ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, Md. — September is National Preparedness Month, so counties across the country are taking an interest in how residents can prepare for unexpected emergencies in their homes and communities. In Anne Arundel County, this year’s theme is Preparedness Starts at Home, signaling that everyone should be ready for emergencies that take place in the safety of their own home.
The BayNet had the opportunity to sit down with Director of the Anne Arundel County Office of Emergency Management Preeti Emrick for an interview to discuss the best ways to prepare yourself for unforeseen disasters in 2025. Director Emrick shared the most common emergencies experienced in Maryland, along with how residents can be ready for each scenario.
Below, you’ll have the opportunity to learn a few tips that could have a huge impact on your emergency response, so let’s dive into the top ways to prepare for unexpected events in your own home and local community.
Those who wish to receive alerts about upcoming emergencies can text AAALERT to 38276.
What Emergencies Should Marylanders Prepare For In 2025?
Emergencies can start at home, in schools and even on the road. Maryland residents should be prepared for poor weather conditions and man-made disasters, including fires, hurricanes, power outages and other emergencies.
Anne Arundel County’s Office of Emergency Management sent The BayNet a list of potential hazards in 2025, highlighting that even cyber attacks and tornadoes need to be treated as possible threats.
- Flood
- Dam failure
- Tropical systems
- Drought
- Earthquake
- Extreme temperatures
- Thunderstorm
- Severe winter weather
- Tornado
- Wildfire
- Coastal erosion
- Emerging infectious disease
- Civil disturbance & active assailant
- Transportation accidents
- Cyber attack
We asked Director Emrick about the number one thing that people can do at home to prepare, and she told The BayNet that residents should try to understand every possible hazard.
“The number one thing you can do is really to understand your hazards, not only in your household, but just in your community at large, especially in Anne Arundel County,” said Director Emrick.
Hurricanes and flooding are especially common in Anne Arundel and the surrounding counties, and there’s no way to definitively prevent Mother Nature’s storms. As such, Marylanders should be ready beforehand by stocking up on extra food, battery-operated devices and even basic first-aid materials, which will pay dividends should you need them.
Power outages are another essential emergency to prepare for in 2025, especially if you rely heavily on modern technology. Director Emrick explained why you might lose power, indicating that it can be as random as a thunderstorm: “You can lose electricity for a number of reasons. It could be a cyber thing. It could be an infrastructure thing.”
Emrick stressed the importance of preparing not just for yourself, but for your community. A neighbor in need might lean on you in an emergency, so it’s a good idea to have extra supplies for when that day comes. Community response can be life or death during a natural disaster or man-made emergency, and you never know when you’ll need a friendly helping hand yourself.
Director Emrick discussed a few of the most basic emergencies that might occur at home. Storms, fires and power outages are the big three, and there are similar steps you can take to prepare for them all. Below, you’ll find a few key steps you should follow to be ready for anything during National Preparedness Month.
Preparedness Starts At Home: A Few Easy Steps To Preparing For Unforeseen Emergencies
Preparing for future emergencies doesn’t have to be time-consuming or expensive, but it may seem daunting on the surface. Maryland residents can take a few simple steps to ensure that they are covered in the event of an emergency at home, like stocking up on extra supplies, learning CPR and understanding how to use a fire extinguisher.
Director Emrick told us, “I always suggest starting small. I think people get overwhelmed by thinking about the big disasters that could happen.” The most likely disasters are everyday occurrences, such as fires and weather events, but health emergencies can also take their toll.
“Understand how to use a fire extinguisher, make sure that the batteries in your smoke alarms work. Those are things that I think people take for granted,” Emrick told The BayNet.
At an appropriate age, parents should also consider having a conversation with their children on the importance of at-home safety. Make a plan to leave your home through a common exit and prepare your family by highlighting the key items they should take in the event of a swift departure, including cash, cellphones and a go-bag.
Sometimes you need to exit quickly, so residents should prepare to help pets, young children and elderly family members. Keep carrying cases for your pets near their cages and make sure family members with disabilities have access to anything they’d need to get up and go in a hurry.
At the end of the day, there are dozens of ways you can prepare for emergencies at home, so we’ve highlighted a few in the list below.
- Stock up on food, water, tools and battery-operated devices.
- Keep your cellphone charged at all times.
- Unplug chargers and other cords when not in use.
- Pack a go-bag with cash, food, clothing and essential care items.
- Place fire extinguishers and first-aid kits around your home in easily accessible locations.
- Learn how to use a fire extinguisher.
- Learn CPR.
- Test household alarms regularly.
- Speak to children and other household members to form a common exit strategy.
- Practice your exit strategy beforehand.
- Ensure that all exits remain unblocked.
- Communicate with your neighbors and make a plan in the event of a neighborhood-wide emergency.
Request A Training From The Office Of Emergency Management
The Anne Arundel County Office of Emergency Management hosts trainings that can help you or your organization better understand how to respond to a variety of disasters.
“The Office of Emergency Management offers trainings for CPR, stop the bleed, and active shooter response. For this preparedness month, we’re really emphasizing those trainings, and we invite people to visit our website, aacounty.org/oem, to read up on a lot of the stuff that we have to offer and to request a presentation,” said Director Emrick.
That’s not all, though, as Anne Arundel County also has a new initiative planned for 2026, as Director Emrick shared in our interview.
“In 2026, we’re going to be launching a program called Anne Arundel Ready that establishes that community preparedness network, teaching businesses how to be prepared and how to make sure they can continue their operations, whatever disaster might strike them.”
If you’d like to request a preparedness presentation for your school, workplace or other organization, send an email to OEM.outreach@aacounty.org.
Those who wish to receive alerts about upcoming emergencies can text AAALERT to 38276.
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ok, do you think you could make it so the calls to non- emergency go through on our charged, but not working cell phones?