Disasters 101 - How to Plan, Prepare, Survive, and Recover

2025 has been a hard start to the new year.

Southern California has arguably the best weather in the United States: 65 degree winters, 90 degree summers, 330 rain-free days a year.

You can surf on the ocean, hike in the woods, pick fruit off cactus, and ski or snowboard....all in the same day.

We have every major league sport, world-class concert halls, theaters, and restaurants, and some of the best colleges and hospitals in the world.

And yet, FEMA has rated Los Angeles County the #1 most at risk for a natural disaster.

Politics, finger pointing, and the blame game aside, the reason isn't what you think it is:

Every State, every region has their seasonal natural disasters - hurricanes and flooding, tornados and dust storms, blizzards and freezes that break pipes, 30-below winters and 120 degree summers...seasonally.

Until 2025, the last regional disaster in Southern California was the 1938 Los Angeles Flood.

We are used to having a 9-1-1 system that gives us fire engines and ambulances in 7 minutes and Level 1 Trauma Centers within 15 minutes in any direction.

• But what happens when the earth shakes?
• But what happens when we have more than half our yearly rain in one day?
• But what happens when we have 100mph winds?
• But what happens when flaming embers travel 3 miles from a fire?

If you asked most people in Los Angeles at the end of 2024 if they are ready for a disaster, if they have a go-bag in case they need to evacuate, if they have a first-aid kit and First-Aid/CPR/AED training, or what utilities they should shut off before they evacuate - the answer would probably be a blank stare and an uncomfortable shuffling away from you.

No matter where you live, there will be risks of natural disasters.

What you and your neighbors do before, during, and after a disaster determines how quickly we recover together.

Join us on Wednesday, January 29th 7pm-9pm Pacific Time as we review Disasters 101: How to Plan, Prepare, Survive, and Recover.

As always, our trainings are open to everyone, regardless of if you have taken the Community Emergency Response Team training or not or if you live in the Los Angeles or not.

This presentation will be live streamed on our YouTube channel at:

And will be immediately available for replay immediately after the presentation.

Event Venue

Online