NASHUA — It has been almost a year since the Halloween snowstorm of 2011 devastated the region, and city officials are now encouraging residents to be prepared for similar storms.

“People were not ready for what happened last fall,” said emergency management director Justin Kates. “We want everyone to be ready before winter hits here in New Hampshire.”

Thousands of city residents were without electricity for days after last October’s storm, as gas stations ran out of fuel and schools were forced to shut down for nearly a week.

“We want to teach people that they can control their own destiny during a disaster or real emergency,” said Kates, noting the reason for Saturday’s Greater Nashua Family Emergency Preparedness Day.

The city’s Office of Emergency Management, in conjunction with Pheasant Lane Mall, is hosting its first Emergency Preparedness Day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday at the mall.

There will be about 30 exhibitors on hand for the event, which is designed to help families, businesses and communities prepare and plan for various types of emergencies — including extended power outages, fires and floods.

Police, fire, emergency medical services and public health representatives will be on hand distributing important safety information for children and adults, according to Kates.

Electronic driving simulators will be on site to help stress the importance of safe driving skills, along with a kids safety house designed to plan an escape in the case of a fire. Many of the exhibits will be housed in the center of the mall, but the larger equipment will be placed outside the food court for patrons to browse.

September is National Preparedness Month, a month-long effort encouraging households and businesses to be prepared for emergencies so that they are more self-reliant when the unexpected occurs.

A simple way to start preparing is to plan for three situations: staying inside your home for at least three days without access to electricity, water, stores or other local services; leaving your home quickly to go to a safer place; and connecting with friends and family when communication systems are down or overloaded.

“In the past six years, New Hampshire has suffered 13 presidentially declared disasters, including floods, tropical storms, severe winter storms and a tornado,” Christopher Pope, the state’s director of homeland security and emergency management, said in a statement. “New Hampshire residents need to prepare to take care of themselves and their families to avoid fatalities, injuries and property damage.”

Basic steps include stockpiling emergency supplies and developing emergency plans, according to Pope.

For more information on emergency planning, visit www.nh.gov/readynh.

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Kimberly Houghton may be reached at khoughton@newstote.com.