The Pacific Is Busy: A National Preparedness Month Reminder to Get Ready

September is National Preparedness Month, and the Pacific Ocean seems determined to give us a timely reminder of why preparedness matters.

Right now, multiple tropical systems are active across the Pacific. Hurricane Lowell is affecting Hawaii with dangerous surf and tropical storm conditions expected in portions of the islands, while Hurricane Marie in the Eastern Pacific is generating dangerous beach conditions and high surf along portions of Southern California.

For most of us in Washington, these storms are hundreds or even thousands of miles away.

So why should we care?

Because emergencies rarely stay neatly inside the area where they begin.

The Pacific Is Connected

A hurricane does not have to make landfall in your neighborhood to affect you. Storms far offshore can create large swells, dangerous rip currents, coastal flooding, transportation disruptions, shipping delays, and changing weather patterns hundreds of miles away.

Hawaii is already dealing with increased surf generated by Hurricane Lowell, while Southern California beaches are experiencing high surf and dangerous rip currents associated with Hurricane Marie.

That is a pretty impressive reach for storms spinning far out over the Pacific.

And there is another interesting piece of the weather puzzle this year: El Niño is strengthening.

El Niño occurs when parts of the tropical Pacific Ocean become warmer than normal and interact with the atmosphere above them. That can influence weather patterns across large portions of the world.

It does not mean El Niño caused any particular hurricane or weather event. Weather is much more complicated than that. But it does remind us how interconnected our environment really is.

A change in the Pacific can eventually influence weather from Hawaii to California, Washington, Alaska, and well beyond.

Preparedness Does Not Have to Be Complicated

National Preparedness Month is a good time to remember that preparedness does not mean predicting exactly what disaster will happen next.

It means being ready to adapt when something unexpected happens.

You do not need a bunker.

You do not need to spend thousands of dollars.

And you certainly do not have to prepare for everything in one weekend.

Start small.

Check your emergency supplies. Make sure you have water, shelf-stable food, medications, flashlights, batteries, and basic first-aid supplies.

Check your emergency contacts. Does everyone in your household know who to call if local phone service becomes overwhelmed? Consider having an out-of-state contact who can serve as your family's communication point.

Think about your pets. Food, water, medications, carriers, leashes, and identification should all be part of your emergency planning.

And take a few minutes to think about what hazards are most likely where you live.

Along the coast, that might include high surf, coastal flooding, or tsunamis.

Here in the Pacific Northwest, we also need to think about earthquakes, winter storms, flooding, wildfires, extreme heat, and volcanic hazards.

Let Today's Weather Be Your Reminder

There is something useful about watching storms move across the Pacific.

They remind us that nature does not pay much attention to city limits, county lines, or state borders.

Preparedness gives us something we can control.

We can have supplies.

We can have a plan.

We can know how we will communicate.

And we can take small steps today that make an enormous difference when something unexpected happens tomorrow.

That is really what National Preparedness Month is all about.

Don't prepare because you are afraid of what might happen. Prepare so that when something does happen, you are ready to handle it.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Michael Cady, MSDM, NEMAA, is the owner of LMD Disaster Survival Kits and an emergency management professional with more than 30 years of experience working alongside first responders. He also has five years of federal disaster recovery experience assisting individuals, families, businesses, and communities affected by disasters.

Michael founded LMD Disaster Survival Kits in 2007 to help people become better prepared for emergencies before they occur. He holds associate and bachelor’s degrees in Homeland Security and Emergency Management, as well as a Master of Security and Disaster Management with a concentration in Climate Security from the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

In his current professional role, Michael supports emergency management, workplace health, and safety initiatives for a behavioral healthcare organization with more than 500 employees.

Preparedness questions matter, reach out. LMD Disaster Survival Kits welcomes the opportunity to help individuals, families, workplaces, and communities strengthen their readiness, build confidence, and prepare for the unexpected.