In the Critical Infrastructure Protection and Critical Infrastructure Assurance domains you will hear a lot about layers of defence. You can tailor this approach to being ready in this context as well.
The layers are fairly simple and work out from you as a person.
The first layer is yourself. This has two parts. The first is fitness (physical and mental) to the best of your ability. It also means understanding and accepting your limits. What you want to achieve is knowing what you can accomplish and what you should probably get some help with.
The second layer is your family and immediate home. As long as people have looked after the first layer, you should have some reserves for the this layer. The home layer involves your immediate environment (your immediate property).
Your third layer involves your immediate neighbours. This takes two forms. The critical step is if there is someone vulnerable in your community (for whatever reason). Taking this step not only helps reduce the risks at their family level, but helps build that sense that you’re not isolated in the event.
At this point, there’s a bit of a transition that happens. Your local neighbourhood is something that you will likely be able to have a great deal of personal interaction with (being reasonable). At the community level, it becomes less personal and more group-driven. At the least, you will likely want to know what the priorities are.
Finally, there are the layers that operate at regional or even national levels. These may provide information and offer broad programs that help you, but may lack that sense of personal connection that the layers above (neighbours, etc.) have.
Finally, don’t shy away from reaching out to any number of organizations that offer assistance. This can involve volunteering for them (a good source of learning) if you’re able. In many cases, support from these organizations may be either direct or through the local (city-level) Emergency Management Office.
The first two layers are yours to control and manage as you see fit. This is where you can take care of things and get stuff done to be ready. As you move outward, it becomes more about influence finally awareness. Building up these layers, however, just increases the odds of coming through things as best you can.