Are You Prepared For 72 Hours?

With the onset of storm season in the Atlantic Ocean, the City of St. John’s is encouraging residents to prepare for potential weather emergencies, which lead to high winds, potential flooding, power outages and other negative impacts.

“As we saw with Tropical Storm Leslie last year and Hurricane Igor just a few years ago, storms can have a very serious impact on our City and to the homes of our residents,” says Mayor Dennis O’Keefe. “The time to prepare your home and family for an emergency is long before it ever happens. Being prepared is a shared responsibility and individual residents and businesses can help by making sure they are ready for 72 hours.”

Some important tips to keep in mind before and during weather events include:

• Know the risks in your specific region;
• Follow local weather forecasts and watch for warnings and advisories;
• Prepare and maintain an emergency kit – be ready to cope on your own for at least 72 hours, to allow first responders to help those in urgent need;
• Develop an emergency plan – keep in mind the specific requirements of any person in your household with a medical condition, mobility issues or other special needs;
• Be aware of all local emergency numbers;
• Understand your insurance policy and potential coverage for fire and emergency situations;
• Ensure sump pumps are in working order;
• If your basement does flood, do not enter it as it poses a risk of electrical shock;
• Keep all drains free from debris;
• Ensure you have tied down or moved indoors anything you may have outside which could potentially be a hazard in high wind;
• Remove dead tree branches, which could pose a hazard or threat;
• Consider installing a hard-lined phone in your home, as cordless phones will not work in a power outage;
• Should you notice downed wires in your area, do not touch or attempt to move them, but instead advise Bell Aliant by calling 611 and Newfoundland Power at 737-2802;
• If you become aware of flooding, blocked culverts, malfunctioning traffic lights or downed trees please contact Access St. John’s at 311 or (709) 754-CITY (2489) to advise us of the situation; 
• Emergencies that require assistance from Fire, Police or Ambulance should be directed to 911.

For information on how to prepare for portential emergencies please visit the City of St. John’s website. More information on personal preparedness can also be found at www.gov.nl.ca/fes or www.getprepared.ca.
  

For further information:
Jennifer Mills
Communications Officer
City of St. John’s
Phone: (709) 570-2037
Cell: (709) 690-7586
E-mail: jmills@stjohns.ca

Dennis O'Keefe
Mayor
City of St. John's
Phone: (709) 576-8477
Cell: (709) 685-5657
E-mail: dokeefe@stjohns.ca