know the hazards in your area
• Be familiar with your location

• Conduct a comprehensive insurance review annually
• Home and auto
• Flood insurance
• Sump pump rider
• Life Insurance

• Take photos/videos of your property/valuable items
• Place important things in a safe or safety deposit box
• Digitize your family pictures, baby books, scrap books
• Keep digital copies off-site for recovery if needed

• Check your smoke alarms monthly
• Replace batteries every 6 months
• Install carbon monoxide detectors
• Replace alarms according to manufacturer's instructions

• Keep cash in small bills to cover a couple of days of expenses
• Create an emergency fund
• 3-6 months of expenses is a great goal
• See Step #5 regarding insurance

• Use a backpack or old suitcase 
• Items you will need if you have to evacuate quickly
• One for each family member (and pets)
• Mobile, scaled-down version of #3

• You are a busy person, what will you do if an emergency occurs at...
  • Work or School
  • Activities
  • Events
  • Place of worship

• Take a first-aid class
• Learn CPR
• Find a class on Stop the Bleed
• Volunteer with a group that increases the community's resiliency

• Involve a family member
• Challenge a neighbor to prepare
• Bring a friend along to training
• Organize a group
• Share your successes
• Keep passing it down

You and your family may not be together when an emergency happens, so knowing what to do, where you will go, and how to get in touch with family members is important.

Create a family communication plan.

Choose an out-of-town friend or relative to be a contact point for family members to call if you are separated during an emergency. Make sure everyone knows how and when to call 911 or local emergency medical services. Post emergency contact phone numbers near telephones.

Develop a family evacuation plan.

Contact your local emergency management agency to learn about your community’s emergency plan, the location of shelters and hospitals, and evacuation routes.

Most shelters do not accept pets. Prepare a list of kennels, friends and family members who may be able to care for your pet in an emergency. If you are able to take your pet to a shelter, the pet must have a current vaccination record, a pet carrier and a supply of food.

Address special needs.

Make plans to ensure the needs of someone you know who is elderly or dependent on life-sustaining or health-related equipment such as a ventilator or respirator.

• Create a family emergency plan (PDF)
• Create a wallet-size family emergency plan (PDF)

So now you’ve put together a plan.

• Do you have an emergency supply kit?
• Do you know what hazards may affect you in Iowa?

In an emergency, there are items you and your family will need. Pack a bag with items listed below. After assembling your kit, store it in a place known to all household members. Review the contents of your kit periodically to make sure stored medicines are up to date.

• Water and non-perishable food for each person for 3-5 days
• First aid kit
• Money
• Battery-operated flashlight and radio, and extra batteries for each
• Extra clothing and bedding (including shoes)
• Personal hygiene items
• Speciality items such as prescription medications, baby formula, diapers and pet supplies
• Plates, cups, utensils and a can opener
• Copies of important documents such as driver’s licenses, birth certificates, insurance policies and financial information

Get your emergency supply kit checklist (PDF)

Learn about the hazards that can affect your community and learn how to get information about current weather and road conditions. Pay attention to the news. Local radio and television stations provide up-to-date weather information.

Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs) are short emergency messages from authorized federal, state, local, tribal and territorial public alerting authorities that can be broadcast from cell towers to any WEA‐enabled mobile device in a locally targeted area. WEAs can be sent by state and local public safety officials, the National Weather Service, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the President of the United States.

• WEAs look like text messages but are designed to get your attention with a unique sound and vibration repeated twice.
• WEAs are no more than 360 characters and include the type and time of the alert, any action you should take and the agency issuing the alert.
• WEAs are not affected by network congestion and will not disrupt texts, calls or data sessions that are in progress.
• You are not charged for receiving WEAs and there is no need to subscribe.

The Emergency Alert System (EAS) is a national public warning system that allows the president to address the nation within 10 minutes during a national emergency. State and local authorities may also use the system to deliver important emergency information such as weather information, imminent threats, AMBER alerts and local incident information targeted to specific areas.

Investing in a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radio is another way to receive weather and other emergency alerts, and you can program them so that you receive only the alerts for your county or specific counties.

Alert Iowa is the State of Iowa’s official emergency notification system. Through Alert Iowa, State and local officials are able to utilize a single, statewide notification system that provides local control of how and when to disseminate emergency and public safety messages to residents. Click HERE to sign up for Alert Iowa in Pottawattamie County to receive free alerts via text message, email, and/or voice message.

The Iowa Department of Transportation offers real-time information on current road conditions on their website or application.

A community warning siren is part of an outdoor, all-hazards siren system that is used to warn the general population of potential danger in a short amount of time.

What the Sirens Mean

• The warning siren will be activated upon receipt of a tornado warning issued by the National Weather Service
• The warning siren will be activated with Severe Thunderstorm Warnings where forecasted or if actual wind speeds reach or exceed 70mph

What to Do When You Hear a Siren

If the sirens are activated – and it is not a monthly test – the public should see it as a signal to:

• Seek shelter
• Tune into radio or television to get the latest information, instructions & recommendations