SEATTLE -- King County Emergency Management officials are using the anniversary of the May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens eruption to encourage the public to prepare for the next major disaster.
Jody Miller, Deputy Director of the King County Office of Emergency Management, will brief a county council committee on what families and communities can do now. Sheriff John Urquhart is also planning to make a presentation.
Officials say if the big one hits, it's important to have a plan in place. That includes having a disaster kit in your house and vehicle with food, water, a flashlight, batteries and a radio among other things. Here's how you can build your own basic disaster supplies kit.
Retrofitting your home by securing large furniture and water heater is also something you can do.
A new emergency alert system is in the works too. Alert King County is a new opt-in notification system allowing citizens to sign up for alerts about emergencies in their neighborhood. It works similar to what you might see on your phone during an Amber Alert or AlertSeattle. You can sign up here.
The Emergency preparedness town hall is Wednesday night at 6:00 p.m. at Evergreen Middle School in Redmond.
