Tornadoes and flooding, Hurricane Dolly and Tropical Storm Edouard which hit the Gulf Coast region, the wildfires throughout the southwest, the earthquake in California or the blackout in Chicago.
     This series of extreme weather over the past few weeks and months serves as an important reminder of the need for everyone to get prepared for emergencies. As many Americans have discovered, emergencies can strike at any instant, so it is crucial to have a plan.
     So far, more than 1,800 national, regional, state and local organizations have agreed to promote emergency preparedness during National Preparedness Month in September. If your organization would like to participate and has not already registered to be a 2008 coalition member, please do so by visiting www.ready.gov and clicking on the National Preparedness Month banner.
     Also, if you know of organizations that have not signed up or are interested in learning more, please encourage them to visit www.ready.gov/america/npm08/intro.html.
     Registration for this year's coalition will close on Friday, Aug. 22, at 5 p.m. EDT.
     Also, if you signed up in 2007 as a coalition member, you need to sign up again for 2008. E-mail npm@dhs.gov with questions.