GHS/OCD Promotes September as National Preparedness Month

GHS/OCD Promotes September as National Preparedness Month

The Offices of Guam Homeland Security and Civil Defense (GHS/OCD) invite the island to celebrate September as National Preparedness Month (NPM). To commemorate the month, Governor Lou Leon Guerrero will declare NPM with a virtual proclamation signing on Friday, September 1, 2023 at 11:30 a.m., which will also be streamed live on the Governor’s Facebook page.

The 2023 NPM theme is “Preparing for Older Adults.”

NPM is an observance each September to raise awareness about the importance of preparing for disasters and emergencies that could happen at any time.

“We recognize the importance of preparedness for the whole community and appreciate the focus for this year’s theme as older adults can face greater risks when it comes to the multitude of extreme weather events and emergencies we now face, especially if they are living alone, have a disability, or live in hard to reach areas” said Charles Esteves, Civil Defense Administrator. “What is great about our community is that in times of emergency, our island pulls together – neighbors support each other, communities react with compassion, and afterward, we emerge stronger and more resilient.”

Along with building an emergency preparedness kit and making a family communication plan, the community is encouraged to follow GHS/OCD online on Facebook and Instagram to view preparedness tips and activities by emergency management partners. The community can also participate by promoting individual and community activities and preparedness tips with resources available at 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

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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.