Thurston County Emergency Management recommends that anyone who lives, works, and plays in Thurston County learn about local disasters, have a plan, build a kit and prepare in a year.

Learn About Local Disasters

Learning about hazards where you work, play, and live will help you, your household, workplace, and community get prepared.  Thurston County is at high risk for a major earthquake and flooding just to name a couple.  Knowing what could happen is important, depending on where you are in Thurston County.  Visit our Hazards page for more detail on Thurston County hazards.

Have a Plan

Having a disaster plan gives you peace of mind when an emergency happens. Decide as a group where your meeting locations are and who your out-of-area contact is.  Be aware of what threats and hazards are most likely to occur where you work, play, and live.  For more information, visit Washington State Emergency Management's Be Prepare: Make a Plan page.

Build a Kit

You may be on your own for at least two weeks when a disaster happens. But, it is possible that a major earthquake could leave residents on their own for a month or more. The first step is to build a 2 weeks ready kit at home. Plan for smaller kits for work, school, and in vehicles .  Once you have started a 2 week plan, consider adding supplies for a longer event.  For more recommendations on what to put in your kit, visit Ready.gov.

Prepare in a Year

Don’t have the time or money to become prepared all at once? We recommend you take it in smaller steps.  Approach emergency preparedness, one month at a time, over the course of a year with this guide.

Different people have special considerations in emergencies.  We hope you will take the time to learn how area threats and hazards may impact you and your situation.

Access and Functional Needs

Disasters impact everyone in Thurston County, but emergencies affect people with access and functional needs more than others. Whether you are a caretaker or someone who lives with special considerations, making a plan and knowing what to do is important.

Are you interested in learning more about preparedness?  We are happy to speak with you and learn more about your needs and how our preparedness programs can help you become better prepared.