Hurricanes and tropical storms can have devastating effects on a community. Especially as storms continue to increase in intensity over the years, it is more important than ever to make sure you, your family, and your property are as prepared as possible. Hurricane season typically lasts from May or June to November 30th each year. So far in 2022, there have been a low number of storms and hurricanes, but the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is still expecting an above-average Atlantic hurricane season. 

Obviously, not all parts of the country are affected by hurricanes and tropical storms, but hurricanes don’t just affect coastal communities. They can cause damage hundreds of miles from the shoreline, so it is important to know if you live in or near a hurricane evacuation zone even if you aren’t right on the water.

• Make sure to visit this link to determine if you are in a hurricane evacuation zone
• Review and update your insurance policies appropriately

If you are in a hurricane evacuation area, it is important to develop an evacuation plan ahead of time so you know how to safely and quickly get to a safer location if needed.

• Plan where you will go and several routes to get there
• Locate nearest public shelter 
• Have a bag of supplies ready for you and your family members 
• Make a plan for your pets

Even if you plan to evacuate, it is still important to have supplies just in case you need to shelter-in-place or get through the aftermath of a storm when supplies and transportation could be limited.

• Make sure to have enough non-perishable food and water for each family member for a minimum of 3 days
• Have supply of prescription and common over the counter medications

Make sure to get your Jase Case and be prepared for emergency use situations if you cannot get to the doctor.

• Battery, solar or crank powered radio, flashlight, and phone chargers with extra batteries
• Working fire extinguishers, smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors
• Important documents like wills, medical information, insurance documents, identification, etc.

If you own a car, make sure it is prepped and ready incase you need to leave quickly. If you do not have a car, make sure to make arrangements with someone who does.

• Make sure to have a full tank of gas
• Move all vehicles inside a garage or shelter
• Visit ready.gov/car for information on how to prep your car and what supplies to keep in your car

Prepping your home is also an important step to take before a storm hits.

• Make sure to check local hurricane building codes to make sure you have
• Cover windows and doors with proper material
• Your garage door is the most vulnerable part of your house, so make sure it can withstand high winds
• Trim trees
• Secure outdoor items that cannot be moved inside or under a shelter

Take time to write down your evacuation plan. Know who issues evacuation orders in your area and other information that will be important in the event of  a storm or evacuation. It is important to make sure all preparations are made ahead of time and not when a hurricane is approaching.

Depending on where you live, make sure to check on your neighbors as well. Especially if they are elderly or have special needs.

If you have loved ones in a hurricane area, please visit this link to find out how you can help in the event of a hurricane.

Visit the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration site for further information.

Being prepared covers many topics, from physical preparedness, such as food, water, and shelter to natural disasters to the recent uptick of crime as our world’s stability is threatened. Our “new normal” is a world many of us are being forced to face..

Post pandemic statistics reveal that crime is on the rise. According to the July 2022 report from Council on Criminal Justice crime post pandemic has been on the rise. They surveyed 29 major cities for 10 violent, property, and drug offenses in across the US and reported their findings:

• Over the past two years, homicides and gun assaults trended upward while most property crimes receded. In the first half of 2022, crime patterns partially reversed: in particular, homicides and gun assaults declined while property crimes rose.
• The number of homicides declined by 2% in the first half of 2022 compared to the first half of 2021 (a decrease of 54 homicides). While this reduction is heartening, the homicide rate is still 39% higher than it was during the first half of 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The number of gun assaults dropped by 6% in the first half of 2022, but this trend is based on data from just 12 cities and should be viewed with caution.
• Aggravated assaults (+4%) and robberies (+19%) increased in the first half of 2022 compared to the first half of 2021.
• Domestic violence incidents decreased by 5% between the first half of 2021 and the first half of 2022. This result is based on just 12 cities studied and should be viewed with caution.
• Residential burglaries (+6%), nonresidential burglaries (+8%), larcenies (+20%), and motor vehicle thefts (+15%) all increased in the first half of 2022 compared to the first six months of 2021.
• Drug offenses dropped by 7% in the first half of 2022 over the first half of 2021.

As we delve deeper into the cause of this phenomena, we discover there are widely different views as to why this is happening. The objective to preparedness, however, is to be aware of these statistics so you don’t become one.

Aggravated assaults, robberies, residential burglaries, larcenies, and vehicle thefts are some of the most likely crimes the general populace will encounter.

Below are some excellent tips taken from the Sacramento Police Department. Courses on personal self defense are becoming more and more important in our rapidly changing world. Take the time to look up your local self defense courses and have all able-bodied members of your family or group take the course.

The city of Sacramento police department has an excellent webpage devoted on personal safety:

Safety and crime prevention Tips

Three factors must be present for a crime to occur: desire, ability and opportunity. You can have a significant impact on the last one – opportunity – and reduce crime by following these simple crime prevention tips.

At Home

• Use a door viewer before opening your door. Always demand identification from strangers (even repair or sales persons).
• Always lock up your home before leaving and don’t hide your house keys outdoors anywhere.
• Have keys ready and in your hand for immediate use when you return home.
• Use interior and exterior lighting at all times.
• Always use Safe Internet Shopping practices.
• Shred credit card offers and bank statements before you throw them away if you do not plan on using them.
• Hide or destroy boxes from expensive purchases.
• Do not answer personal questions about your home such as type of alarm, daytime occupancy, etc.
• Do not let people inside your home (to use the bathroom, phone, etc.).
• Avoid mail theft by obtaining a locked mailbox and dropping off outgoing mail at the local post office.
• Do not give out your personal information or credit card number over the phone unless you initiated the call.
• Check out the Home Burglary Prevention Tips.
• Safeguard your home and yourself while you are away with Vacation Safety.

