September is Emergency Preparedness Month, but shouldn’t we really be prepared every day living in New England? We have excessive summer heat, thunderstorms, nor’easters, hurricanes, tornados and flooding. With the risk of each of these, we can lose power and access to other things we rely on a daily basis.
The sea level in the Boston area rose 9 inches during the 20th century and another 8 inches of rise is predicted in the next 10 years. For a visual perspective of this predicted sea level rise, Fort Point Channel has a temporary water and land based art installation that signifies the projected flooding by 2070. The yellow land sculpture represents a proposed berm and the blue sculpture in the water represents the sea rise.
The dial is also being turned up for heat in Boston. Between 1981 and 2010, the average temperature was 69 degrees; by 2050 it could be as high as 76 degrees. We had an average of 11 days per year over 90 degrees and by 2030, we could have as many as 40 days of over 90 degrees, making the Boston area feel like Virginia or the Carolinas during the Summer.
The good news is Boston has many initiatives that would make our city more resilient and prepared to mitigate potential emergencies. In the meantime, everyone should have emergency preparedness kit ready.
Emergency Kit
- Important documents such as birth certificate and passport (in a water resistant bag)
- Phone charger
- Extra pairs of glasses/contacts
- Hand sanitizer/masks for COVID
- Cash
- Printed list of emergency contact numbers (phones might die)
- Essential medication
- Granola bars and water bottles
- Whistle
- Flashlight and batteries
- If you have babies, include food, diapers, wipes, extra clothing and formula
- If you have pets, include food and leash
Additional Info on Boston's Planning Initiatives: https://www.boston.gov/departments/environment/preparing-climate-change
Additional Tips on Preparing an Emergency Kit: https://www.ready.gov/kit