No matter where you live, extreme weather can hit your area, causing damage to homes, power outages, and dangerous or deadly conditions. Living through a disaster and its aftermath can be both traumatic and chaotic, from the immediate losses of life and belongings to conflicting information around where to access aid. We've compiled a resource guide to help you stay prepared and informed.
These days, many people find out about disasters in their area via social media. But it's important to make sure the information you're receiving is accurate: Your local emergency manager can provide that, often with an SMS-based emergency alert system, so sign up for those via your local website. Follow local television news and their social media accounts for live updates during and after a storm, as well as weather stations and apps like the Weather Channel, Apple Weather, Google, and the National Weather Service. You can enter your zip code on weather.gov, customize your homepage, and sign up for the National Weather Service's SMS alerts so that you always know what's coming, weather-wise.
As you prepare for a storm, it's important to have an emergency kit ready in case you lose power or need to leave your home. These can often be expensive to create, so contact your local disaster aid organizations, houses of worship, or charities to see if there are free or affordable kits available. But always be sure to have some of the most important things on hand in the face of an extreme weather-related emergency, like a first aid kit, food, water, medicines, and important documents.
As we've seen in recent years, heat waves, flash flooding, and other extreme weather patterns can occur anywhere. Read our guide on how to survive extreme weather for tips on bag-packing, getting emergency alerts, and finding disaster aid. Be sure to check out our related guides, like how to use your air purifier correctly, the best air purifiers we've tested this year, the best sleeping bags for any occasion, and the best emergency gear to keep at home.
