NV.gov
Day 01: Sign up for emergency alerts
Emergency alerts can provide critical information about evacuations, severe weather and other hazards affecting your area. Nevada communities use different notification systems, so registration may depend on where you live.
Do this today: Make sure emergency alerts are enabled on your phone and register for your local emergency notification system.
Resources
Find Your Local Nevada Alert System Learn About Emergency Alerts
Day 02: Know the hazards where you live
Different parts of Nevada face different risks. Wildfire, flooding, earthquakes, extreme heat, winter storms and other emergencies can affect how you prepare and what actions you may need to take.
Do this today: Identify the major hazards that could affect your home, workplace and the places you regularly visit.
Resources
Explore Nevada Threats & Hazards Plan Ahead Nevada
Day 03: Save key emergency resources
During an emergency, reliable information can be difficult to find if you do not already know where to look.
Do this today: Bookmark important emergency websites and save useful phone numbers in your phone.
Consider saving:
- State of Nevada emergency information
- Nevada 211 for community resources and assistance
- Nevada 511 for road conditions and closures
- Your local emergency management agency
- Your local emergency notification system
Resources
Nevada Emergency Information Nevada 211 Nevada 511
Day 04: List the essentials you use every day
Think through an ordinary day and identify the things you depend on. This could include medications, medical equipment, mobility or communication devices, eyeglasses, pet supplies, transportation, electricity, refrigeration or other necessities.
Knowing what you rely on will help you build realistic emergency plans and supplies.
Do this today: Make a short list of anything you or someone in your household would have difficulty going without.
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Day 05: Compile and safeguard important documents
Important records may be difficult to replace after a disaster.
Consider identification, insurance information, medical and prescription information, property records, financial contacts and other records your household may need during recovery.
Keep sensitive information secure. Consider maintaining both protected physical copies and securely stored digital backups.
Do this today: Gather your most important documents and decide how you will protect and access them during an emergency.
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Day 06: Document the belongings in your home
A home inventory can help you remember what you own, determine whether you have adequate insurance and document losses after a disaster.
Photos or video can make this much easier. Pay particular attention to major purchases, electronics, valuables, appliances and other expensive items.
Do this today: Walk through at least one room and photograph or record its contents. Save receipts, serial numbers or appraisals when available.
Resource
Nevada Division of Insurance Home Inventory Guide
Day 07: Know what your insurance covers
Do not wait until after a disaster to discover what your policy does and does not cover.
Review your deductibles, coverage limits, temporary living-expense coverage and exclusions. Some hazards, including floods and earthquakes, may require separate coverage.
Do this today: Review your policy or contact your insurance company and ask about anything you do not understand.
Resource
Nevada Division of Insurance Home Inventory Guide
Day 08: Start an emergency fund
Emergencies often bring unexpected expenses. An emergency fund can help cover costs such as temporary lodging, transportation, repairs, food or other immediate needs.
You do not need to reach a particular amount today. Starting small is still starting.
Do this today: Set aside an amount that is realistic for you or make a plan for contributing to an emergency fund over time.
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Day 09: Make an emergency communications plan
Your household may not be together when an emergency happens.
Decide how you will contact one another, where you will meet and who you will contact outside the affected area if local communications are disrupted.
Do this today: Complete NV OEM's Emergency Communications Plan and share it with everyone in your household.
Resource
Fill Out an Emergency Communications Plan
Day 10: Make an evacuation plan
Know where you could go and how you would get there before an evacuation is ordered.
Identify more than one route and more than one possible destination in case roads are closed or conditions change. Include transportation, pets, medications and individual needs in your planning.
Do this today: Choose at least two evacuation destinations and two possible routes away from your home.
Resources
Make an Evacuation Plan Nevada Evacuation Planning Guide
Day 11: Learn READY, SET, GO evacuation levels
Evacuation notices are designed to give you time to act as conditions become more dangerous.
In general:
READY means prepare yourself and your household.
