When disaster hits, it’s too late to plan.

Together we are building resilience through disaster preparedness, community response, and sustainable recovery.

Readying our community to withstand natural disasters by fostering collaboration between individuals, neighborhoods, organization and local government enhances the resilience of our island community through mutual aid. We look at preparedness through the lens of a caring community rather than from fear.

During a disaster such as a wildfire or earthquake, the focus of our courageous first responders will be assessing damage to core infrastructure. Our 911 services will be overwhelmed, meaning we need to rely on ourselves and our neighbors. This is where the preparedness of our community is crucial, with neighbors caring for one another. As we like to say, your first responder during a disaster is next door.

Have you thought about?

• If our ferries were halted, the bridge down and some roads impassable, how long could your family survive without outside emergency help and supplies?

• If you had family/friends visiting, could you care for them as well?

• If there were massive power outages and cell towers went down how would your ability to take care of yourself and your family be impacted?

• If you were stranded off island for several days, who would ensure the well-being of your children, an elder who depends upon you, your pets, your farm animals?

• How do your answers change when you think about the collective capacity of your entire neighborhood to survive and recover from a disaster together?

If you are like most of us, you probably discovered you are really not very well prepared. Don’t despair. We know how to proceed. Look at the Get Prepared pages for ideas what provisions you might need. Start a neighborhood campaign because getting prepared in community increases your resilience and it’s just more fun. And join South Whidbey Prepares.