Drought
Red Cross: Drought and Water Conservation
A drought is a period of abnormally dry weather that persists long enough to produce a serious hydrologic imbalance, causing, for example, crop damage and shortages in the water supply. The severity of a drought depends on the degree of moisture deficiency, the duration, and the size of the affected area.
Ready.gov Drought Preparedness
Nearly every part of our country experiences periods of reduced rainfall. If we plan for drought, then we can enjoy the benefits of normal or rainy years and not get caught unprepared in dry years. Learn more about droughts on the Ready.gov website.
Earthquake
Ready.gov: Earthquakes
All 50 states and 5 U.S. territories are at some risk for earthquakes. Earthquakes can happen at any time of the year. Learn how you can get prepared.
Red Cross: Earthquake Preparedness
Learn how to prepare for an earthquake with the following safety tips provided by the American Red Cross.
Epidemic/Influenza/Pandemic
Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy
The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP; "SID-wrap") is a global leader in addressing public health preparedness and emerging infectious disease response.
Guidelines for Vaccinating CKD and Dialysis Patients
This guide from the CDC and HHS provides information on vaccinations and dialysis and chronic kidney disease patients.
Extreme Cold/Winter Storm
FEMA: Be Prepared for a Winter Storm
Winter storms can bring freezing rain, ice, snow, high winds, or a combination of these conditions. They can cause power outages that last for days, make roads and walkways very dangerous, and can affect community services. Planning and preparing can help you manage the impact of a winter storm and keep you and your family safe.
Red Cross: Winter Storm Preparedness
Winter storms can range from a moderate snow over a few hours to a blizzard with blinding, wind-driven snow that lasts for several days. Many winter storms are accompanied by dangerously low temperatures and sometimes by strong winds, icing, sleet and freezing rain. Regardless of the severity of a winter storm, you should be prepared in order to remain safe during these events.
CDC: Extreme Cold - A Prevention GUide to Promote Your Personal Health and Safety
This presentation provides guidance on how to stay safe and healthy during extreme cold temperatures.
Extreme Heat
7 Summertime Precautions for People with Kidney Disease
There are certain precautions that everyone should take during the sunny and warm summer months. If you have chronic kidney disease (CKD), you’ll need to take a few additional steps to protect your health in the summertime or when visiting warmer climates.
Extreme Summer Heat: Tips for Dialysis Patients
This handout provides helpful tips to help dialysis patients stay cool and healthy during summer heat.
Fire Safety
National Fire Prevention Association
The NFPA is the leading information and knowledge resource on fire, electrical, and related hazards.
NFPA: Grilling Safey
This handout provides tips on grilling safety and how to avoid fires, burns, or other injuries.
NFPA: Microwave Safety
This handout provides tips on how to safely use a microwave to prevent fire, burns, or other injury.
Flood
FloodSmart.gov
The NFIP offers flood insurance to homeowners, renters, and business owners if their community participates in the NFIP. Participating communities agree to adopt and enforce ordinances that meet or exceed FEMA requirements to reduce the risk of flooding.
Ready.gov: Floods
This page explains what actions to take when you receive a flood watch or warning alert from the National Weather Service for your local area and what to do before, during, and after a flood.
Hazardous Materials
Ready.gov: Hazardous Materials Incidents
Chemicals are found everywhere. They purify drinking water, increase crop production and simplify household chores. But chemicals also can be hazardous to humans or the environment if used or released improperly. Hazards can occur during production, storage, transportation, use or disposal. You and your community are at risk if a chemical is used unsafely or released in harmful amounts into the environment where you live, work or play.
Operating Nuclear Power Reactors
A nuclear power reactor is a facility that makes electricity by the continuous splitting of uranium atoms (i.e., a nuclear reaction). This facility is often referred to as a nuclear power plant. This resource provides information about specific operating nuclear power reactors that NRC regulates.
Radiation Emergencies
If a radiation emergency occurs, you can take actions to protect yourself, your loved ones, and your pets. Get inside. Stay inside, Stay tuned.
