Kentuckians have experienced firsthand how natural disasters can occur any time and often with little warning. Disasters take many forms, and we can feel their impacts across most areas of family life. Because there is no “one-size-fits-all” disaster model, planning community outreach can be challenging, and Cooperative Extension is often involved in disaster preparation and response at the local level. 

As a result of local needs, the County Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences in  Ohio County presented two workshops on disaster preparedness. The focus of this event was on protecting your family and home and food and water safety. Several community partners were engaged in this event which included the Fordsville Fire Department and Ohio County Senior Center . Fifty-seven participated in the workshop. 

Following the event, participants completed evaluations. ___47__ of participants gained a better understanding of steps they could take in preparation for natural disasters. ___47___ of participants increased their understanding of how to find reliable resources on disaster preparation and/or response. Further, __50__ of participants can better identify what items they should include in a disaster kit. Most importantly, __56__ of participants reported they intended to assemble a disaster kit that fits their needs and __54___ of participants shared they intend to create a disaster response plan.