Be Ready: Emergency Preparedness

A storm is coming. Are you ready before it hits?

Today, how to be ready for an emergency. A simple plan can keep you safer.

Here's the big idea. The best time to get ready is before trouble starts — before a storm, before the power goes out. When an emergency hits, it's hard to think clearly. So we make a simple plan now, while things are calm. A little planning today can keep you safer later.

Your plan has just five easy steps. Let's get you ready, one step at a time.

Step one — your medicines. Keep an up-to-date list of everything you take, with the dose and the time of day. And keep a few days' extra supply on hand, or as much as your provider advises.

Step two is important if you use oxygen, a CPAP machine, or any equipment that plugs in. Make a backup plan for a power outage — like a charged battery. And here's the key part — tell your power company and your fire department ahead of time.

Step three — pack a simple go-bag and keep it by the door. Put in your medicine list and your medicines, some water, a flashlight, and extra batteries. Add a phone charger, copies of important papers, and your glasses. If you wear hearing aids, pack spare batteries too.

Step four — know who to call. Your home-health agency, your doctor, a family member or neighbor, and your power company's medical line. Write these numbers down on paper — not only in your phone, because a phone can lose power.

And step five — you don't have to do this alone. Make your plan together with your home-health agency or your provider.

Now, in a real emergency. If it's life-threatening, call 911 right away. If the power goes out and you depend on equipment, call your power company's medical line first, then call your home-health provider. Don't wait — getting help early is always safer.

So remember three things. Plan ahead. Pack a go-bag. And know who to call.

Next — how to make every room in your home safer. Watch next.