Living in the South Skyline area means living with real hazards — wildland fire, earthquakes, severe storms, and extended power outages. Emergency services can take 40 minutes or more to reach us. The good news: a few hours of preparation can make an enormous difference.
Before a disaster, make a list or recording of structures and assets on your property — you may need this for insurance claims afterward. Keep a copy off the property.
Essential Steps
-
Know your hazards — Read about the disasters most likely to affect our area:
- Wildland Fire — our #1 risk, especially in drought conditions
- Earthquake — many of us live directly on the San Andreas Fault
- Storms, Floods & Landslides — winters bring real danger
- Long Power Outages — PG&E reliability is declining
- Other Hazards — hazmat, pandemic, and more
-
Build a disaster supply kit — Have at least a 2-week supply of food and water at home, and a 3–7 day go-bag ready to grab when you need to evacuate quickly. See Supplies & Go-Bag.
-
Make a family plan — How will your family communicate after a disaster? Where will you meet? What are your evacuation routes? See Family Planning.
-
Plan for your animals — Pets and livestock need their own evacuation plan. See Pets & Large Animals.
-
Get first aid training — In our area, you may be the first person on scene at an accident. See Medical & First Aid.
-
Review your insurance — Wildfire insurance is in crisis in California. See Home Insurance.
-
Stay informed — Set up Watch Duty and county alerts before anything happens.
-
Connect with your neighborhood — Individual preparation only goes so far. Prepare your neighborhood and build a communications plan together.
Reference Documents
- SF Chronicle Wildfire Survival Guide — A good overall summary
- ready.gov — Federal guidance for all types of disasters