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Disaster Preparedness
Related Information
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
EPA Office of Emergency Management (HQ)
Oil Spill Prevention & Response
Many of the links on this page will exit EPA's Web site.
Public Service Announcements
Safe Drinking Water
audio file (mp3)
Returning Home
audio file (mp3)
Gas Leaks
audio file (mp3)
More Public Service Announcements
- Natural Disaster PSAs
- Avoiding Carbon Monoxide Poisoning (Centers for Disease Control)
- Natural Disaster PSAs and Podcasts (Centers for Disease Control)
EPA responds to disasters that involve spills of oil, hazardous chemicals or materials that could threaten human health and the environment. EPA supports federal, tribal, state and local authorities by conducting response actions to mitigate environmental impacts caused by disasters. During an actual response action, this page will contain current information and instructions relating to environmental aspects of the situation.
Contact Information
Peter Guria (415) 972-3043Disaster Preparation
Disaster Preparation for the Public
Get Prepared | En Español
Complete preparation information, multiple languages
72 Hours: Are You Prepared? | En Español | 
To be on your own for 72 hours
Plan Ahead | En Español
Protect Your Family & Property
Ready America | En Español
Get a kit, Make a plan, Be informed
Planning for Natural Disaster Debris (PDF) (94 pp, 1.9MB)
Fact Sheet (PDF) (1 pg, 73K)
Children & Special Needs
Ready America Older Americans, People with special needs, pet owners
FEMA for Individuals Homeowners, volunteers, special needs, pet owners, funding assistance
Preparing for...
- Earthquake (CDC)
- Extreme Heat (CDC)
- Hazardous Materials Incident (CDC)
- Tsunami (California Department of Conservation)
- Floods (CDC)
- Terrorism (Homeland Security)
- Fire or Wildfire (CDC)
- All types of emergencies: Natural Disasters and Weather Emergencies, California Office of Emergency Services
Current Disaster Response Actions in Region 9
In the event of an active disaster, you can find information relevant to EPA's response actions here. In the meantime, the following resources may provide you with current non-EPA information regarding an incident:
- Red Cross, Current News| En Español
- National Fire Activity
- Get Disaster Information (FEMA) | En Español
- Be Informed (Ready America) | En Español
- Internet Disaster Information Network
How Does EPA Respond to Disasters?
EPA responds to natural disasters that involve spills of oil, hazardous chemicals or materials that could threaten human health or the environment. As part of the National Response System (NRS), EPA On-Scene Coordinators (OSCs) are notified 24 hours a day when a spill occurs. When a disaster strikes, EPA is also notified by a state or federal agency. EPA's On-Scene Coordinators provide expertise and capabilities to assess and cleanup hazardous material incidents. EPA provides this assistance to local, state, tribal and federal agencies through its authorities under the National Oil and Hazardous Substance Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP), and the National Response Framework and Stafford Act.
EPA's Pacific Southwest Region has responded to many disasters, including California wildfires in 2007, Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster in 2003.
EPA also responds under the NCP and Superfund Program to abandoned oil and chemical facilities.