Hurricane
National Hurricane Center (NOAA)
The National Hurricane Center, part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), provides the latest information regarding hurricanes, and tropical cyclones.
FDA: Hurricanes - Health and Safety
Before and after weather emergencies, it is important to have a plan in place for emergency medication, food and water, and medical supplies for both humans and animals. This is especially true for taking care of individuals with health concerns, particularly if the power goes out.
CDC: Hurricanes and Other Tropical Storms
Hurricanes are dangerous and destructive. Known also as cyclones and typhoons in other parts of the world, hurricanes cause high winds, flooding, heavy rain, and storm surges (high tidal waves). Learn more about hurricanes and other tropical storms so you can be prepared to keep your family safe.
Landslide
Red Cross: Landslide Safety
Landslides have occurred in almost every state and can cause significant damage. The term landslide describes downhill earth movements that can move slowly and cause damage gradually, or move rapidly, destroying property and taking lives suddenly and unexpectedly. Learn more about landslides and safety on the red cross web site.
CDC: Landslides and Mudslides
Landslides occur when masses of rock, earth, or debris move down a slope. Debris flows, also known as mudslides, are a common type of fast-moving landslide that tends to flow in channels.
Ready.gov: Landslides and Debris Flow
Landslides occur in all U.S. states and territories and can be caused by a variety of factors including earthquakes, storms, volcanic eruptions, fire and by human modification of land. Landslides can occur quickly, often with little notice and the best way to prepare is to stay informed about changes in and around your home that could signal that a landslide is likely to occur.
Severe Weather
Red Cross: Thunderstorm Safety
A thunderstorm is considered severe if it produces hail at least 1 inch in diameter or has wind gusts of at least 58 miles per hour. Every thunderstorm produces lightning, which kills more people each year than tornadoes or hurricanes. Heavy rain from thunderstorms can cause flash flooding, and high winds can damage homes and blow down trees and utility poles, causing widespread power outages.
CDC: Lightning Safety
You can protect yourself and your family if you know what to do when you see lightning or when you hear thunder as a warning. Lightning strikes the earth more than 8 million times per day.
Ready.gov: Thunderstorms and Lightning
All thunderstorms are dangerous. Every thunderstorm produces lightning. This ready.gov page provides education and information on staying safe during storms.
Space Weather
Ready.gov: Space Weather
The term “space weather” refers to the variable conditions on the sun and in space that can influence the performance of technology we use on Earth. Extreme space weather could potentially cause damage to critical infrastructure – especially the electric grid – highlighting the importance of being prepared.
Technological Attacks
US-CERT: How to Secure Your Web Browser
This article will help you configure your web browser for safer Internet surfing. It is written for home computer users, students, small business workers, and any other person who works with limited information technology (IT) support and broadband. Although the information in this document may be applicable to users with formal IT support as well, organizational IT policies should supersede these recommendations. If you are responsible for IT policies for your organization, please consider implementing these recommendations as part of your policy.
US Computer Emergency Readiness Team (CERT)
US-CERT strives for a safer, stronger Internet for all Americans by responding to major incidents, analyzing threats, and exchanging critical cybersecurity information with trusted partners around the world.
Terrorism
Terrorist Hazards
Learn what actions to include in your family disaster plan to prepare for and respond to terrorist threats.
Red Cross: Terrorism Preparedness
Terrorist attacks have left many concerned about the possibility of future incidents of terrorism in the United States and their potential impact. They have raised uncertainty about what might happen next, increasing stress levels. There are things you can do to prepare for terrorist attacks and reduce the stress that you may feel now and later should another emergency arise. Taking preparatory action can reassure you and your children that you can exert a measure of control even in the face of such events.
Ready.gov: Explosions
Terrorists have frequently used explosive devices as one of their most common weapons. There are things you can do to prepare for the unexpected. Preparing for such events will reduce the stress that you may feel now, and later, should another emergency arise.
