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Prepare NJ

Prepare New Jersey

Prepare for Hurricane Season

Hurricanes are massive storm systems that form over ocean water and often move toward land. Hurricanes bring high winds, heavy rain, storm surge (rise in water level), flooding and tornadoes. These storms are dangerous and can cause damage to places far inland. New Jersey is no stranger to hurricanes and tropical storms. Preparing to weather the next storm is as easy as 1-2-3!
 

  1. Get a Kit
    Learn the essential supplies to put in your family’s survival kit.
  2. Make a Plan
    Plan effectively for you and your family in case of an emergency.
  3. Be Informed
    Understand which disasters are likely to occur in your area and what you must know to stay safe.


Learn more about what to do before, during, and after a hurricane to help keep you and your family safe. 

Pedro Helps Teach Children About Hurricanes

Watch Pedro the Penguin learn how to stay safe during emergencies and more with our Red Cross Kids Videos playlist on YouTube!

English and Spanish

Home Fire Safety

home on fire

Help keep your family safe by testing your smoke alarms and practicing your fire escape drill.

  • Working smoke alarms can cut the risk of dying in a home fire by half.
  • Make sure you have smoke alarms on every level of your home.
  • If smoke alarms are 10 years or older, replace them.
  • Practice your home fire escape drill with everyone in your household until they can get out in less than two minutes!

Home Fire Escape Plans

Use these guides to help begin your fire escape plan:

More Home Fire Safety information and resources

Wildfire Safety

American Red Cross emergency vehicle with wildfire in the background

Wildfires affect everyone. They can spread fast and harm us. Wildfires are getting bigger and more dangerous. More people are living in areas at risk of wildfires, but we can take action to prepare.

ESTABLISH YOUR EMERGENCY PLAN

  • Plan Evacuation Routes: Familiarize yourself with at least two escape routes from your home and community. Practice these routes regularly to ensure you can evacuate quickly if necessary.
  • Stay Informed: Sign up for local emergency alerts to receive timely information about wildfire threats and evacuation orders. Keep a battery-powered radio handy to monitor updates.
  • Develop a Personal Support Network: Older adults and those who may need additional help should identify family members, friends, neighbors, or caregivers who can assist you during an emergency. Discuss with your support group how they will help you during an emergency and assign responsibilities ahead of time.

 

More Wildfire Safety

How to Teach Your Child About Wildfires

Flood Safety

white car submerged in flood water

Flooding is a temporary overflow of water onto land that is normally dry. Floods can result from rain, snow, coastal storms, storm surges, overflows of rivers, and dam failure. Floods can be dangerous. People die by drowning when they don’t evacuate before floodwaters come or when they enter floodwaters. Floods can damage buildings and roads, cause power outages, and create landslides.

Understand Your Flood Risk

  • Learn about the types of flooding that can impact your home and community. Types of flooding include flash floods, river floods, storm surges, coastal floods, burn scars, debris flows, ice/debris jams, snowmelt, dry wash, dam breaks, and levee failures.
  • Reach out to your local office of emergency management for advice.
  • Know your home and community’s flood risk. Visit the FEMA Flood Map Service Center and search for your home using your address.

 

Make Plans to Stay Safe

  • Flash floods can be sudden and violent. You may have little to no warning. Designate a place on higher ground that you can get to quickly. Plan to move to higher ground before flooding begins.
  • River floods: Know if you are in an area that is prone to river floods. Review your evacuation plan so that you can leave quickly if officials advise you to evacuate.
  • Storm surge: Be prepared to evacuate immediately if local officials advise. A storm surge can cause water levels to rise quickly and flood large areas in just minutes.
  • Coastal flooding: Be prepared to evacuate immediately if local officials advise. Move inland before flooding begins.

 

Flood Safety Checklist

More Flood Safety

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Download the FREE Emergency App

Find our Emergency App in the Apple Store » or Google Play »

Aplicación de Emergencias - ahora disponible en español » también!

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