Today we wrap up Severe Weather Awareness and Safety week with perhaps the most important topic of all, family preparedness.

Dallas County Emergency Management Coordinator Barry Halling says one thing you can do to make sure you’re ready for disaster is making an emergency to-go kit that includes several crucial items.

“Flashlights, bandages depending on how long you’re going to be gone, cell phones, radio with batteries so you don’t have to worry about electricity, those kind of things” says Halling.

Another good thing to do in advance is develop and practice your plans for where to go if it gets ugly.

“Having an evacuation plan, if you get separated where are you going to meet and where are you going to do?  Schools do that all the time, they all meet in a certain place but businesses if you get separated or whatever it might be good to decide ‘We’re going to go to this tree or where ever’ so everybody can meet up and know who is there and who isn’t.”

For a suggested list of items for your emergency kit CLICK HERE.