RESOURCES:
YOUTUBE VIDEO
https://youtu.be/i7swLmicckc

https://www.ready.gov/
National Risk Index MAP
https://hazards.fema.gov/nri/map
I’m Matt Damon
https://youtu.be/gnPWJOJYVKc
Bourne Identity Scene
https://youtu.be/dsJiYWv3J00

Planning Your Communications
Most important here is understanding how important it is to have proper communications.  Without communications, how will we know:
where to meet up
when to meet up
what do we do when the first meet up location fails
What are our next steps
what direction I'm headed
or simply... is my family OK?
Start with the basics for the Communications Plan.  First, collect important information such as phone numbers; for each other, for friends and family, for doctors, hospitals, dentists, ob-gyn, etc.  Collect information around children's school (including college), and adult workplace emergency plans.  Where will the kids be taken (and how, by bus?) in a time of emergency?  Always include out of town contacts to use as go-between during large events, and establish a time to check in at regular intervals.
establish meeting places ahead of time for additional purposes.
Indoor - in case of extreme weather, such as tornadoes
In your neighborhood - like the neighbor's front porch in case you can't get into your home
Outside your neighborhood - to meet up if you're not at home during emergencies and cannot cannot get there
Outside your own town or city, or even state or region - for cases in which you cannot get home and you've been instructed to evacuate the area
Make small laminated sheets for each to hold in a wallet, purse or backpack.  Having this information handy will allow each family member to respond well and recover faster.
Consider adding a couple of apps to your smartphone.  Many of these groups create their own smartphone apps, but they also have directed us to the following:
AED
PulsePoint
USNG
CodeRed
311
ERG2020
Compass
Broadcastify
One of the problems that often occurs during natural disasters is that cell phone services get "clogged".  So, start with just texting instead.  
Try to find additional locations at which you can connect to the internet via WIFI. Of course, you want to make sure this is actually a free service.  Very frustrating when you're in the midst of an emergency, and you have to enter a credit card, or email information to gain access.  Also, a good reason to plan this ahead is you also want the ability to recognize the WIFI network you're using.  Whether emergency or not, you never want to transmit your personal data, unprotected by VPN, across an unknown WIFI network!
Lastly, you should come to realize that preparedness does not stop at the end of National Preparedness Month...  Keep going, and remember that "practice makes PROGRESS!"
@genxtalkin

Would you be prepared? Are you prepared?

Choosing to be more prepared every day is a skill. One that should be honed. Focusing on growing just a little everyday will allow us all to be prepared to respond well and recover faster.

I’d love to hear your thoughts and comments about prepping, so please reach out and share as you can.

Until next time… this is monk signing off… better be prepared