How to be prepared in the case of an emergency in West Virginia

BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. (WBOY) — West Virginia has been no stranger to severe weather this year. After major flooding across the state, National Preparedness Month is here to make sure you know the resources that are available.

Each West Virginia county has an emergency management department, which is there to create a culture of preparedness everywhere. Officials with these departments ask residents to take a couple key measures to ensure they are prepared for any event.

First is signing up for your local emergency alert system, which sends out verified information on weather, roads conditions and other significant events.

Next is having a disaster plan and discussing it with the people close to you. Make sure you have an emergency kit packed with items such as water, a first aid kit and a map. Also, know where you would go if where you are is no longer safe.

Timothy Curry, the Director of Emergency Management for the City of Bridgeport, spoke with 12 News about the misconceptions of being prepared.

“I think the big misconceptions is that preparing means you have to be that guy that builds a bunker under their house and is standing out in the middle of the corn field with your war helmet on waiting for the end of the world. And that’s not it, you know. You don’t need to be an extreme prepper to be prepared for disasters,” Curry said.

Starting next week, the City of Bridgeport will host more than 125 emergency management professionals for an annual conference.