Emergencies & Preparedness

Be Prepared

Download the Ready, Set, Go! Guide to preparedness.

Download the Food and Water in an Emergency Guide for specific information about how to prepare and store an emergency supply of water, where hidden sources of water in and around your home are located, and different ways to treat water.

The following is a list of guidelines to help you and your family be prepared:

Create an emergency kit for everyone in your family that includes at least three gallons of water per person, sturdy shoes, and a flashlight.
Identify an out-of-area contact for your family members to call and relay information to if needed.
Post emergency phone numbers by every phone in your home including out of state contacts.
Identify and practice evacuation routes from your home, school, or office.
Keep copies of your most important documents (e.g., mortgage papers, deed, passport, bank information) in your home and store originals in a secure place outside the home or in a fireproof, waterproof safe.
For insurance purposes, save store receipts and take photos of your most valuable possessions (e.g., furniture, electronic equipment, appliances). Make an itemized list of other possessions such as clothing, books, small kitchen appliances, etc.

In case of emergencies not related to natural disasters, please call 909-866-5050. DWP service personnel are always on call.

Find out more information on how to winterize your home & prevent your water pipes from freezing - Be Water Wise, Winterize!

Having enough potable water to get your family through the aftermath of a disaster is extremely important. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recommends storing a two-week supply of water, at one gallon per person per day, for your entire family. If you are unable to store that quantity, then store at least a 3-day supply for each person.

Wildfires

Make sure driveway entrances and your house number are clearly marked.
Regularly clean roofs and gutters.
Select building materials and plants that are fire resistant.
Set aside household items that can be used as fire tools such as rakes, axes, saws, buckets, and shovels.
Create defensible space around your home by thinning shrubs and trees on your property, making sure there is no plant material within 15 feet of any structure, and "limbing up" the trees.

Earthquakes

Bolt and brace your water heater or gas appliances to studs in the walls so they don’t tip over.
Practice drop, cover, and hold with your family.

Floods

Flood insurance coverage is oftentimes limited to certain items such as a furnace, hot water heater, or items essential to the building’s structure. Review your policy and ask questions to make sure you have the proper level of protection.