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Last year, it was Wheeling and Fairmont; this year, Weston and Buckhannon.
You don't have to look as far away as Nepal and Tibet to see how gushing water and flooding can devastate communities and individuals.
Recently, West Virginia's governor declared a 55-county statewide emergency after a series of rainfalls caused severe flooding that only hit a small area of Monongalia County but made a bigger impact in other locations.
Of course, flooding is just one kind of emergency, and weather doesn't cause all of them.
Friday will be the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, an event that prompted the creation of the Threat Preparedness program at Monongalia County Health Department.
National Preparedness Month was launched in September 2004 not only because of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and the hijacked United Airlines Flight 93, which crashed in nearby Shanksville, Pennsylvania, but also to acknowledge the severe weather that can occur during the height of hurricane season.
That makes it a good time to impart some helpful tips on how to make sure you are ready for whatever might come your way as well as provide information on what MCHD Threat Preparedness does.
It's not that difficult to make a case to be prepared, because the question has evolved from "if" something happens to "when."
Even if it's just a power outage that may last longer than usual, it's good to have items in place that will make you more comfortable until things return to normal.
Ready.gov, the website of the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA), encourages everyone to make a kit to be ready for those types of incidents and more. You can refer to the website to see a list of practical items to gather.
Other suggestions include:
Learn how to receive emergency alerts.
Make plans for both sheltering in place and also evacuation.
Create a communication plan with your family in case disaster strikes when you are at different locations.
There are also financial preparations you can make to better help in the event of an emergency.
Keep financial, critical household and medical information handy, including printed copies.
If you don't have any of these, purchase homeowners or renters insurance, as well as health and life insurance.
Consider saving money in an emergency savings account that could be used in any crisis. Keep a small amount of cash at home in a safe place. It is important to have small bills on hand because ATMs and credit cards may not work during a disaster when you need to purchase necessary supplies, fuel or food. Remember, homeowners insurance typically doesn't cover flooding, so if you believe this is a risk to your property, look into flood insurance.
Additionally, so many people are pet owners and you don't want to forget about your furry (or scaly) family members. Microchipping dogs and cats will aid in them being reunited with you more easily.
Consider making a plan with your neighbors, including those with pets who can serve as an evacuation backup in case you are gone, and vice versa. But getting to know your neighbors is also a good idea in general, because you can help each other out and check on the elderly and others who might need assistance when an incident occurs, even a power outage.
MCHD Threat Preparedness provides a variety of training that you can schedule now, including Stop the Bleed, a national program that can be used if someone is injured in a car accident, a shooting or in some other incident. To schedule a training, email Joseph.L.Klass@wv.gov.
MCHD is also the main base for the Monongalia County Quick Response Team (QRT) and our annual naloxone distribution event, Save a Life Day, will take place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 24 at various locations.
Disasters aren't fun to think about, but being prepared makes them easier to handle when something happens.
Email Mary Wade Burnside at MaryWade.Burnside@wv.gov.