September is National Preparedness Month, and there is no better time to prepare for emergencies than right now as Hurricane Dorian heads toward the East Coast. While Dorian’s direct path is still uncertain, NCCDD wants everyone to prepare for the possibility of this storm having a direct impact on our state, and Governor Roy Cooper has declared a State of Emergency. 

To stay updated on the latest news, visit the NC Dept. of Public Safety for Hurricane Dorian Preparations or download the free ReadyNC app, an all-in-one tool that gives information on real-time traffic and weather conditions, river levels, evacuations and power outages.

NCCDD’s Emergency Preparedness for People with I/DD initiative provided many resources to assist people with I/DD as well as access and functional needs in preparing for hurricanes and other types of emergencies.

Please be sure to check out the following resources on the Ready NC website:

• Household Emergency Plan 
• Staying Independent During Disasters Checklist 
• What to take to a shelter checklist 
• Show Me: A Communication Tool for Emergency Shelters booklet

Additionally, on the ReadyNC website, click on Emergency Preparedness to access information about a variety of topics to help you prepare for any emergency. Topics range from “Make A Plan” to “Get a Kit” to “Evacuating” to “Functional Needs” to “Pets & Service Animals” and more. Some of these topics also have the information available in ASL with captions, and anyone who needs this information in ASL can click the YouTube icons that say, “Watch the ASL Video.”

Please also remember to:

• Have enough food, water, and clean clothes to last for seven days.
• Refill your prescriptions for medications you need. When the Governor issues a State of Emergency, pharmacies may refill current, valid prescriptions early.
• Go on a scavenger hunt through your house to find many of the items for your emergency preparedness kit.
• Don’t wait to purchase what you need!