Before Disaster Strikes

Be prepared & know your resources. Here are a few things you can do to get ready:

• Have emergency water supplies (5-7 gallons per person in your household).
• Have 5-7 days worth of non-perishable food available. 
• Complete your home and vehicle emergency kits with essential items (flashlight, radio, first aid kit, garbage bags, duct tape, can opener, or a multi-purpose tool). 
• Keep at least 1/3 of a tank of gasoline in your car at all times.
• Know where your utilities are and how to turn them off (see Earthquakes). 
• Have an emergency response plan with your family. Discuss how and when to evacuate and determine meeting locations near the home or in the neighborhood. 
• If the phone lines are not working, establish an out of area contact at least 200 miles away that can relay information. 
• Register for Alert Marin or Nixle. Police and fire departments will send you emergency information via phone, email, or text communication.
• Tune in to 840AM SNAP radio for local emergency information. 
• After a disaster, emergency shelters will be opened as needed and in locations determined by local officials and the Red Cross. If your home is not safe, take your emergency kit and go to a neighbor’s home. 
• The Del Mar Middle School Gym is a designated first aid station and will be opened as needed. 

Preparedness Checklists

Click here for downloadable checklists.

Emergency Supplies

• Food for family members and pets for 5-7 days. Remember grocery stores may be closed if the disaster has caused property damage. Trucks may be unable to make deliveries to restock shelves. Existing stock will disappear quickly. 
• At least 1 gallon of water per person per day. The more water you can store, the better. Calculate your emergency water reserve needs: ___ people in household x ____ days reserve (minimum 5 recommended) = ____ gallons needed.
• Cash and coins. 
• First aid kit.
• Flashlight, radio, tools, sanitation supplies. 
• Camping gear (tent, lanterns, sleeping bags, stove)
• Car and workplace mini-survival kits. 
• Prescription medications. 
• Fire extinguisher. 
• Cooking equipment and eating utensils. 
• Health and safety supplies.

Evacuation Priorities

Before the need to evacuate rises, think about what you will need to take with you and make a priority list of items that you would take if you only had 10 minutes to evacuate your home. 

Your list should include only items that can be hand-carried. Consider adding the location of each item in your house to the list. You may want to create separate lists for each family member or pet. 

You might include:

• Family heirlooms.
• Important documents/files. 
• Clothing and medications. 
• Disaster supply kits. 
• Pet supplies. 

Disaster Plan 

• Store emergency food, water and other supplies. 
• Know two ways to evacuate the neighborhood by vehicle or on foot. 
• Know the location of utility valves and know how to shut them off. 
• Designate an out-of-area relative or friend as emergency contact and instruct family and friends to contact that person for safety updates. 
• Create an Evacuation Priority List. 
• Register for Alert Marin and Nixle emergency alerts.