Tornado
Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale for Tornado Damage
The Enhanced Fujita scale (EF-Scale) rates the intensity of tornadoes in the United States and Canada based on the damage they cause
Ready.gov: Tornadoes
Tornadoes are nature’s most violent storms. Spawned from powerful thunderstorms, tornadoes can cause fatalities and devastate a neighborhood in seconds. This ready.gov page provides information on what to do before, during, and after a tornado.
CDC: Tornadoes
Knowing what to do when you see a tornado, or when you hear a tornado warning, can help protect you and your family. During a tornado, people face hazards from extremely high winds and risk being struck by flying and falling objects. After a tornado, the wreckage left behind poses additional injury risks. Although nothing can be done to prevent tornadoes, there are actions you can take for your health and safety.
Transportation Issues
Transportation and Disasters
Transportation systems are designed to operate under normal conditions. Yet, disruptions such as those caused by an accident or by a storm are rather common and well mitigated. On occasion, a disruption at a much high scale takes place to the extent that the safety or security of a whole region or nation is compromised.
Tsunami
Red Cross: Tsunami Safety Checklist
This checklist provides guidance on how to prepare for a tsunami, what to do during a tsunami, and recovery steps to take after.
CDC: Tsunami Preparedness
Tsunamis, also known as seismic sea waves, are a series of enormous waves created by an underwater disturbance such as an earthquake, landslide, volcanic eruption, or meteorite. A tsunami can strike anywhere along most of the U.S. coastline. Learn more about tsunamis and get information about health concerns after a tsunami including food and water safety.
Ready.gov: Tsunamis
This page explains what actions to take when you receive a tsunami alert from the National Weather Service for your local area. It also provides tips on what to do before, during, and after a tsunami. Tsunamis can strike any U.S. Coast, but risk is greatest for states and territories with Pacific and Caribbean coastlines.
Utility Failure
Are You Ready?: Power Outage
Losing electricity in your home temporarily - a few minutes or a few hours - can often be a pain in the neck. However, a power outage can be life threatening if it lasts longer, especially during extreme weather.
FEMA - Be Prepared for Power Outages
Power outages can happen any time of the year. Make sure you and your family know the steps to take during a blackout.
Red Cross: Power Outage Checklist
Sudden power outages can be frustrating and troublesome, especially when they last a long time. If a power outage is 2 hours or less, you need not be concerned about losing your perishable foods. For prolonged power outages, though, there are steps you can take to minimize food loss and to keep all members of your household as comfortable as possible.
Volcano
Red Cross: Volcano Preparedness
Explosive volcanoes blast hot solid and molten rock fragments and gases into the air. As a result, ashflows can occur on all sides of a volcano and ash can fall hundreds of miles downwind. Dangerous mudflows and floods can occur in valleys leading away from volcanoes. If you live near a known volcano, active or dormant, be prepared to follow volcano safety instructions from your local emergency officials.
USGS: Volcano Hazards Program
The USGS Volcano Hazards Program (VHP) and its monitoring partners work to detect the earliest signals of volcanic unrest to forewarn communities at-risk and provide time for officials to activate emergency response plans and mitigation measures that can save lives and protect property.
Ready.gov: Volcanoes
A volcano is a mountain that opens downward to a reservoir of molten rock below the surface of the earth. Because of their intense heat, lava flows are great fire hazards. Lava flows destroy everything in their path, but most move slowly enough that people can move out of the way.
Wildfire
ReadyForWildfire.org
This website provides important information and tools to help you prepare, survive, and recover from a wildfire.
FEMA: Be Prepared For A Wildfire
Wildfires can ruin homes and cause injuries or death to people and animals. "Be Prepared for a Wildfire" explains how to protect yourself and your property, and details the steps to take now so that you can act quickly when you, your home, or your business is in danger.
Red Cross: Wildfire Preparedness
Wildfires often begin unnoticed. However, they spread quickly and every second counts! Talk with members of your household about wildfires—how to prevent them and what to do if one occurs.
