National Preparedness Month comes at the tail end for natural disasters in Iowa like the derecho storm and drought, and amid the COVID-19 public health emergency, giving residents a chance to update their emergency kits and plans, and look at how they can best mitigate the next disaster.

Adair and Guthrie County Emergency Management Deputy Coordinator Jeremy Cooper says the key points of this month is to make a plan, build an emergency kit, limit the impacts that disasters can have on you and your family, and teach youth about preparedness.

Making a plan consists of checking how you’re receiving emergency alerts and warnings, forming a shelter plan and evacuation route, and other aspects like a family/household communication plan. Cooper says this plan and your emergency kit may need to be updated because of the COVID-19 pandemic and recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “You’re going to need to think about things if you’re going to go to a shelter or your house is destroyed or whatever, bringing hand sanitizer in your kit, having masks, maybe even gloves, just to help protect yourself from the COVID virus.”

If your emergency plan involves going to a neighbor’s house, Cooper says it’s also recommended during this pandemic to check if those people are isolating themselves due to preexisting medical conditions. You can hear more from Cooper during a two-part Let’s Talk Guthrie County program beginning today on air and at raccoonvalleyradio.com.