know your personal risk: if you have a life-threatening condition that requires you to take medication every day your health is at greater risk if because of a disaster you are unable to gain access to needed medications. taking stock of your health issues will dictate what and how much you need to do to prepare yourself for a possible emergency. create a disaster preparedness kit: everyone should have a disaster preparedness kit which contains a host of essentials -- food water first aid supplies medicine and clothing -- so that you can function on your own for at least three days. to see a full list of necessary items for a disaster kit check out the cdc's website so you can make your own. you can also buy pre-packaged kits from various sources online. stock up on medications: include in your disaster kit any medications you or family members take on a regular basis. it's best to consult with your doctor and/or pharmacist about the best way to store them. if you don't have extra medications to store get a written prescription you can hold onto or at least a list of prescriptions with your doctor's signature. it's also a good idea to have a friend or family member living in another place hold onto medications or other needed items. contact list: have an emergency contact list you keep with you and also provide to someone else such as a coworker or someone out of state. phone numbers of local organizations such as the police and fire departments are good to have on-hand. stay social: don't forget about the power of social media sites including facebook and twitter when it comes to accessing important information and letting others know how you're doing. in addition on the american red cross' website family and friends can search for people who have registered themselves " safe and well. "
what steps can i take to prepare for a potential disaster?