In recent years, our region has been subject to extreme and destructive weather conditions. In the Mohawk Valley, it was flash flooding, and most recently, in the North Country, it was the tornado touchdown in Lowville.

We live in an area of wonderful and abundant natural beauty, and we must be prepared and aware of the risks that could come with unusual weather incidents. I’m not one to tell people how to live or what to do with their lives, but I would like to make you aware of several available resources to help you plan for an emergency.

The American Red Cross has an online tool that walks you step-by-step through developing an emergency plan, calculating needs for an emergency kit, aggregating your emergency numbers, and many other actions. It can be found at www.arcbrcr.org.

The New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services has developed an in-depth emergency planning guide for families, which can be found at www.tinyurl.com/EmergencyHandbook. If you are unable to access the Internet, I would be happy to provide you with a copy; just call my office at 493-3909. This resource gives you tools to create an emergency plan for your family and offers important tips to deal with specific dangerous situations.

Additionally, you can sign up for emergency alerts at www.nyalert.gov to get the latest local emergency notices. Remember to stay out of harm’s way and rely on our trained emergency rescue professionals. And, if you’re so inclined, please give serious consideration to becoming a volunteer EMS technician or firefighter.

I welcome your input on this or any other legislative topic. Please call 493-3909 or email blankenbushk@assembly.state.ny.us to share your thoughts and ideas with me.