Through the “Prepare Kansas” program, K-State Research and Extension is helping everyone be better prepared for disasters which can help make recovery easier.
Tool Helps Families Prepare for Disasters
Life-saving measures could start with talk around the dinner table.
Kansans were reminded yet again how natural disasters can come with little or no warning when up to 9 inches of rain resulted in flooding across several counties Labor Day weekend. Gov. Jeff Colyer issued a state of emergency declaration for five counties, and assessments are occurring in others. Ironically, some of the areas hit hardest had been in a state of drought.
The flooding is just the latest disaster to hit the state this year, which underscores the importance of planning in advance to help lessen damage to lives and property in the event of a disaster, said Elizabeth Kiss, a family resource management associate professor at Kansas State University (K-State).
Kiss and a team of K-State Research and Extension educators and specialists across the state encourage everyone to plan in advance through Prepare Kansas, an online challenge designed to help individuals and families prepare to ease recovery and potentially save lives when disasters strike.
Prepare Kansas poses simple tasks such as “Make an Emergency Plan,” “Install and/or Inspect Smoke Alarms” and “Make a Plan for Pets and Animals” that individuals and families are encouraged to complete during September to coincide with National Preparedness Month. Prepare Kansas is in its sixth year.
Editor’s Note: Mary Lou Peter is a communications specialist, news writer and editor with the K-State Research and Extension News Media Services Unit.