HIAWASSEE, Ga. – Towns County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) encourages citizens to take Disaster Preparedness Month seriously by planning ahead in the event that an unexpected scenario strikes. National Preparedness Month (NPM), recognized each September, provides an opportunity to remind us that we should prepare ourselves and our families now and throughout the year.

“The government wouldn’t be sending out this information if there was nothing behind it,” Towns County EMA Director Rickey Mathis told FYN, “People need to be prepared for whatever could come our way, whether it’s learning first aid, CPR, or firearm training. In the event of severe storms, tornadoes, flooding, or even something like an EMP (electromagnetic pulse) attack or civil unrest, it’s important to be prepared before a situation arises. It’s a good idea to have cash on hand in the event of a (electrical) blackout, for instance.”

Mathis stressed the importance of self-preparedness while awaiting assistance from emergency responders.

“There’s also the possibility that in an emergency situation, first responders could become overwhelmed with calls and the response time may take longer than usual. Towns County has an increased population from visitors, and it nearly doubles on weekends, Thursday evenings through Monday mornings. It will become even greater in the fall when the leaves start to change. The point being, it is important to prepare for emergencies in advance,” Mathis stated.

Learning life-saving skills, understanding insurance policies, and having enough food, water, and medications on hand for at least 72 hours are basic recommendations.

Information on specific measures of preparation can be found at  National Preparedness Month  and  Ready Georgia

To receive urgent local information alerts, sign up for notification through the Towns County CodeRed system.