Metal Theft

(There are videos available for the prevention of catalytic converter theft and others on the website)

• Learn how to prevent Catalytic Converter Theft.
• Protect your home against Air Conditioner Theft.
• Learn how to prevent Tailgate Theft.

Personal Safety

• Rape is a violent crime, an invasion, a frightening experience. By being aware of some Rape Prevention Tips, a person can reduce the likelihood of becoming a rape victim.
• Teen Dating Violence: Statistics show that one in three teenagers has experienced violence in a dating relationship.

Personal Safety Videos

The Sacramento Police Department has created several powerful public service announcement videos to educate and keep the public safe. They, as well as a variety of safety videos, can be found on our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/sacpd/videos.
Public service announcements video links:

• Stranger Danger
• Street Racing
• Gangs
• Cyber Safety
• Holiday Crime Prevention Tips

Walking

• Plan your route ahead of time. Never walk alone at night; walk with a friend or your dog.
• Use well-lit streets, not dark alleys or bushy areas.
• Carry signaling devices like shriek alarms or a whistle.
• Carry defensive devices such as pepper spray.
• Be alert to what’s all around you! Look behind you occasionally.
• Never ask for or accept a ride from a stranger.
• Don’t carry large sums of money or wear valuable jewelry.
• Don’t resist an armed robber. Hand over whatever is demanded quickly and quietly.
• Remember, your life and safety is worth more than any personal property.

Purse/Wallet Protection

• If possible, don’t carry a purse. Never carry anything you can’t afford to lose in it.
• Carry your purse across the front of your body, with your forearm across the front of the purse and your elbow held tightly against your side.
• Carry your keys, wallet or other valuables in pockets in your clothes and not in your hand.
• Carry minimum amounts of cash and credit cards. Keep a record of all of your card numbers.
• Check out how to prevent Identity Theft and what to do if you are a victim of it.
• Be sure to also look at tips on ATM Awareness.

Driving

• Always look inside your vehicle before getting in.
• Lock all doors immediately after you are in the vehicle.
• Never pick up hitchhikers.
• If a stranger approaches while you are in a vehicle, keep the windows up, doors locked and engine running.
• Honk your horn if you need to attract attention.
• Park in well-lit areas at night.
• Always lock your car when leaving it.
• Consider installing an auto burglar alarm system.
• Don’t leave anything valuable in your car if possible.

2022 is shaping up to be, at the very least, a challenging year. We are promised food shortages heading into winter, along escalating energy prices, supply chain disruptions causing shortages in our food, gas, construction and plumbing supplies, aluminum shortages and medical supplies and drugs.

Today our focus is on food. Food recalls, outbreaks and food preps. As it stands the US has issued a record number of food recalls and outbreaks. Weather has played havoc on fruit and vegetable crops. Potatoes are now in short supply. Other shortages, such as tomatoes, peaches, wheat, popcorn and even pet food (don’t forget to stock up for your pets) are all adding to the already strained food insecurity we are facing.

What is the difference between a food recall and food outbreak?

Foodborne outbreaks occur when two or more people from different households get sick by eating the same contaminated food or beverage. A food recall is the removal of contaminated products from the market because of a health risk.

Recent foodborne outbreaks include: (From FDA website)

• Ice cream
• Strawberries
• Peanut butter
• Oysters
• Packaged lettuce and spinach
• And many more.

Recent recalls included

• 37 different breads due to possible bacterial contamination
• Frozen chicken- possible listeria contamination
• Perdue Frozen Ready-To-Eat Chicken Tender Products Due to Foreign Material Contamination
• BrandStorm Inc. is voluntarily recalling frozen blueberries because of the “presence or potential presence” of too much lead
• Consumer complaint about plastic in sausages prompts recall

Solutions

• If you have been following the advice of our government and storing food, you may be wondering what to do if there is a recall on any of the stored food. To begin with, make sure that the item was really recalled. Check batch and lot numbers and any information provided against your stored food. (Use links above for reference)
• Second, have on hand single ingredient foods, foods that need to be combined to make a meal. There is less chance of a single ingredient being contaminated compared to multi-ingredient, prepackaged meals.
• Learn to cook. There are many excellent you tube videos on food storage, how to cook wholesome foods with your preps. One of my favorite is Marys Nest. She has a series called her 4 corners pantry, where she details exactly everything she stores in each part of her kitchen and why.
• Cooking takes time, preparation, and commitment. Make mealtime prep a fun time, a bonding and learning time. Teach your younger family members how to use a measuring cup, how to mix ingredients, explore different foods.
• Be flexible. Ingredients in the future may not be available. Download and post this free ingredient substitutions chart for future reference. You will be amazed at substitutions that you can make that don’t compromise quality. Eggs, baking powder, different sweeteners, flours, are just a few ingredients that can be substituted without anyone knowing the difference.
• Have a plan if the power goes out. Do you have a way to keep your food cold? Keep freezer doors closed, open refrigerator unless necessary. Purchase a thermometer for both the refrigerator and freezer. Most freezers can keep food cold for 24 hours. Check with your model for further guidance. As far as refrigerated food goes, cook, and eat all food that is perishable. Check and make sure your condiments are cool also.
• Remember to have at least 1 month’s food set aside for each of your pets. Also take into account the water they use.