Coronavirus Is A Tough Reminder That Disasters Don't Wait

BLOOMINGDALE - RIVERVIEW, FL —September is designated as National Preparedness Month by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and a Riverview mitigation specialist emphasizes the importance of being prepared for the possibility of community disaster, especially during the pandemic.

Brian Jones, a mitigation specialist with ServPro of Brandon/Riverview said he has always taken disaster preparedness seriously, but coronavirus has been a tough reminder that disasters don't wait.

"Before COVID-19 exploded into a global crisis, ‘disaster preparedness’ for the everyday home or business owner was largely dictated by the hazards unique to their location or their business," said Jones. ""For some, that meant preparing for hurricanes and water damage; for others, tornadoes, flooding, wind damage, or even wildfires."

Jones shared that the pandemic has taught a lot of people that the supplies needed for a national emergency and every single aspect of everyday life can be taken for granted.

"We've learned that, no matter where you live or work, in addition to your ‘disaster’ preparations, making certain that you have a stock of some basic items on hand can make a huge difference if a national or global event suddenly disrupts, or even stops everyday life," said Jones.

Toilet paper is an example of a basic item we once all took for granted, and look how difficult that was to find after the current disaster we're in hit. Jones said people need to start rethinking their disaster-preparedness toolkits.

Coronavirus supplies, such as masks and hand sanitizer, is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control to add to your toolkit.

FEMA provides easy-to-use disaster planning guidelines at https://www.ready.gov.

Home and business owners can take advantage of free tools like the ServPro Ready app at https://ready.servpro.com/home/mobileapp.

The app stores essential contact and property information electronically where it can be accessed with a mobile device in seconds if disaster strikes.

For more information on ServPro of Brandon/North Riverview, contact Brian E. Jones at (813) 741-3473 or bjones@servpro10822.com

This article originally appeared on the Bloomingdale-Riverview Patch