Preparing for a disaster can reduce the fear, anxiety and losses that disasters cause. A disaster can be a natural disaster, like a hurricane, tornado, flood or earthquake. It might also be man-made, like a bioterrorist attack or chemical spill. You should know the risks and danger signs of different types of disasters. You should also have a disaster plan. Be ready to evacuate your home, and know how to treat basic medical problems. Make sure you have the insurance you need, including special types, like flood insurance.
No matter what kind of disaster you experience, it causes emotional distress. After a disaster, recovery can take time. Stay connected to your family and friends during this period.
Federal Emergency Management Agency
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Are You Ready? An In-Depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness(Federal Emergency Management Agency) - Links to PDF - http://www.fema.gov/areyouready/
Also available in Spanish http://www.fema.gov/spanish/areyouready/
- Recover After a Disaster(American Red Cross) - http://www.redcross.org/portal/site/en/menuitem.d8aaecf214c576bf971e4cfe43181aa0/?vgnextoid=74e51a53f1c37110VgnVCM1000003481a10aRCRD&vgnextfmt=default
- Emergencies: Preparing and Getting Trained(American Red Cross) - http://www.redcross.org/portal/site/en/menuitem.d8aaecf214c576bf971e4cfe43181aa0/?vgnextoid=46de1a53f1c37110VgnVCM1000003481a10aRCRD&vgnextfmt=default
- Emergency Preparedness(National Fire Protection Association) - http://www.nfpa.org/categoryList.asp?categoryID=791
- Emergency Preparedness and You(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.bt.cdc.gov/preparedness/
- Make a Plan(Dept. of Homeland Security) - http://www.ready.gov/america/makeaplan/
- Evaluation Shows Significant Improvement in Local Hospitals' Disaster Preparedness(04/23/2009, Dept. of Health and Human Services) - http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2009pres/04/20090423c.html
- Katrina Led to Missed Kidney Dialysis Sessions(02/11/2009, Reuters Health) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_80132.html
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Explosions(Dept. of Homeland Security) - http://www.ready.gov/america/beinformed/explosions.html
Also available in Spanish http://www.listo.gov/america/beinformed/explosions.html
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Thunderstorms and Lightning(Federal Emergency Management Agency) - http://www.fema.gov/hazard/thunderstorm/
Also available in Spanish http://www.fema.gov/spanish/hazards/thunderstorms/thunderf.shtm
- DisasterHelp(Office of Management and Budget) - https://www.disasterhelp.gov/index.shtm
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Emergency Disinfection of Drinking Water(Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water) - http://www.epa.gov/safewater/faq/emerg.html
Also available in Spanish http://www.epa.gov/safewater/faq/emerg_spanish.html
- FAQs about Building Evacuation(National Fire Protection Association) - http://www.nfpa.org/displayContent.asp?categoryID=811
- Get a Kit(Dept. of Homeland Security) - http://www.ready.gov/america/getakit/
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Getting Medicare and Prescription Drugs in a Disaster or Emergency Area(Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) - Links to PDF - http://www.medicare.gov/Publications/Pubs/pdf/11377.pdf
- Health Recommendations for Relief Workers Responding to Disasters(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/contentReliefWorkers.aspx
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Healthy Shelter Living
(American College of Physicians Foundation) - Links to PDF - http://foundation.acponline.org/hl/shel_en.pdf
Also available in Spanish http://foundation.acponline.org/hl/shel_sp.pdf - How Do I Get Food and Water?(Federal Emergency Management Agency) - http://www.fema.gov/rebuild/recover/foodandwater.shtm
- Individuals with Special Needs(Federal Emergency Management Agency) - http://www.fema.gov/plan/prepare/specialplans.shtm
- Information about Medical Devices in Emergency Situations(Center for Devices and Radiological Health) - http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/emergency/index.html
- Information for Pet Owners(Federal Emergency Management Agency) - http://www.fema.gov/plan/prepare/animals.shtm
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Injuries and Mass Casualty Events(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.bt.cdc.gov/masscasualties/injuriespub.asp
Also available in Spanish http://www.bt.cdc.gov/masscasualties/es/injuriespub.asp
- Insulin Storage and Switching between Products in an Emergency(Center for Drug Evaluation and Research) - http://www.fda.gov/cder/emergency/insulin.htm
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Keeping Food and Water Safe After a Disaster or Power Outage(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/foodwater/facts.asp
Also available in Spanish http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/espanol/foodwater.asp
- Prevent Injury After a Disaster(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/injury/facts.asp
- Preventing Carbon Monoxide Poisoning After an Emergency(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/cofacts.asp
- Recover & Rebuild(Federal Emergency Management Agency) - http://www.fema.gov/rebuild/
- Resuming Safe Operation of Building Water Systems: Risk of Legionnaires' Disease(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/disease/legionnaires.asp
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What You Need to Know When the Power Goes Out Unexpectedly(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/poweroutage/needtoknow.asp
Also available in Spanish http://www.bt.cdc.gov/poweroutage/espanol/needtoknow.asp
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Blackouts(Healthy Roads Media) - http://www.healthyroadsmedia.org/english/Files/flv/engblackouts.htm
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Downed Power Lines(Healthy Roads Media) - http://www.healthyroadsmedia.org/english/Files/flv/engpowerlines.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.healthyroadsmedia.org/spanish/Files/flv/spapowerlines.htm
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Evacuations and Community Shelters(Healthy Roads Media) - http://www.healthyroadsmedia.org/english/Files/flv/engevacuations.htm
