Being Ready for Anything

Emergencies can happen anytime. I will have direct information for Cedar Rapidsians. If you live elsewhere, some info is generic and can be applied to your situation; however, you will need to verify what is applicable in your local area.

I know that after the Derecho we had, Mai and I re-examined our emergency kit and upgraded its contents. Now we have an old roller suitcase stocked with all the things we need.

Did you read the March 2025 'Our City' magazine you received in the mail? If you had, you would have seen the article; however, if not, I will provide the information (verbatim).

The City's emergency-preparedness program, Neighborhood P.A.C.T. (Prepare, Act, Communicate, Train), provides tools and resources to help you get ready before disaster has a chance to strike.

The program, led by the Cedar Rapids Fire Department, was started after the 2008 flood and the 2020 Derecho.

Visit CityofCR.com/PACT for helpful worksheets, sample Emergency Action Plans, a list of participating NCR locations, and more.

Prepare

By assembling an emergency supply kit and understanding how to respond to different disasters. A basic emergency supply kit includes items like:

• Non-perishable food

• Bottled water

• First Aid Kit

• Flashlights

• Extra Batteries

• Weather Radio

• Whistle

• and more!

We took an extra suitcase and made an emergency supply kit in our household. It lives in my closet.

Act

By creating a plan with your family or household.

• Plan how to contact each other in an emergency.

• Set a family meeting place.

• Keep copies of important contact and other information (family members, prescriptions, doctors, veterinarians, etc.) with your emergency kit and in your purse, backpack, or laptop bag.

• Regularly review and practice your plan together.

Communicate

Through multiple methods and know how to find the City's Neighborhood Resource Centers for post-disaster support.

• Sign up for emergency notifications from the City at CRNewsNow.com or find Mobile CR in the app store.

• Tune to Emergency Alert System radio stations WMT 600 AM and 96.5 FM.

• Know the locations of Neighborhood Resource Centers (NRCs) for support after a disaster, when critical infrastructure like power, cell service, and internet may be disrupted. Listen to emergency radio stations for updates on activated NRCs.

Train

By sharing information with neighbors and helping others after a disaster.

• Ready.gov recommends being prepared to care for yourself and your loved ones for at least 72 hours after a disaster, as emergency services may be delayed.

• This includes having enough food, water, and basic supplies until help arrives.

• Share information and resources with neighbors and loved ones.

• Consider learning basic first aid and volunteering after a disaster to assist in the community.

I found another article in the Brain & Life magazine, June/July 2025

Everyone in a household should have a "go bag" they can grab during an emergency that contains enough essentials for three days. Each bag should contain:

• Three large bottles of drinking water. You also should have some water purification tablets in case you run out of your bottled supply and tap water isn't drinkable.

• Packaged food, such as peanut butter and crackers; canned meat, fruit, and vegetables; granola and protein bars; dehydrated meats like beef jerky; and instant oatmeal, pasta, and rice.

• A first aid/medical kit with over-the-counter pain reliever such as acetaminophen, medical gloves, bandages, and antibiotic ointment.

• Face masks and hand sanitizer

• Flashlight and batteries

• Blanket

• AM/FM emergency radio with batteries

• An extra pair of glasses and a week's supply of contact lenses, if you wear them.

You should also pack a seven-day supply of all prescription medications, along with paper copies of the prescriptions.

In Iowa, there is a program called Disaster Prepwise to help you become better prepared for disasters. It is a program at the University of Iowa. It is free of charge. If you are interested in this program, contact Nick Ostrem at nicholas-ostrem@uiowa.edu or 319-367-1193. For more information, visit public-health.uiowa.edu./prepwise/

Ok, my last article! I found this in the June/July AARP magazine. Items that that should be in your financial go bag.

• Personal Items - take originals or copies of Social Security cards, passports, birth certificates, marriage licenses, divorce decrees, and estate planning documents.

• Home Inventory - shoot a video of your home, with your running commentary. Video every room, every closet, and every drawer. Download it onto a USB drive and save a copy online.

• Cash - Having cash can get you through a few days of tapped-out ATMs or power outages.

• Insurance Policies - The paperwork you receive when your homeowners or renters policy renews has information you'll need: how much you're covered for, your policy number, whom to contact for a claim and how much you can spend on lodging.

• Account Information - Recent bank, brokerage, credit card, and retirement statements will make it easier to track down your assets and get replacement cards if needed. Utility bills will have account and contact information.

• Phone Numbers - Bring printed contact information for local services, friends, and relatives, and any other important contacts. Just in case you can't charge your phone to obtain the information.

• Your Virtual Bag - Store copies of your bag's documents online using a service like Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, or Dropbox.