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: 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