What’s Your Plan for a Disaster?

Tropical storms, hurricanes, floods, cyber threats – there is no shortage of things that can go wrong. However, there is one thing that everyone can do to protect themselves: stay prepared. 

This National Preparedness Month, TRICARE reminds you that preparing for a disaster is not hard, but it does require thought and planning. If the power goes out, are there enough candles and flashlights? If you can’t go out for a while, do you have enough water and medication? TRICARE can help you stay informed about your benefit before, during and after a disaster. 

When a State of Emergency is issued, TRICARE may authorize early prescription refills, blanket waivers for referrals or other emergency benefits. When authorized, any emergency benefits are announced in email disaster alerts along with their effective dates. Sign up for disaster alerts, and get information on our website, www.tricare.mil/disaster. 

You should also build a disaster supplies kit. Keep in mind that you may have to survive on your own for a few days, so you should have your own supply of food, water and supplies. You can visit www.ready.gov, for information on different disaster types, a comprehensive guide on making and communicating an emergency plan, how to care for pets and much more. You can also download the Federal Emergency Management Agency FEMA mobile app. The app contains disaster safety tips, an interactive emergency kit list, storable meeting locations and a map to open shelters and FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs). Visit www.fema.gov/mobile-app for more information.