Make an Emergency Plan
Creating an emergency plan should start well before a disaster occurs and by asking the question what if? What if there’s no electricity? What if cell towers aren’t functioning? What if my family isn’t together when flooding turns into a debris flow? Map out a plan by discussing possible scenarios with family and friends.
Know where you will go and what to do before a flood event occurs
Get to higher ground: Pinpoint locations today in higher elevations than your home and work; decide where you will go if you need to evacuate, but also have a second location as a back-up plan.
Flash-flooding is a quick event. Do not try to travel through floodwaters.
Listen for emergency warnings: Keep a battery-operated radio to monitor weather advisories and emergency alerts.
Purchase flood insurance or update your flood insurance policy if needed. For a list of certified agencies in New Mexico, go to floodsmart.gov/flood-insurance-provider.
Gather important documents and valuables and store them in a safe place.
Take pictures of your belongings in case you need to file insurance claims.
Identify roles and responsibilities
Identify who will round up the pets, grab the emergency kit, etc.
Make sure everyone knows where to meet and how to communicate if cell service is down.
For more information on emergency preparedness, go to Ready.gov.
To address many of the common myths and rumors during the New Mexico wildfires, FEMA activated a rumor/myth webpage. You can access it online at fema.gov/nm-rumors.
For the latest information visit fema.gov/disaster/4652. Follow the FEMA Region 6 Twitter account at twitter.com/FEMARegion6 or on Facebook at facebook.com/FEMARegion6/.