January is more than half over, but that doesn't mean it's too late for a new resolution. 

Our Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM) division is calling on all Minnesotans to for a natural disaster.

We had three federal disaster declarations and 12 state disaster declarations in 2022 that impacted people in nearly every Minnesota county. Our HSEM recovery staff estimates $62.3 million in response and recovery costs related to those disaster events.

None of us are immune to disasters and emergencies. The best way to survive (and thrive) through them is to prepare ourselves for the worst before the bad day happens. Disasters are becoming more frequent and a plan can save the lives of you, your family and your pets. 

Now is the time to start. When disaster strikes, it can feel like you don't have control over the situation. Often, things will be chaotic and hard to navigate.

Knowing ahead of time how you will respond during a disaster will take away some of the fear and uncertainty you may feel as it happens. Your family may not be together when an emergency happens, so it's important to sit down with them to make a plan. Know how you'll contact one another and reconnect if you become separated. Establish a family meeting place that's familiar and easy to find. 

After an emergency, you may need to survive for several days on your own with extremely limited access to resources. That's why it's important to include an in your plan and assemble it so it's ready to be used at any time. These portable kits should include food, water, medications, prescriptions, cash, radios, flashlights, chargers for electronic devices and other necessities.

This may seem a little overwhelming but you can take small, incremental steps such as:

• Take a current photo of you and your pet together in case you get separated during a disaster.
• Snap photos of important documents and save them in a secure place or online. Encourage people to set up a cloud account and store all important docs and info there.
• Set up group text lists so you can communicate with friends and family during emergencies.
• Take a CPR and first aid class.
• Snap pictures of your property for insurance purposes.
• Don't expect the state or FEMA to make you whole after an emergency. Have enough of a savings to start an emergency fund. Find out how with the .
• Make a list of the things you would need or want to take with you if you had to leave your home quickly.

For more information on emergency preparedness, check out the HSEM webpage.​