Did you know that September is National Preparedness Month? It is a time for individuals and families to have conversations about how to deal with emergencies.
For many, September is hurricane season. For some, September can be filled with rain and floods and all types of surprises when it comes to home repairs due to excessive water. For others, September is a heightened time for forest fires and evacuations. Wherever you live, it is never too early to have conversations about what you need to do to prepare.
This September, I am going to do a few small things to help put my mind at ease. It is definitely time for me to test my smoke detectors to make sure all of the rooms in my home are properly protected. My carbon monoxide detector plugs into the wall, so I do not need to worry about batteries. However, my smoke detectors operate by battery power and should be checked more regularly.
I will also purchase extra batteries to have in my home in case of emergencies. It has been far too long since I’ve checked my flashlights (I might have to find them first). I will also need to be sure I have candles for the occasional blackout. There are times when the electric company gives a warning about upcoming outages, but due to increasingly violent storms, fallen tree, blackouts, and power interruptions have become much more frequent.
Some of you may remember the blackout of 2003, when the entire city was off the grid for 29 hours. Some stores stayed open to assist their communities, but if you did not have cash in hand, it was impossible to purchase necessary goods. As I prepare this month, I will also make sure I have a little “petty cash” in case of emergencies. So many of us have become so reliant on debit cards or Apple Pay on our phones that we seldom carry cash. Having a little stash will help in the event of a blackout.
It is also time to review my various insurance policies. It is imperative to have homeowner’s or renter’s insurance — yes, renter’s insurance. If you are a renter, your landlord has insurance for themselves and to protect the building, but rarely does their insurance extend to their tenants, so it is very important to insure your own belongings. It is also helpful to have those policies in digital form in the event you are unable to access your files and claim numbers.
These are just some small things I plan to do to be prepared. I hope you will think of other things you can do to stay organized for the season ahead. As the old saying goes, “You don’t need to get ready if you stay ready.”
Christina Greer, Ph.D., is an associate professor at Fordham University; author of “Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream”; and co-host of the podcast FAQ-NYC.