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Prepare NJ

Prepare New Jersey

Summer Safety

lifeguard watching swimmers

Warmer weather means enjoying a backyard swimming pool or New Jersey’s beaches, lakes, and rivers. Commit to being ‘water smart’ by having swimming skills and knowing how to help others.

It only takes a moment. A child or weak swimmer can drown in the time it takes to reply to a text, check a fishing line or apply sunscreen. Death and injury from drownings happen every day in home pools and hot tubs, at the beach or in oceans, lakes, rivers, and streams.

Water Safety

Swimming Safely at the Beach

Swimming Safely in Lakes, Rivers & Streams

Home Pool & Hot Tub Safety

Learn how to have fun and stay safe as you enjoy the great outdoors with more Summer Safety Tips.

Tornado Safety

active tornado spinning with gray sky.

Tornadoes are violent and can occur quickly with little or no warning, and New Jersey has had several tornadoes these past few years. It is crucial to pay attention to any tornado WATCH or WARNING when issued and act accordingly.

BEFORE THE STORM:

  • Watch for tornado danger signs such as dark, often greenish clouds, a wall cloud or cloud of debris, large hail, a roaring noise or funnel cloud.
  • Identify a safe place in your home where household members and pets will gather during a tornado: a basement, storm cellar or an interior room on the lowest floor with no windows.
  • In a high-rise building, pick a hallway in the center of the building. You may not have enough time to go to the lowest floor. 
  • In a mobile home, choose a safe place in a nearby sturdy building. If your mobile home park has a designated shelter, make it your safe place. No mobile home, however it is configured, is safe in a tornado.


More Tornado Safety

How to Teach Your Child About Tornadoes

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

Extreme Heat Safety

Hot Sun with some clouds.

Extreme heat is a leading cause of weather-related deaths in the U.S. Many people, including those most at risk, are unaware of the danger as these events happen more often, last longer and become more intense, especially in places that don’t usually have them.

The American Red Cross wants you to take action. Protect yourself, your loved ones and your neighbors by staying connected with your community. It could save a life.

  • Know Who's at Risk
  • Check on Yourself
  • Check in with Your Community
  • Act Fast Against Heat Illness

Learn more about protecting yourself and your loved ones at redcross.org/HeatCheck.

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

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

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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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