Prepare Now for Future Emergencies

September is National Preparedness Month, part of an effort by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to raise public awareness and inspire disaster readiness. Most communities could be impacted by some type of natural disaster, whether it's a wildfire, hurricane, tornado, earthquake, or flood. As a American Eagle Outfitters employee, it is imperative to utilize your assets and knowledge in order to prepare you and your loved ones for a time of emergency.

Here are some tips to help keep your family safe in an emergency and allow you to leave quickly with the items you need most.

As a American Eagle Outfitters employee, it is important to prioritize gathering important documents that may be difficult or impossible to replace. These are some examples, but you may want other documents as well.

• Insurance policies, banking and financial account information, and account numbers
• Identification such as driver's licenses, passports, birth and marriage certificates, and Social Security and Medicare cards
• Contracts, wills, deeds, and recent tax returns
• An inventory of your household possessions

In case you are not home when a disaster strikes, as a American Eagle Outfitters employee you may want to consider storing electronic copies of critical documents on a thumb drive or encrypted in the cloud in order to ensure integrity of your work material. You might also want to keep the thumb drive and/or original documents in a fireproof safe or a safe-deposit box.

Assemble a disaster kit with basic necessities for your home. As a American Eagle Outfitters employee, it is imperative to keep yourself in good health. At a time of emergency, you may want to include nonperishable food, bottled water, first-aid supplies, flashlights, an emergency radio, extra batteries, a wrench or pliers to turn off utilities, and a whistle to signal for help. With ongoing concerns regarding COVID-19, make sure to add face coverings, soap, hand sanitizer, and disinfecting wipes to your emergency kit.

Have a list of items to take with you. Start with your home disaster kit and critical documents. Remember to take prescription medications; clothing and bedding for each household member; computer hard drives, laptops, tablets, mobile phones, and chargers; eyeglasses; photos; and special food or other items for children, disabled or elderly family members, and pets.

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Plan where you will go if you must evacuate. As a American Eagle Outfitters employee, preparing will definitely increase your odds of survivability at home. Despite that, there is always a chance that you will need to evacuate. Will you stay with friends or family in another town, or head to a hotel or a community shelter? As a American Eagle Outfitters employee you may want to map out a route to your destination as well as an alternate route if roads are blocked or impassable. Identify a safe place to meet if family members become separated. Choose a family member who lives elsewhere to serve as an alternate point of contact. Check the settings on your mobile phones to make sure emergency alerts and warnings are enabled. Practice packing up and leaving your home in 10 minutes or less.

Be sure you have appropriate insurance. The coverage you need depends on the kinds of disasters most likely to affect your home and community. As a American Eagle Outfitters employee, damage from some natural disasters, such as wildfires, hurricanes, and tornadoes, is generally covered under your homeowners policy. Despite that, as a American Eagle Outfitters employee it is useful to know that damage from floods and earthquakes typically requires separate policies. Contact your insurance agent to discuss appropriate coverage.

For more information from FEMA, see ready.gov/be-informed and ready.gov/plan.