Preparing for a Zombie Apocalypse Can Help You in a REAL Emergency

Halloween is just around the corner, meaning in just a few weeks, our streets will be full of zombies, ghosts and ghouls. While you shouldn’t really worry about a zombie apocalypse, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reminds everyone that preparing for a zombie apocalypse can help you in a real emergency.

You Can Prepare

Anyone can be impacted by an emergency such as a natural disaster, act of terrorism, or disease outbreak. You can take steps now to help you prepare for an emergency and better cope if an emergency happens.

Build a Kit

If a disaster strikes your community, you might not have access to food, water, or electricity for some time. It’s important to maintain an emergency kit with enough supplies for at least 72-hours. It is also important to consider your family’s unique needs, like medications or food for your pets.

Make a Plan

Families can cope with disasters by preparing in advance and working together as a team. If something were to happen, how would you contact one another, how would you get to a safe place, what would you do in different emergency situations? Planning what to do before a disaster strikes provides the best protection.

Stay Informed

It is important to understand what emergencies are likely to occur in your area and specific ways to respond to each one. You should also understand the ways you can get information about potential threats, such as through text alerts, emergency sirens in your community, or other methods. Jefferson County residents are urged to sign up for CodeRed.

You Can Stay Safe

Emergencies can be both stressful and dangerous, and they can expose us to dangerous situations.  It is important to remember that there are things you can do to keep yourself safe during an emergency.

Emergencies can expose us to dangerous situations where we could be injured. It’s important to use caution at all times, and learn basic first aid skills before an emergency. Stressful situations may trigger a heart attack, stroke or other cardiovascular event in some individuals. The most important thing you can do during an emergency is to be able to recognize the signs of a cardiovascular event and act immediately by calling 9-1-1.

It is also important to avoid food-borne illness during an emergency. Keep meat, poultry, fish, and eggs refrigerated at or below 40°F and frozen food at or below 0°F. This may be difficult when the power is out. A refrigerator will keep food safely cold for about 4 hours if it is unopened. A full freezer will hold the temperature for approximately 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full) if the door remains closed. When in doubt, throw it out.