Disaster Preparedness
When a disaster strikes, it can change or end lives in minutes. The more that we can do to prepare ahead of time, the more likely we are to survive and recover quickly.
For many remote communities, emergency services are far away. Families could be on their own for hours or days after a disaster. With our help, people are establishing warning systems and communications channels. They are building roads and bridges to evacuate the injured and bring in supplies. And they are setting meeting points and making plans to check on in especially vulnerable neighbors.
In the United States, we focus on families who may not understand how to get support or may be afraid to come forward and ask. We host workshops and share information about preparing for emergencies. And we work to make sure people have the supplies on hand that they may need.
Latest Updates
First Aid training has the potential to save lives in rural Myanmar
U Myint Swe has been helping drowning and bike accident victims since 1979 as a Red Cross volunteer. The 54-year-old retired police sergeant first earned a First Aid Trainer certificate in 1986, and then he went through a refresher course in 2000. Since then, he has led or co-led at least 30 basic First Aid courses with the Myanmar Red …
Emergency preparedness in disaster-prone Indonesia
Taufiq and his family know all too well how devastating an earthquake can be. A series of earthquakes struck his village in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, last year. “I was inside the house with my mother when the quake struck,” the 11-year-old remembers. Taufiq’s family and neighbors knew that an earthquake would likely lead to other disasters like aftershocks or tsunamis, …
“I didn’t want to sit by and wait for the next disaster”
Landslides are a significant hazard in the Tana Toraja region of South Sulawesi, Indonesia. They are a particularly dangerous threat in the village of Rano, which is in a valley. Rano has hotter temperatures than neighboring communities. That means droughts are harsher here, when it doesn’t rain for long periods. When the rains come, they can trigger dangerous landslides. In …