September is National Preparedness Month in New York City! Having a Go Bag and Household Disaster Plan are both very important if there is an emergency. It's also good to have an Emergency Supply Kit in your home. This will help you survive on your own, especially if getting to a shelter is impossible or inappropriate and you are asked to stay where you are (also called: "shelter in place").

Be sure to have enough supplies for at least three days, keep the supplies easily accessible, and tell other household members that the supplies are for emergencies only.

Your Emergency Supply Kit should be filled with:

• One gallon of drinking water per person per day
• Non-perishable, ready-to-eat canned foods and manual can opener
• First aid kit
• Flashlight
• Battery-operated AM/FM radio and extra batteries (you can also buy wind-up radios that do not require batteries)
• Whistle
• Iodine tablets or one quart of unscented bleach (for disinfecting water ONLY if directed to do so by health officials) and eyedropper (for adding bleach to water)
• Personal hygiene items: soap, feminine hygiene products, toothbrush and toothpaste, etc.
• Phone that does not rely on electricity
• Child care supplies or other special care items 

Check back here throughout the month of September for more ideas on how to be prepared in case of an emergency. Also, be sure to visit the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) website for more info!