Today, millions of people are participating in the Great Shakeout of 2017, a day dedicated to learning how to best prepare for an earthquake.
According to Ready.gov, earthquakes can happen at any time of the year and occur without warning. While they usually last less than one minute, aftershocks may occur for hours, days, or even months after the initial earthquake.
“During any disaster, especially an earthquake, your own neighbors are your closest first responders, as Police and Fire will be overwhelmed. This has proven to be the case across the country after three major hurricanes and multiple vegetation fires in California,” says Michael Cummings, Private Sector Liaison for FEMA Region 9.
Cummings encourages residents everywhere to get to know their neighbors and prepare their community for the next “big one” by using Nextdoor. Together, neighbors can put together emergency preparedness plans, practice emergency drills, and learn where resources are located around the community.
Should a disaster strike, neighbors are able to post Urgent Alerts in their Nextdoor neighborhood alerting each other of updates during natural disasters, like earthquakes.
As recent disasters around the world have shown us, having a strong local community is essential during times of crisis. Neighbors are often the first line of response during a disaster, so it is of utmost importance that people know their neighbors before a disaster strikes.
In light of the Great Shakeout and earthquake preparedness, stay safe and get to know your neighbors today.
To see if your neighborhood is having a Great Shakeout drill, click here.
Join your neighborhood on Nextdoor here.
Do you have a story about how you’ve used Nextdoor in your neighborhood? Let us know.
Leave a Comment