Are You Ready for an Emergency?

Emergencies come in all shapes and sizes. Here are a few things you should know should you and your family face an emergency

An emergency is a serious, unexpected, and often dangerous situation requiring immediate action and could result in loss of property, injury or death. Knowing what to do in the event of an emergency could lessen the impact of such an event on you and your loved ones.

Here are some words or phrases you might hear in an emergency:

• Warning. A warning means a dangerous situation is imminent and people in the warned area should take immediate action as instructed in the warning statement.
• Evacuation. An immediate and urgent movement of people away from a threat or actual occurrence of a hazard. Evacuations can range from the small scale evacuation of a building due to a storm or fire, to the large scale evacuation of an area because of a flood, approaching weather system or other circumstance that may pose a danger to the public in that area. All evacuations are different so you'll need to be ready to follow the instructions of first responders and your local government to know what routes to take. For more information on preparing for an evacuation, go to www.ready.gov/evacuation.
• Shelter in Place. If you're told to "Shelter in Place" you will need to make your home, workplace or school safe from the emergency. You will probably receive specific instructions pertaining to the emergency. For more information on how to shelter in place in specific circumstances, go to www.fema.gov/fema_shelter-in-place_guidance.
• Emergency Shelters. In extreme emergencies there will be emergency shelters set up for people who have been displaced. The City of Kyle typically works with the Hays Consolidated School District to provide shelters in the City. Other City facilities can also be made available as needed. Information about shelters will be made available to area news media, on the City of Kyle website and social media channels. 

Getting information during an emergency.

Getting accurate information fast is critical to assure a positive outcome during an emergency. Here are a few tips on how to stay abreast of what could be rapidly changing information during an emergency.

• WarnCentralTexas Sign up for WarnCentralTexas.org to receive accurate and timely local alerts. WarnCentralTexas is powered by Everbridge, which allows local officials to contact people in their communities by cellphone, email, text or mobile app during times of disasters or public safety events. Register now to receive regional notifications from your local emergency public safety office.
• Stay tuned to local authorities, radio and television stations for updates. All City of Kyle updates will be posted on our Facebook and Twitter pages.

  • For tips on how to keep you and your family safe when a Boil Water Notice is issued, go to CityofKyle.com/BoilWater.

  • To learn how to prepare for a flood, stay safe during a flood, and protect your health when you return home after a flood, go to CityofKyle.com/FloodSafety.

• Haysinformed.com is the Hays County site for emergency information. Check here for information related to road closures and other emergency information specific to Hays County.
• AtxFloods.com tracks the low water crossings in Hays, Travis and Williamson Counties as well as other communities in Central Texas.

Keep Yourself & Your Loved Ones Safe by Planning Ahead:

• Make a communication plan and a disaster plan for your family. Plan and practice an evacuation route with your family. Ask an out-of-state relative or friend to be the “family contact” in case your family is separated during a flood. Make sure everyone in your family knows the name, address, and phone number of this contact person.
• Create an emergency supply kit by gathering supplies, including non-perishable foods and water for several days, flashlights and extra batteries, a battery-powered and/or hand-crank radio in case power goes out, a first-aid kit, medications, and other critical supplies. Prepare in case you must leave immediately or if services are cut off in your area. The CDC recommends having at least 3 days’ worth of supplies on hand, including one gallon of water per day for each person and pet. For more information, visit Food and Water Needs: Preparing for a Disaster or Emergency.
• Prepare pets for emergency situations. If you have a pet, locate boarding facilities or animal hospitals where you can lodge your pets in an evacuation.