Florida, Texas and other southern states now face the daunting task of picking up the pieces and rebuilding after natural disasters hit that part of the country hard in recent weeks.

This won’t be easy and will be far from an overnight turnaround, likely taking many years for some communities to get back the way they were before hurricanes Harvey and Irma brought unprecedented flooding and devastation.

Although we are fortunate here in Kentucky that we do not face hurricanes, tornadoes or earthquakes, that doesn’t mean we should not be prepared for emergency situations where food, water, electricity and other necessities are not readily available.

We are very susceptible to flooding, winter storms and man-made disasters.

Now is the time to think ahead be prepared for the worst-case scenario.

Here are a few helpful tips to help you be proactive when I come to disaster preparedness:

— Have clearly defined escape routes from your home with variations depending upon the type of emergency forcing the evacuation

—  Create an emergency contact list so you have people to call or go to in times of crisis

— Make sure your insurance policies are up-to-date and as comprehensive as you can afford.

— Have an emergency preparedness kit in your home and vehicle that includes bottled water, flashlights, batteries, warm clothes nonperishable food etc.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides a wealth of information when it comes to preparing for natural disasters or other emergency situations. It will be worth the time to visit the website, CDC.gov, and downloading hardcopies of preparedness list and guidance.

Hopefully Central Kentucky will never face a disaster – natural or otherwise – of this magnitude but the key is to think ahead.

The Boy Scouts had it right when they coined the motto “Be Prepared.”