The Best Way to Reduce Your Risk for Injury or Loss is to Be Prepared

Preparedness can reduce the impact of disasters on individuals, families and communities.  While the American Red Cross is the main provider of disaster recovery in communities across the country, we also offer information, training and resources that can help individuals, families, organizations and communities better respond to disasters.

Being ready for a disaster ahead of time will allow you, your family, friends, neighbors, students, co-workers and employees to better cope with and recover from disasters more quickly.  The American Red Cross can provide training, education and informational materials to assist you in creating an emergency preparedness plan.

Check our web pages for information on preparing and responding to disasters or to register for our training.

Take a few moments to determine if you’re Red Cross Ready by viewing our brief presentation.

Click the links below for quick facts on specific disasters.

Please note that the PDF files listed below, with links to download at the bottom of the page require Adobe Reader and should be printed on legal size paper (8.5” x 14”).

• Be Red Cross Ready
  
• Fire Prevention & Safety
  
• Flood Safety
  
• Flu Checklist
  
• Heat Wave Safety 
• Hurricane Safety
  
• Pets and Disaster Safety
  
• Power Outage
  
• Returning Home after a Hurricane or Flood
  
• Taking Care of Your Emotional Health after a Disaster
  
• Thunderstorm Safety
  
• Tornado Safety
  
• Wild Fire Safety
  
• Winter Storm Safety
  

Do you have the supplies you might need if you had to be on your own in the wake of a disaster?  Learn more about building your Family Disaster Supplies Kit.  Or visit our online store to purchase a pre-made kit.

Does your family have an emergency plan that includes a plan for communicating with each other if you’re separated?  Our Emergency Preparedness Checklist offers a handy guide to planning. 

Learn about preparing for specific emergencies:

Read more about our emergency response services.

Additional Resources

• The International Committee of the Red Cross - Disaster news and information on humanitarian efforts. 
• The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies 
• The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Air Traffic Control System Command Center - Real-time updates on airport closings and delays from the Federal Aviation Administration.  
• The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)The Federal Highway Administration - National Traffic and Road Closure Information provided by the Federal Highway Administration. 
• The National Weather Service - Weather updates and emergency weather warnings and links for local forecasts.