September marks the 15th annual National Preparedness Month that began in 2004. The Department of Defense partners with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to recognize National Preparedness Month to encourage individuals across the nation to take preparedness steps including getting an emergency supply kit, making a Family emergency plan and being informed about the different hazards that may affect them, as well as taking steps to become engaged in community preparedness and response efforts.

This year’s theme is “Disasters happen. Prepare now. Learn how.”

One thing that cannot be argued is disasters happen. The types of disasters your Family could face largely depends on the part of the country in which you live.

Northern areas of the country face severe winter weather like ice storms and blizzards. Spring rains combined with melting snow also can produce heavy flooding in rivers and streams.

Western regions of the country have recently seen wildfires devastate communities. Mud slides often follow wildfires as the soil has no vegetation to hold it in place.

Long periods of drought in the Southwest strain agriculture and water supplies.

The East Coast and Gulf Coast regions are impacted annually with hurricanes and tropical storms.

Here at Fort Campbell in the southeast Ohio Valley region, we face our own unique set of potential disasters. Tornados, flash flooding, river flooding, wildfires, ice storms and even earthquakes are all disasters for which we should be prepared.

Not all disasters impact the entire community. Personal disasters such as a house fire or a flooded basement can be just as devastating to a family, both financially and emotionally.

Now is the time prepare. Do not wait for a weather warning to prepare and plan, because it will be too late. Once the local weather service issues that watch or warning the emergency supplies at the local stores disappear quickly. Preparing now will avoid the last minute frenzy to buy that generator or flashlight.

Preparedness brings peace of mind. Just like walking into a job interview, taking a final exam or making that big sales pitch, if you are prepared and ready you will have less stress and have a much greater chance for a successful outcome.

Make a commitment this September to prepare yourself and your Family to handle any emergency. Build that emergency supply kit or make it better. Ensure you have a Family Emergency plan and rehearse the plan with your children, Sign up for Fort Campbell AtHoc alerts. Take a CPR course. Do something to improve your preparedness.

If you need information to learn how, you can visit ready.gov or the Ready Army websites.  These websites contain downloadable information about many topics from how to build an emergency kit to how to prepare for specific hazards.

You can also pick up a free emergency preparedness folder at one of the five information kiosks located around Fort Campbell at the Main Exchange courtyard, Family Resource Center, Soldier Support Center ID card waiting area and the two main entrances at the hospital.

Emergencies become disasters when we fail to plan and prepare.