SET means be prepared to leave on short notice.
GO means evacuate as directed.
Terminology and procedures can vary between jurisdictions. Always follow instructions from local authorities managing the emergency.
Do this today: Make sure everyone in your household understands what READY, SET and GO mean and what your household will do at each stage.
Resource
Learn About Evacuation Preparedness
Day 12: Know how to return home safely
An evacuation order being lifted does not mean every hazard has disappeared.
When you return, watch for damaged utilities, unstable structures, debris, contaminated water, downed power lines, hot spots and other hazards related to the incident.
Never return until authorities say it is safe to do so.
Do this today: Talk with your household about what you will check before entering your home after an evacuation and where you will get official reentry information.
Resource
NV OEM Returning Home and Wildfire Safety
Day 13: Plan for your household's individual needs
Emergency planning is not one-size-fits-all.
Consider medications, medical equipment, mobility devices, communication needs, transportation, dietary needs, children, older adults and anyone who may need additional assistance.
Do this today: Identify at least one household need that requires extra planning and create a backup option for it.
Resources
Access & Functional Needs Preparedness Planning for Older Adults
Day 14: Make an emergency plan for your pets
Pets and service animals should be included in your emergency plan from the beginning.
Make sure identification and vaccination information are current, identify evacuation options and prepare food, water, medication, carriers, leashes and other necessary supplies.
Do this today: Decide how you would evacuate with your animals and identify someone who could help them if you were away from home.
Resource
Caring for Animals During a Disaster
Day 15: Know your workplace or school emergency plan
Emergencies do not always happen while everyone is home.
Learn the evacuation, shelter and communication procedures at your workplace, your children's school and other places where household members regularly spend time.
Do this today: Find out how at least one workplace, school or other frequently visited location will communicate and respond during an emergency.
Resources
Day 16: Create defensible space
Defensible space is the area around a building where vegetation and other combustible materials are managed to reduce wildfire risk.
Even small improvements close to a home can make a difference.
If you rent or do not control the property around your home, you can still learn what defensible space looks like and talk with your property owner or manager about potential improvements.
Do this today: Walk around your home and identify vegetation, debris or other combustible material that could be safely removed or managed.
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Day 17: Weather-proof your home
Nevada homes can experience extreme heat, freezing temperatures, strong winds and winter storms.
Weather stripping, insulation, window coverings, pipe protection and basic maintenance can make your home safer and more comfortable during both hot and cold weather.
Do this today: Check at least one door, window, pipe or other part of your home for a simple weather-proofing improvement you can make.
Resources
Extreme Heat Preparedness Winter Weather Preparedness
Day 18: Learn how to safely shut off utilities
Know where your electrical panel, water shutoff and other utility controls are located before an emergency happens.
Procedures vary by property and utility provider. Learn which controls residents can safely operate and which should only be handled by a utility or qualified professional.
If you suspect a natural-gas leak, leave the area and contact emergency services and your gas provider from a safe location.
Do this today: Locate your home's utility controls and learn the correct emergency procedures for your property.
Resources
NV Energy Safety Southwest Gas Safety
Day 19: Prepare for power outages
Think about everything in your household that depends on electricity.
Lighting, phones, refrigeration, medical equipment, heating and cooling can all become problems during a prolonged outage.
Never operate a generator indoors or use a gas stove or oven to heat your home.
Do this today: Identify your three most important electricity-dependent needs and decide how you would manage each one during an extended outage.
Resources
Day 20: Start gathering emergency supplies
Emergency supplies do not have to be purchased all at once.
Start with what you already own and gradually add food, water, lighting, communication tools, first aid supplies, medications, sanitation items and anything required for your household's individual needs.
Do this today: Choose a place to store emergency supplies and add at least a few useful items you already have at home.
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Day 21: Build an emergency go kit
A go kit contains essential items you would need if you had to leave home quickly.
