BALTIMORE — Do you know what to do if a hurricane, tornado or another disaster strikes?
September is National Preparedness Month.
This is a month meant to educate people about the best ways to handle any type of emergency.
Red Cross officials say having a good plan can sometimes be the difference between life and death.
They encourage every household to have a evacuation plan.
Nadine McCrindle is a Regional Disaster Officer with the American Red Cross of the National Capital & Greater Chesapeake Region.
She says they are encouraging people this month to put together a plan in the event you have to evacuate your home or shelter in place.
With any plan, getting out of the house as quickly as possible is crucial.
"And part of your evacuation plan is around having a go bag, which has all of the things you need to be able to get out the house really quickly all in one place. And so, that’s the thing to make sure you do. Have that go bag in a place that is ready for you to grab, so you can get out of the house as quickly as possible, and you're not using that time to collect valuable items," said McCrindle.
McCrindle believes the most important thing with any plan is to practice it.
Red Cross officials say it's a good idea for people to sign up for alerts through your county office or city emergency management.
National Preparedness Month was launched in 2004 by FEMA.
This year’s theme is "Start a Conversation."
You can start with something as simple as deciding where your family will meet in the event you have to evacuate your home.