When you have to leave in a hurry, a go bag can be a life saver! If  you missed the Go Bag presentation on Sunday, Jan 28th, 2024, you can find the documents and downloads in this blog post. Also, find our detailed information and videos on our our Go Bag page. For information on Alerts, check out our Stay Informed page. 
Check out these references from the presentation: 

• Slide printout for student notes
• Full slide deck with speaker notes 
• Register for Alerts
• Build Your Kits checklist from the "Get Prepared Now!" booklet (pg 8-9)
• Visual Checklist for you Disaster Supply Kit
• Get Prepared Now! booklet (2020 edition)​

FEMA has released the results of the 2023 National Household Survey on Disaster Preparedness. To review the survey results, download the summary presentation.
​Since 2013, FEMA has conducted the National Household Survey on Disaster Preparedness. This survey of people from across the United States gauges the nation’s disaster preparedness actions, attitudes, and motivations. The 2023 survey conducted from February 1 through March 14, 2023 included over 7,600 responses. Results from the 2023 survey indicate that slightly more than half (51%) of Americans believe they are prepared for a disaster and 57% took three or more actions to prepare for a disaster within the last year. The most common actions people took to prepare for a disaster were assembling or updating disaster supplies (48%) and making a plan (37%); the least common actions were planning with neighbors (12%) and getting involved in their community (14%).

Could it happen here? On New Year's Day, the U.S. Geological Survey's National Earthquake Information Center detected a magnitude 7.5 earthquake near the west coast of Honshu, Japan. Nearly 100,000 were ordered to evacuate. I was staying with friends in Gearhart, on the Oregon Coast. We wondered if we might be in danger of a tsunami. Fortunately, we were spared this time. 
It's always a good idea to be prepared for natural disasters by informing yourself and taking simple steps to have supplies ready to go. When at the coast, look for and practice walking the tsunami routes in areas where you are staying.
What about when your home? Find out where the fault lines lie in your area, using this interactive map by the U.S. Geological Survey. And prepare for all kinds of disasters using the information on this website.