All-Hazards Approach to Preparedness
A hazard can be any threat to people, property and their livelihoods. When we use an all-hazards approach to preparing for these threats, our families and communities will better positioned for recovery when (not "if) there is an emergency or disaster event.
Preparedness
Nebraska Mesonet: Located across Nebraska, these stations provide hourly observations for air temperature, humidity, liquid precipitation, wind speed and direction, solar radiation, barometric pressure, soil temperature and soil moisture. There are also stress indices for humans and livestock. Go to Nebraska Mesonet - https://nemesonet.unl.edu
Preparedness: Be Informed, Make a Plan, Build a Kit. For more information, go to https://Ready.gov
Hazards
- Hazards don't always become an emergency or a disaster.
- Hazards are the origins of disasters.
- They become a disaster when it impacts communities and societies.
Emergencies
- Hazards that become small-scale emergency events, localized, resolved quickly with local resources.
- Can escalate and become a disasters.
Disasters
- These are hazards that disrupt the functioning of communities and societies.
- Require response and recovery greater than local communities can provide.
Natural Hazards
- Atmospheric: Thunderstorms, Lightning, Hailstorms, Tornadoes, Windstorms, Ice storms, Snowstorms, Blizzards, Cold waves, Heat waves, Avalanches, Fog, Frost
- Geological: Earthquakes, Volcanoes, Tsunami, Landslides, Mudflows, Sinkholes
- Hydrological: Floods, Droughts, Wildfires
- Extraterrestrial: Meteorites, Asteroids
- Biological - Human and Animal: Diseases, Epidemics, Pandemics, Overpopulation, Famine
Human-created Hazards
- Non-Intentional: Technological, Hazardous Materials, Environmental, Industrial, Mining, Nuclear, Transportation, Structural
- Intentional: Cyber-attacks, Civil Disobedience, Terrorism, Violence - includes active threats or active killer events
Source: Hazard and Disaster Classification FEMA