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BEFORE A DISASTER Every year disasters affect the lives of thousands of people all over the world. It is very hard for a community to recover from a disaster, even with government assistance. To lessen recovery time it is important make plans beforehand. This is where "mitigation" comes in. Mitigation is the process of making changes to our everyday environment to lessen or eliminate damages from a future disaster. Preparedness and mitigation does not stop with government. You need to be ready as well. Being prepared and understanding what to do can reduce the fear, anxiety and losses that accompany disasters. Together, we all make this community strong and resiliant. – What Can You Do? Be ready to be self-sufficient for at least three days in case emergency responders cannot reach you immediately. This means providing for your own shelter, first aid, food, water and sanitation: Make a family disaster plan. Assemble a disaster supplies kit and evacuation pack. – Strengthen Your Home Each of our hazard preparedness web pages has information about the top hazards in Austin and ideas to prepare your family and strengthen your home: Flood Pipeline Terrorism Wildfire – Volunteer Help others in the community prepare for a disaster. Volunteer to help strengthen their homes, schools, buildings, and churches. RELATED PUBLICATIONS Are You Ready? A Guide to Citizen Preparedness (PDF format) by FEMA A comprehensive guide to personal emergency preparedness to help individuals prepare themselves and their families for disasters. (You will need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to view) Be Prepared by the American Red Cross How to make your family and your home safer before disaster strikes.