Community Invited to the National Preparedness Month Grand Finale Event, September 30

Community Invited to the National Preparedness Month Grand Finale Event, September 30

The Offices of Guam Homeland Security and Civil Defense (GHS/OCD) invite the island to participate in the National Preparedness Month (NPM) Grand Finale event on Saturday, September 30, 2023, from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the Agana Shopping Center.

The NPM Grand Finale will bring a close to the month-long celebration of National Preparedness Month all through September. NPM is an observance each September to raise awareness about the importance of preparing for disasters and emergencies that could happen at any time. The 2023 NPM theme is “Take Control in 1, 2, 3” with focus on preparing older adults for disasters.

“We encourage the community to join us for the NPM Grand Finale event,” said Charles Esteves, Office of Civil Defense Administrator. “Although this month’s theme is focused on our elderly, the event will have something for all ages as it will provide an opportunity for community members to meet emergency management partner agencies and see what their capabilities are. We all play a crucial role when it comes to disasters and preparing for them. This is what the grand finale celebrates, the whole-community approach to emergencies.”

The community is invited to attend the event for an opportunity to receive free informational giveaways, participate in trivia contests for prizes, and to see displays and exhibits from the government of Guam, military, federal, private and non-profit organizations, healthcare organizations, financial institutions, and so much more. To learn more about NPM, visit https://www.ready.gov/september.

Learn more about event details and ways you can participate throughout the month:

GHS/OCD Website: https://ghs.guam.gov/
GHS/OCD Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GHSOCD/
GHS/OCD Instagram: @ghsocd

For more information, contact GHS/OCD Public Information Officer, Jenna Blas at (671) 478-0208 or via email at jenna.g.blas@ghs.guam.gov.

X Flooding is a temporary overflowing of water onto land that is normally dry. Flooding may happen with only a few inches of water, or it may cover a house to the rooftop. There are many possible causes of floods including heavy rain, coastal storms and storm surge, waterway overflow from being blocked with debris, or overflow of levees, dams, or waste water systems. Flooding can occur slowly over many days or happen very quickly with little or no warning, called flash floods.

To learn more, visit https://www.ready.gov/floods

Wildfire

Regularly clean the roof and gutters.
Maintain an area approximately 30’ away from you home that is free of anything that will burn, such as wood piles, dried leaves, newspapers and other brush.
Connect garden hoses long enough to reach any area of the home and fill garbage cans, tubs, or other large containers with water.
Review your homeowner's insurance policy and also prepare/update a list of your home's contents.

Fire Weather

Turn on your TV/radio. You’ll get the latest weather updates and emergency instructions.
Know where to go. If you are ordered to evacuate, know the route to take and have plan of where you will go. Check-in with your friends and family.
Keep your car fueled, in good condition, and stocked with emergency supplies and a change of clothes.

Drought

Conserve water

Take shorter showers.

Turn off the water while brushing your teeth or shaving.
Run the washer less frequently and only when you have a full load.
Water your lawn less frequently and do so when the temperature is cooler in the early morning or late evening.
When you run the tap to heat or cool water, keep a pitcher to store the water and use it to water plants.
Avoid washing your car.

Practice fire prevention

Don't set off fireworks when conditions are dry.
Deposit cigarette butts in the proper receptacle to avoid starting a
Pour water over camp fires and backyard fire pits to ensure they are completely out before leaving them unattended.

Follow directions from local officials. If there are restrictions on water usage, be sure to heed them.

To learn more, visit https://www.ready.gov/wildfires and https://www.ready.gov/drought

X
Typhoons/Hurricanes are massive storm systems that form over the water and move toward land. Threats from typhoons/hurricanes include high winds, heavy rainfall, storm surge, coastal and inland flooding, and rip currents.

“Hurricanes” form in the Atlantic Northeast Pacific region and “Typhoons” form in the Northwest Pacific Region. These large storms are call cyclones in other parts of the world.

To learn more, visit https://www.ready.gov/hurricanes.