Being Prepared helps families alleviate fears and reduce potential losses related to disasters. In the event of emergencies or disasters, injured people need to receive help within the first hour of the incident. Often family members and co-workers are the initial first responders. First-aid kits are a necessity for attending to victims and should be kept in homes, vehicles, schools and workplaces.

Terrorism is the use of force or violence against people or property in violation of the criminal laws of the United States for purposes of intimidation, coercion or ransom.

Children and Disasters: Disasters can leave children feeling frightened, confused and insecure. Children may respond to disaster by demonstrating fears, sadness or behavioral problems. Younger children may return to earlier behavior patterns, such as bedwetting, sleep problems and separation anxiety. Older children also may display anger, aggression, school problems or withdrawal. Some children who have only indirect contact with the disaster but witness it on television also may develop distress. Whether a child has personally experienced trauma, has merely seen the event on TV or has heard it discussed by adults, parents and teachers should be informed and ready to help if reactions to stress begin to occur.

Earthquakes are sudden slips along a geological fault and the resulting ground shaking and radiated seismic energy caused by the slip or by volcanic activity or other sudden stress changes in the earth.

Floods are one of the most common hazards in the United States. A flood is defined as any high flow, overflow or inundation by water that causes or threatens damage. Flood effects can be local, impacting a neighborhood or community, or very large, affecting entire river basins and multiple states. Each year coastal, estuarine, riverine, overland and flash flooding places thousands of people, pets and livestock at risk of serious injury and death, and destroys property and infrastructure costing valued at billions of dollars.

Pets often are an important part of people’s lives. If you are like many animal owners, your pet is an important member of your family. The likelihood that you and your animals will survive emergencies or disasters such as a fire, earthquake, flood, tornado or terrorist attack depends largely on emergency planning. Because animals can influence a person’s decision to take protective actions, understand how to manage animals in emergencies.Create fear among the public.

Tornadoes are violently rotating columns of air with circulation that reaches the ground. Tornadoes usually start as a funnel cloud and are accompanied by a loud, roaring noise.