With all the festivals and beautiful weather during the past few weeks in Jefferson County, it may have been hard to think about winter and storms, and the possibility of a power outage or a disaster like an earthquake.

But it’s that time of the year, and September is National Preparedness Month.

So, it’s time to think about how you would fare in an emergency.

Visions of what happened in Florida and Mexico should be a reality check for Jefferson County.

If you haven’t watched the news, some of the hardest stories were about seniors left alone in their homes or abandoned at nursing homes. At least eight died in one nursing home.

Demographically, Jefferson County is one of the oldest counties not just in Washington state, but in the entire country.

Like Florida, we have a number of assisted living centers and a nursing home, and like Florida, we have many, many seniors living on their own.

Last month, first responders and others who care about emergency preparedness gathered at H.J. Carroll Park in Chimacum for an All-County Picnic aimed at offering ideas to people wanting to be prepared for disasters. There was music and food and opportunities to talk to officials.

More than 1,000 people attended.

So, what if the 1,000 people who attended reached out to 1,000 others who didn’t and took a moment to talk to a neighbor or a friend about what they are doing to prepare?

Start the conversation by talking about what happened in Florida and Mexico, and move on to talk about what you are doing.

Do you have extra food and water?

Candles or a flashlight handy if the lights go out?

Do you know where you would go if you lost power?

Do you know your neighbors?

Do you have an emergency “go” kit with extra clothes, food, extra medicine, car phone charger and list of contacts, all contained in a bag you could pick up and throw into your car and head out if you needed to?

If you can say yes to all of those questions, you are in the minority.

Only 48 percent of people surveyed, according to Jefferson County Public Health, have made a kit and are prepared for an emergency.

If you need help, there are plenty of resources, including the Jefferson County Department of Emergency Management, Local 20/20, Neighborhood Preparedness for East Jefferson County as well as the Jefferson County Public Health department.

Be one of the 1,000 people to help others by talking about emergency preparedness.

What sounds boring today could end up saving your life on a not-so-beautiful day.

– Allison Arthur