Prepping for Disasters - KOBI-TV NBC5 / KOTI-TV NBC2

MEDFORD, ORE. — Wildfires are just one of the many natural disasters our region faces, but officials say there are things you can do today, to prepare for a disaster tomorrow. We spoke with Medford’s Emergency Management Coordinator, who says it’s paramount to learn to be self-sufficient.

The Pacific Northwest is subject to fire, earthquakes and severe weather, but Medford Emergency Management Coordinator Larry Masterman says preparing for one emergency, will prepare you for them all.

Officials recommend keeping extra medication on hand. Purchase batteries for items like flashlights, radios, or hearing aids. They urge you to have an out of state contact in the event that local calls can’t be made, and have enough water to last as long as 14 days.

“People tend to forget that at home you have perfectly good drinking water in your water heater,” Larry Masterman says, “Typically 40 to 60 gallons.”

“That’s good usable water.”

If you’d like to learn more about disaster preparedness, two meetings will be held in Medford Wednesday. The first will be held at the Medford Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management from 3 to 4:30. The second will take place at City Hall from 7 to 8:30.