City urges San Diego residents to prepare their homes, families for natural disasters

As firefighters head into another day of fighting the more than 17,300 acre Valley fire in East County and hundreds of displaced families are settling into hotel rooms and shelters, city of San Diego officials are reminding residents to plan ahead for natural disasters.

The city is urging residents to review emergency plans for wildfires, earthquakes, major storms and floods, and ensure they add COVID-19 precautions. The push for disaster planning comes during National Preparedness Month, which is recognized in September.

The city recommends residents sign up to receive alerts from the region's notification system, Alert San Diego, at readysandiego.org. The text message alert system notifies residents and businesses of an emergency or disaster in their area.

The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department recommends resident use its Ready, Set, Go! guide to create emergency plans for wildfires. The guidebook provides suggestions about creating buffer zones near homes, tips to make homes less susceptible to embers and a checklist for supplies.

San Diego Fire-Rescue Captain Micah Doan said families who live in fire prone areas should have go bags loaded in their cars and should include COVID-19 related supplies such as hand sanitizer and face masks.

Given the pandemic's impact on shelters and hotel room availability, he said, families should also look to close friends and family members ahead of time to secure a safe space to stay in the event they have to evacuate.

Families also should pack food for their pets and secure a place to stay that allows animals, he said.

Ahead of any evacuation order, residents should remove weeds, brush and vegetation at least 35 feet from their homes. They also can evacuate early, to keep roads open for fire engine, Doan said.

"It buys us time to be able to save your house," Doan said. "It buys us time to fight the fire."

The state also provides a free guide for homeowners in areas at high risk for earthquakes. The Homeowners' Guide to Earthquake Safety provides tips to securing homes, identifying structural risks and improving personal protection.

The city provides flood insurance information for homeowners in areas near the coast and insurance rate maps online at sangis.org. The San Diego Police Department's Office of Homeland Security provides a list of items emergency kits should include.

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