Keep it portable and somewhere you can reach easily during an evacuation. Your kit should reflect your household and may include medications, important information, food and water, basic supplies, chargers, clothing and supplies for pets or individual needs.
Do this today: Choose a bag or container for your go kit and begin filling it with your most important evacuation supplies.
Resources
Living With Fire Go-Bag Guidance Emergency Supply Kit Guidance
Day 22: Build a stay-at-home emergency kit
Some emergencies may require you to remain at home while electricity, water, transportation or other normal services are disrupted.
A stay-at-home kit should help your household function safely and independently during that disruption.
Think about food, water, medications, lighting, backup power, sanitation, temperature, communications and other necessities.
Do this today: Choose a storage location and begin gathering supplies your household would need if you could not easily leave home for an extended period.
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Day 23: Build a car emergency kit
A vehicle emergency kit can help if you become stranded, encounter hazardous road conditions or need additional supplies during an evacuation.
Consider water, snacks, a flashlight, jumper cables, warm clothing or blankets and supplies appropriate for the places and conditions where you drive.
Do this today: Put a small emergency kit in your vehicle or check and update one you already have.
Resource
Vehicle and Winter Weather Preparedness
Day 24: Learn basic first aid and CPR
During an emergency, professional medical help may not always be immediately available.
Learning first aid, CPR and how to use an automated external defibrillator can give you practical skills to help someone until responders arrive.
Do this today: Find a CPR or first-aid course you could take, or refresh your training if you have completed one before.
Resource
American Red Cross Training in Nevada
Day 25: Connect with your neighbors and community
Prepared communities are built before emergencies happen.
Knowing your neighbors can make it easier to share information, identify who may need extra help and support one another when normal services are disrupted.
Do this today: Exchange contact information with at least one neighbor or talk with someone nearby about how you could help one another during an emergency.
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Day 26: Be earthquake ready
Nevada is earthquake country, and earthquakes can happen with little or no warning.
Identify safe places to protect yourself during shaking, secure objects that could fall and consider how an earthquake could affect your evacuation routes, utilities and supplies.
Do this today: Identify a safe location in each room where you spend significant time and look for at least one object that should be secured.
Resource
NV OEM Earthquake Preparedness
Day 27: Be flood ready
Flooding and flash flooding can develop quickly.
Learn whether flooding can affect the places where you live, work or travel. Know where you would move to higher ground and never walk, swim or drive through floodwater.
Do this today: Identify where you would go if flooding threatened your home or a route you regularly travel.
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Day 28: Be wildfire ready
Wildfires can spread quickly and threaten both rural and urban communities.
Preparedness includes receiving alerts, maintaining defensible space, having an evacuation plan and keeping your go kit ready before conditions become critical.
Do this today: Review your evacuation plan, alerts, go kit and defensible space and identify anything that still needs attention.
Resources
NV OEM Wildland Fire Preparedness Living With Fire
Day 29: Be winter weather ready
Winter storms can bring dangerous driving conditions, power outages, extreme cold and difficult travel.
Prepare your home and vehicle before storms arrive, monitor weather and road conditions and avoid unnecessary travel when conditions become dangerous.
Do this today: Check your vehicle and home for at least one winter-preparedness need, such as blankets, tire condition, an ice scraper, heating supplies or pipe protection.
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Day 30: Practice your emergency plan
You spent the month building your plan. Today, test it.
A practice run can uncover things that looked good on paper but do not work as expected.
Do this today: Run a short household emergency drill.
Test your communications plan. Confirm your meeting locations. Walk through an evacuation route. Locate your go kit and stay-at-home supplies. Review arrangements for pets and individual needs.
When you're done, update anything that did not work.
Resources
NV OEM Preparedness Tips Emergency Communications Plan
You've completed 30 Days Ready
Preparedness is not something you finish once and forget.
Review your plans regularly, replace expired supplies, update contact information and adjust your preparations as your household changes.
Even if you did not complete every step this month, you are better prepared than when you started. Keep up the good work!