Batteries power many of the things we use and rely on every day. They might also be the only available power source in an emergency. Being prepared to power your personal need devices—things like cellphones, medical devices, and assistive technologies—during a power outage is a step toward individual resilience. Planning for power outages can include creating an emergency supply of batteries and other power sources. Here are some things to know about batteries that can help you create a supply that meets your needs. Battery Types & Kinds Contemporary batteries come in two primary types (p ..read more

Personal health preparedness isn’t only about collecting supplies. Level up your emergency preparedness. Learn practical skills you can use to help yourself and others. Here are 10 skills you can learn to prepare for an emergency, in no particular order. How to wash your hands the right way. Washing your hands is one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of germs. Clean hands can help stop the spread of respiratory and diarrheal infections from one person to another. Follow these five steps to wash your hands the right way every day, including during an emergency. How to administe ..read more

Winter is here, and it’s not alone. It comes bearing weather that can make it dangerous to travel. Driving in wintery conditions such as snow, freezing rain, and ice puts drivers at increased risk of car accidents.(1) About 21% (or 1,235,000) of the over 5,891,000 vehicle crashes each year are weather-related. Most weather-related crashes happen on wet pavement (70%) and during rainfall (46%). A smaller but no less significant number of them occur during snow or sleet (18%), on icy pavement (13%), and on snowy or slushy pavement (16%).(2) Over 70% of the nation’s roads are in regions that ave ..read more

January is the time many of us make resolutions for the new year. Sometimes resolutions feel too big and long drawn out. As a result, our motivation to see them through can peter out before the end of the year. Last year, we suggested 12 micro-resolutions to help you prepare your health for emergencies. Here are a dozen more ways to resolve to be ready this year. January Be prepared to prevent data loss. Data loss happens more often than you might think. This month’s micro-resolution is to back up your important files. These include medical records, financial documents, family photos, and ema ..read more

Late December is a good time to reflect on the happenings of the past 12 months. The Center for Preparedness and Response (CPR) published 26 posts to the Public Health Matters blog in 2022. The posts explored various topics related to personal and public health preparedness. All were written with the intention of helping readers build individual resilience to emergencies, including disease outbreaks and natural disasters. Here are some of our favorites. 10 Questions to Ask Your Pharmacist Pharmacists are trained to help you manage and improve your health every day. They can give you patient ..read more

Holiday travel often includes visiting loved ones or taking a vacation. Whether you’re seeking a winter wonderland or an escape from subzero temperatures, follow these travel tips to stay healthy and safe during the holiday travel season. Before Your Trip No matter where you plan to travel, check CDC’s destination pages for travel health information. These pages include information about vaccines and medicines you may need, and diseases or health risks that are a concern at your destination. Get up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines and seasonal flu vaccine. CDC recommends getting the ..read more

November is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month and National Family Caregivers Month Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia and is a progressive disease that begins with mild memory loss and possibly the loss of the ability to carry a conversation and respond to the environment. It involves parts of the brain that control thought, memory, reasoning, and language.(1) People living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias can face unique challenges during emergencies. These challenges can put them at increased risk for injury and wandering. Planning ahead is important.(2) Gather Supplies E ..read more

November 13 is World Kindness Day Kindness is good for you. According to researchers, helping others release hormones that boost your mood and wellbeing.(1, 2) Kindness is most beneficial to you and others when it’s made part of your routine. Acts of kindness take on increased meaning during an emergency when people need care, concern, and consideration. Here are 10 ways you can show kindness to yourself and others before, during, and after an emergency. Join someone’s personal support network. A personal support network is a group of people who volunteer to help a family member, friend, nei ..read more

October is Health Literacy Month Getting the right person to deliver the right message at the right time saves lives, but only if the audience can make sense of the message. People need information they can find, understand, and use to make the best decisions for their health every day. The same is true before and during an emergency when there’s an increase in the amount of information and speed at which it comes out. Health literacy is all about finding, understanding, and using information and making information findable, understandable, and usable. Health literacy is important to effectiv ..read more

September 25 is World Pharmacists Day Pharmacists are a bridge between you and your doctor. Your pharmacist might also be the health professional you see and talk to most often about your health.(1) Pharmacists are trained to help you manage and improve your health every day. Your pharmacist—along with your doctor or nurse—can give you patient-centered answers to questions on many topics, including medicines and immunizations. They can also teach you practical skills, including how to use blood glucose monitors and asthma inhalers, and advise ways you can prepare your health for emergencies ..read more