THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH IN LAKE COUNTY WANTS YOU TO BE BETTER PREPARED FOR A DISASTER!  

Lake County – September is National Preparedness Month (NPM) and The Florida Department of Health in Lake County (DOH-Lake) will be joining the Ready Campaign in promoting this year theme “Don’t Wait.Communicate.Make Your Emergency Plan Today” 
 
NPM serves as a reminder that everyone must take action to prepare for the types of emergencies that can affect each of us.  A natural disaster can happen at any time but many of us have never practiced in preparedness drill or exercises.  America’s PrepareAthon wants to share important information that will help you and your family be better prepared in case of a disaster.  Their goal is to help you: 

• Understand which disaster could happen in our community
• Know what to do to be safe and mitigate damage
• Practice drills and share information to better prepare your employees, affiliates, and the communities we serve
• Participate in community resilience planning.

 To reach these goals, DOH-Lake will be focusing weekly during the month of September on the following hazard focused themes: Flood, Wildfire, Hurricane, and Power Outage.
 
“Disasters can happen at any time and being prepared is everyone’s responsibility.  We need to work together to be able to prepare, respond, and recover from any disaster our community can be faced with” said Aaron Kissler, Administrator for the Florida Department of Health in Lake County.  “By practicing our preparedness drills, it will get us where we need to be if a disaster strikes”
 
GET THE FACTS – as per the “Ready.gov”:

• Between 1900 and 2014, the United States experienced 38 earthquakes, 568 storms, and 166 floods.
• In 2012, the United States was struck by 936 tornadoes, causing about $1.6 billion in damages.
• In 2013, there were more than 440 weather-related fatalities and nearly 2,800 injuries.

Join millions of Americans in practicing the steps necessary to stay safe before, during, and after a disaster!  For further information please visit www.ready.gov/prepare to learn more about America’s PrepareAthon! and how you can improve your preparedness plan for your family and your community. Or visit the Lake County Emergency Management website at www.lakecountyfl.gov/departments/public_safety/emergency_management/
 

About the Florida Department of Health
The department works to protect, promote and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts.

Follow us on Twitter at @HealthyFla and on Facebook. For more information about the Florida Department of Health please visit www.FloridaHealth.gov.