This Digest is provided by FEMA's Individual & Community Preparedness Division to highlight community preparedness and resilience resources, an important part of FEMA's mission to help people before, during, and after disasters. We're building a culture of preparedness together.

Be heard…Email comments or suggestions to us at FEMA-prepare@fema.dhs.gov

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Ready Tips

Spanish Language Resources for Preparedness

Hispanic Heritage Month spans September 15-October 15. It's an opportunity for the nation to celebrate our Hispanic and Latino communities. In honor of this month, take a look at Spanish-language preparedness resources to share in your community: 

• Listo.gov is FEMA's Spanish-language preparedness website. It has hazard-specific guides, posters, toolkits , and more.
• The FEMA Mobile App is a helpful resource before, during, and after a disaster. The App shares weather alerts and preparedness tips. It can also help you find shelter and disaster resource centers.
• The  Red Cross mobile apps  are also available in Spanish. They include apps about first aid as well as specific disasters like hurricanes and tornadoes.
• Collecting, copying, and storing your financial information now could help you avoid problems and recover faster after a disaster. Lista de Control en Caso de Desastres (“ Your Disaster Checklist ”) from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is an easy way to start.
• In the Prepare with Pedro ( Prepárate con Pedro ) Disaster Activity Book , kids can follow Pedro the Penguin around the United Sates to visit his friends and learn how they prepare.
• Buying flood insurance is an important way to prepare for the most common and costly disaster in the US.  Floodsmart.gov has many resources in Spanish, such as the ¿Por qué necesito un seguro contra inundaciones? (“Why do I Need Flood Insurance?”) brochure.
• One of the best ways to prepare financially for a disaster is to save for one. America Saves has posted many of their resources and stories in Spanish to help you and your community start saving!

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CERT & Communities

CERTs Can Help Communities Prepare by Promoting Flood Insurance

Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) members are initially trained to serve their communities in a disaster. However, they can also help communities become more resilient before disasters occur. Many CERTs help with local preparedness events, such as large-scale exercises or Sound the Alarm . Many members also teach classes, such as first aid or Stop the Bleed . Still others attend local events to share information to help people prepare.

CERT members can help the public with financial preparedness , which is also key to disaster preparedness. For many people, this means saving, organizing documents, and checking insurance. CERTs may distribute financial resources, share savings tips, or even hold a workshop to help participants work through the Emergency Financial First Aid Kit .

CERTs can also help prepare their communities by spotlighting flood insurance as a key part of preparedness. Read more...

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Preparedness by the Numbers: Earthquakes

This year, the International Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drill will occur on Thursday, October 17. This drill will help people worldwide practice how to stay safer in the event of an earthquake . According to the 2018 National Household Survey , 51 percent of adults in the US who are living in areas at risk of earthquakes sought information to help them prepare. In addition, although 78 percent have gathered supplies to last three or more days, only 43 percent have actually made an emergency plan. Want to help these numbers grow? Learn more about the Great ShakeOut, register to participate, and learn to prepare for an earthquake here .

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October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month . This month focuses on educating our communities on the importance of cyber security and personal accountability. Join FEMA on October 8 from 12:00-1:00 PM EDT to learn about cybersecurity and helpful resources. Learn more and register here .

If you have a story, event, or resource you would like to share, let us know at FEMA-prepare@fema.dhs.gov .

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Everyone in the family can help prepare for disasters and emergencies! That's why this National Preparedness Month , FEMA updated Ready.gov/kids . This section of Ready.gov now includes FEMA and partner resources for and about children and youth. Previously, these resources had been on various FEMA and Ready.gov websites. But now, everything is just a few clicks away. Ready.gov/kids can even help you find what you're looking for—even if you're not sure yet what you need. Resource collections and a searchable resource library make finding these tools easy.

On the new Ready.gov/kids , you can fill out a family communications plan , meet Pedro the Penguin , watch a webinar or PrepTalk , and more. Ready.gov/kids has how-to resources and games for all audiences, including young people, families, educators, and caregivers. Read more...

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The third week of National Preparedness Month focused on the role of youth in disaster preparedness. This episode of the FEMA Podcast featured a roundtable discussion with a few members of the FEMA team. They discussed the important roles children can play in building a culture of preparedness. To listen, click here .

The FEMA Podcast is available on Apple iTunes and Google Play to stream or download.

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Are you prepared if disaster strikes? According to a 2017 report by the Federal Reserve, 40 percent of adults would not be able to cover an unexpected $400 expense.

The first week of National Preparedness Month 2019 focused on financial preparedness . The theme was the importance of saving early for disaster costs. FEMA and its partners observed it with many events and learning opportunities. The webinars, presentations, and educational resources engaged everyone from youth to public officials. Read more...

Finding financial information just got easier! On the new Department of Defense Office of Financial Readiness website , you will find original, relevant, reliable content approved by subject matter experts. The new site includes information that can help you prepare for a disaster or emergency and includes tips for money management. You can explore topics such as:

• Knowing your benefits and entitlements
• Managing your money
• Saving and investing
• Planning for the future
• Understanding consumer protections
• Housing
• News and events

Bookmark the website at https://finred.usalearning.gov and return often!

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Important Dates

• October: National Cybersecurity Awareness Month
• October 6-12: Fire Prevention Week
• October 8 : Cybersecurity Awareness for Individuals and Communities webinar: 12:00-1:00 PM EDT
• October 13: Home Fire Drill Day
• October 16 : Emergency Childcare Services Post-Disaster webinar: 2:00-3:00 EDT
• October 17: Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drill

Disclaimer: The reader recognizes that the federal government provides links and informational data on various disaster preparedness resources and events and does not endorse any non-federal events, entities, organizations, services, or products. Please let us know about other events and services for individual and community preparedness that could be included in future newsletters by contacting - FEMA-prepare@fema.dhs.gov - TWITTER: @Readygov

Follow FEMA online at www.fema.gov/blog, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema.

Social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.