Disaster Safety Vulnerability: What Can You Do Today?

Disaster safety vulnerability refers to the susceptibility of a community, its infrastructure, and its population to the negative impacts of a hazard event. It's not just about the hazard itself, but also about the underlying social, economic, and physical conditions that make a community more or less likely to suffer harm.

A sustained and unmistakable increase in the occurrence of natural and human-made disasters heralds the beginning of an era of persistent safety vulnerability, altering our safety setpoints to a new and profoundly uncertain state. Many around the world have already experienced the unexpected and destructive forces of these disaster events.

One significant change over time, considering human history up to the present time, is that everyone is vulnerable, regardless of where one lives. So, what can one do about this new vulnerability to disaster events?

First, study the incidence of disaster events likely to impact your local community.  For instance, you may live in an area where wildfires, hurricanes, droughts, or floods occur with some frequency. Collect information encompassing the last ten years.

Once you have determined which events affect your local region from time to time, plan how to protect your family and loved ones. Work out a plan to resolve the following questions:

1.    How to prepare if you need to evacuate your home with sufficient time to travel safely far enough from the affected area? Consider that in highly populated areas, waiting for local authorities to instruct you to evacuate exposes you to unintended consequences such as dense traffic, crowded public transportation, and overcrowded shelters.  Study each of these concerns and how they would affect you, your loved ones, or your friends. Are you travelling with children, young adults, or older people? What can happen in an overcrowded shelter?

2.    Once you have worked out a feasible plan and created a list of supplies and resources needed for your trip to a safe location, lay out a plan to collect those resources.  

3.    Share your thoughts and plans with trusted friends and family members who may be able to collaborate with you.

Now is the time for citizens of all countries to take proactive actions by assessing the likelihood and timing of these disaster events and developing emergency plans.

Helpful resources: ready.gov/ fema.gov.