LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — August is Emergency Management Awareness Month, and Louisville Metro EMA officials are encouraging residents to take a few simple steps now to be ready before an emergency happens.
One of the biggest recommendations is putting together a home emergency kit.
Jody Meiman with Louisville Metro EMA said most families already have many of the items they need.
"Most people have this stuff anyway, so they can just put it in one place and usually keep it in a basement or somewhere where you would go to take shelter for a storm or if they lost power," Meiman said. "We've had a few shelter-in-place issues over the past year."
Officials recommend keeping the kit somewhere that's easy to access during severe weather or a power outage.
Some of the essentials include:
- A first aid kit
- Non-perishable food
- Bottled water
- A manual can opener
- A flashlight
- A portable phone charger or charging bank
- A whistle
- A weather radio
- Extra batteries
- Basic tools
- A rain poncho
Louisville also offers free tools to help residents stay informed during emergencies.
The LouReady app includes preparedness information, emergency resources and live weather cameras. The city recently added four new cameras to help people monitor severe weather in real time.
Residents can also sign up for emergency alerts by texting LENSAlert to 67283.
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