September is National Preparedness Month. Prepare now so you know what actions may be needed should disaster strike. In the event of an emergency, look for Ready, Set, Go messages on social networks and in the news media.

Be READY: always be prepared for potential emergencies; get SET by maintaining awareness of events that may force evacuation; and GO, evacuate immediately as instructed by emergency authorities.

The Street Operations division activates a 24/7 on-call program to respond to storm-related damage on city streets. Streets crews are part of Scottsdale’s Emergency Response team and work alongside Parks and Recreation and Facilities Management to remove trees and debris from roads and rights-of-way. Help everyone get home safely - do not drive around “Road Closed” signs and do not enter barricaded storm clean-up areas. When in doubt, wait it out! Report issues.

Discover better alternatives to sandbags for flood control. Flood diversion tubes act much like sandbags to block floodwaters from entering homes. The tubes are easy to place and simple to fill. Other options include transportable flood fence barriers and water absorbent cushions. Explore these alternatives through local hardware stores and online retailers.

Be mindful of where you place brush and bulk collection piles. Put materials away from meters, electrical boxes, lighting and landscaping watering systems to avoid potential damage that city equipment may cause. This monthly service is a convenient solution to dispose of items that are too large to fit in regular curbside containers.