September is National Preparedness Month, a nationwide campaign led by FEMA’s Ready Campaign to encourage everyone to take simple steps that make a big difference when it comes to safety.
This year’s theme, Preparedness Starts at Home, highlights the importance of being ready for emergencies where you live. Whether it’s a wildfire, power outage, flood, or even a household emergency like a fire, taking time to plan ahead means you and your family will be safer and more comfortable when disaster strikes.
FEMA encourages everyone to focus on four key actions:
-
Know Your Risks
Learn about the types of emergencies that could happen here in Sonoma—like wildfires, earthquakes, floods, and extreme heat—and how to stay safe. Find out what hazards impact Sonoma. -
Make a Family Emergency Plan
Decide how you’ll contact each other, where to meet, and what responsibilities each person will have. Create and practice your plan with FEMA’s templates. -
Build an Emergency Supply Kit
Stock up on essentials like food, water, medications, flashlights, chargers, and first aid supplies. Don’t forget pets! See what to pack in your kit. -
Get Involved
See local resources below to stay up to date on local emergency plans, sign up for alerts, and connect with your neighbors. Working together makes the whole community more resilient.
Local Resources
Preparedness is most effective when you connect with the resources closest to you:
-
City of Sonoma:
Visit the City’s Emergency Preparedness page to learn about local hazards, community resources, and how the City responds during emergencies. -
Sonoma County Department of Emergency Management (DEM):
Stay informed through SoCoEmergency.org — the County’s official emergency information site. You can also sign up for SoCoAlert to receive urgent alerts by phone, text, or email. -
California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES):
Explore statewide preparedness tips and tools at CalOES.ca.gov to learn how California coordinates resources and response during disasters.
Preparedness doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated—just a few small steps can make a big difference. As you make your plans, remember to consider the needs of everyone in your household, including seniors, people with medical needs, neighbors who may need extra help, and pets.
Learn more: Visit Ready.gov, SoCoEmergency.org, and the City of Sonoma Emergency Preparedness page to start preparing today.