One of the best defenses against natural disasters and extreme weather events is advance preparation. Working together, we can build a disaster-resistant community and minimize the potential impacts of a catastrophic event.
As recent events such as Superstorm Sandy, the Japanese tsunami, and Hurricane Katrina have shown, communities must be prepared to survive on their own for at least 72 hours after a disaster. City, state and federal officials will be on the scene as quickly as possible, but they will not be able to reach everyone immediately. Having enough water, food and supplies to get through those first days is critical.
Additionally, basic services such as electricity, gas, water, sewage treatment and telephones may be cut off for days, a week, or even longer.