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Lightning and Thunderstorms(Healthy Roads Media) - http://www.healthyroadsmedia.org/english/Files/flv/englightning.htm
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Safe Water in a Disaster(Healthy Roads Media) - http://www.healthyroadsmedia.org/english/Files/flv/engsafwat.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.healthyroadsmedia.org/spanish/Files/flv/spasafwat.htm
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Sheltering in Place(Healthy Roads Media) - http://www.healthyroadsmedia.org/english/Files/flv/engshelterinplace.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.healthyroadsmedia.org/spanish/Files/flv/spashelterinplace.htm
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Watches and Warnings(Healthy Roads Media) - http://www.healthyroadsmedia.org/english/Files/flv/engwatcheswarnings.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.healthyroadsmedia.org/spanish/Files/flv/spawatchwarning.htm
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What to do in Case of an Emergency: A Checklist(Healthy Roads Media) - http://www.healthyroadsmedia.org/english/Files/flv/engemerlst.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.healthyroadsmedia.org/spanish/Files/flv/spaemerlst.htm
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Relief Aid in a Disaster(National Fire Protection Association) - Links to PDF - http://www.nfpa.org/assets/files//PDF/Research/GR/fact/e/Disaster_Relief_Aid.pdf
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Disasters
(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Disasters%22
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Pandemic influenza preparedness: bridging public health academia and practice. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19320379&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Emergency preparedness for vulnerable populations: people with special health-care needs. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19320378&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Threats to our nation, 1957-1959: a public health retrospective. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19320375&tool=MedlinePlus
- Disaster Preparation and Recovery -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=disaster+planning[majr]+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+(guideline[pt]+OR+clinical+trial[pt]+OR+jsubsetk[text]+OR+jsubsetaim[text]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt]+OR+jsubsetn[text]+OR+systematic[sb])+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt]+OR+case+reports[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- Disaster relief -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=relief+work[majr]+AND+(jsubsetk[text]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt]+OR+jsubsetn[text]+OR+jsubsetaim[text]+OR+systematic[sb]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+review[pt])+AND+english[la]+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt]+OR+case+reports[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- Community and State Information(Dept. of Homeland Security) - http://www.ready.gov/america/local/
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American Red Cross - http://www.redcross.org/
Also available in Spanish http://www.cruzrojaamericana.org/
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - http://www.cdc.gov/
Also available in Spanish http://www.cdc.gov/spanish/
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Federal Emergency Management Agency - http://www.fema.gov/
Also available in Spanish http://www.fema.gov/spanish/index_spa.shtm
- Strategic National Stockpile(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.bt.cdc.gov/stockpile/
- FEMA for Kids(Federal Emergency Management Agency) - http://www.fema.gov/kids/
- Prepare for Disaster: Special Information for Families with Infants or Anyone Caring for a Newborn(March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation) - http://www.marchofdimes.com/pnhec/298_16943.asp
- Preparing for Disaster: The Parent View(National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies) - http://www.childcareaware.org/en/resources/preparing_for_disaster/
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Ready Kids(Dept. of Homeland Security) - http://www.ready.gov/kids/home.html
Also available in Spanish http://www.listo.gov/ninos/home.html
- Disaster or Emergency Preparedness Plan for Women(National Women's Health Information Center) - http://womenshealth.gov/tools/disaster.cfm
- How Will I Know Mom and Dad Are Okay?(Administration on Aging) - Links to PDF - http://www.eldercare.gov/Eldercare.NET/Public/Resources/fact_sheets/pdfs/INTOUCH_brochure.pdf
- Preparing for Emergencies: Seniors(American Red Cross) - http://www.redcross.org/portal/site/en/menuitem.d8aaecf214c576bf971e4cfe43181aa0/?vgnextoid=1e920c45f663b110VgnVCM10000089f0870aRCRD&vgnextfmt=default
- Biodefense and Bioterrorism - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/biodefenseandbioterrorism.html
- Chemical Emergencies - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/chemicalemergencies.html
- Coping with Disasters - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/copingwithdisasters.html
- Earthquakes - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/earthquakes.html
- Fires - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/fires.html
- First Aid - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/firstaid.html
- Floods - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/floods.html
- Heat Illness - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/heatillness.html
- Hurricanes - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/hurricanes.html
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/posttraumaticstressdisorder.html
- Radiation Emergencies - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/radiationemergencies.html
- Tornadoes - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tornadoes.html
- Tsunamis - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tsunamis.html
- Volcanoes - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/volcanoes.html
- Winter Weather Emergencies - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/winterweatheremergencies.html
- Disasters - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/disasters.html
Disaster Preparation and Recovery - Multiple Languages - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/languages/disasterpreparationandrecovery.html