Category: natural disasters

After Matthew: The Hidden Dangers of Hurricanes

Fallen trees and damaged electrical power lines blocking a road; hazards after a natural disaster wind storm

The thrashing winds have died down. Relentless rain has ceased. The clouds have cleared and the sun is shining. But this is no time to let your guard down. Last week, Hurricane Matthew pounded its way through the Caribbean before bearing down on the eastern U.S. coastline from Florida to North Carolina. Many lives and Read More >

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A Safe Community Starts With You

Region II Hosts Preparedness Workshop

  The minutes, hours, and days immediately following a disaster are the most critical for saving lives. In times of crisis, local communities are first to respond. It’s up to each of us to make sure our communities are resilient and can bounce back from disaster. We do this by being prepared to help ourselves Read More >

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Ready Now!

Cars driving on a highway are stuck in traffic because of a snow storm.

A rare winter storm in 2008 buried Portland, Oregon under more than a foot of snow, leaving the city gridlocked. Like many others around the city, Nickole Cheron was stuck in her home for eight days. But for Nickole—who was born with spinal muscular atrophy, a genetic disease that weakens the body’s muscles over time—the Read More >

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Fred the Preparedness Dog—Tails from Kansas

Fred witnesses the governor of Kansas signing a proclamation naming September "National Preparedness Month"

It all started when Fred jumped into the bathtub. It was one of those warm, Kansas summer days, back in 2013. Fred the German Shepherd had just joined our family, and my wife eagerly captured all his adorable dog-moments with her camera. So when Fred hopped into the tub, she quickly snapped a photo and Read More >

Posted on by Michael McNulty, Director of Homeland Security Operations, Kansas Department of Health and Environment1 CommentTags , , , , , ,

Ready or Not: Communicating During an Emergency in the Country of Georgia

Emergencies don’t wait for you to be ready. In 2015, the country of Georgia invited CDC to conduct a training on the principles of Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC). But before we could get there, the capital city of Tblisi was struck by a major flood. The flash flood and ensuing mudslide killed 20 Read More >

Posted on by Lisa Briseño, Health Communications Specialist, Emergency Risk Communication BranchLeave a commentTags , , , , ,

Parents and Kids Prepare for Emergencies Together

Kids on a camping trip

School is out, and summer is a time for hanging out with family and friends, taking vacations and going away to camp. It is also the season for disasters like tornadoes, hurricanes and wildfires. Read More >

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