This story originally appeared on Milling and is part of Climate Office cooperation.
No matter where you live, extreme weather can hit your area, causing damage to homes, power outages, and risky or deadly conditions. If you live on the coast, it may be a hurricane; in the Midwest or South, tornado; in the West, forest fires; and as we have seen in recent years, this can be experienced everywhere heat waves or flash flood.
Living through a disaster and its aftermath can be both traumatic and messy, from the immediate loss of life and property to conflicting information about where to get facilitate. The weeks and months afterward can be even more tough as attention to your community has disappeared and civic services and events have been halted or drastically changed.
Grist has put together this guide to facilitate you stay prepared and informed. It covers everything from how to find the most right forecasts to signing up for emergency alerts to the roles different agencies play in disaster relief.
Where to find facts about disasters
These days, many people learn about disasters in their area through social media. But it’s vital to make sure the information you’re getting is right. Here’s where to find the facts about extreme weather and where to check for the most reliable emergency alerts and updates.
Your local crisis manager: Your city or county will have an emergency management department that is part of the local government. In larger cities, this is often a separate agency; in smaller communities, fire chiefs or sheriff’s offices may manage emergency response and alerts. Emergency managers are responsible for communicating with the public about disasters, managing rescue and response efforts, and coordinating between agencies. They usually have a text message-based emergency notification system, so sign up for one through their local website. (Note: Some cities have multiple languages available, but most crisis alerts are in English only.) Many emergency management agencies are busy on Facebook, so check there for updates as well.
Local news: Local TV news and social media accounts from verified news sources will have live updates during and after the storm. Follow your local newspaper and TV station on Facebook or other social media, or check their websites regularly.