National Preparedness Month takes place every September. With the intention of reaching underserved Latinx and Black communities, this year’s theme takes a highly personal approach by asking people to think about protecting their “lasting legacy.” “The life you’ve built is worth protecting. Prepare for disasters to create a lasting legacy for you...
Kentucky can’t seem to catch a break. In less than 12 months, the state has endured an extraordinary string of catastrophes—bringing into sharp focus what can go right and what can go wrong with disaster recovery. Good360 is working to close the need gap as verified by our local/statewide nonprofit & governmental...
As the country learns about the floods in Eastern Kentucky, we open our hearts and want to help. Sometimes, however, that help is misguided, and people and organizations send goods that are not needed, diverting resources and focus away from lifesaving and life-preserving activities, and clogging up supply routes and...
In 2017, fast-moving wildfires ripped through Sonoma and Napa Counties in Northern California, claiming at least 10,000 homes and 40 lives. The devastation prompted one local resident, a seasoned disaster relief volunteer and Spanish interpreter, to sign up to work at an evacuation shelter in Petaluma. Karen Merzenich recalled how the shelter...
In August, 2016, a rare weather event called a “monsoon depression” dumped more than 20 inches of rain on southwest Mississippi and coastal Louisiana. Do you remember? The storm led to massive flooding in Baton Rouge and Lafayette, La. At least 13 people died, and 40,000 homes were damaged. A federal...
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has prompted the largest refugee crisis in Europe since World War II. More than 5 million refugees have fled the country since early February, according to the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees). Altogether, some 8 million Ukrainians have been displaced since fighting began. Most refugees have...
In the past five years, the United States has experienced record-breaking wildfires, hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods—not to mention a global pandemic. Disasters, natural and man-made, are a fact of life. We expect them to happen. But anticipating a disaster is not the same thing as being prepared for one. Because of the...
Disaster Sites Overrun with Piles of Unneeded Goods, Diverting Essential Resources from Tornado Recovery Efforts Alexandria, VA, Dec. 22, 2021 -- In the aftermath of the deadly tornadoes that ripped through multiple states on December 10-11, an unintended consequence of the outpouring of support is that unsolicited product donations are clogging...
America’s 20-year war in Afghanistan officially ended on Aug. 30, when a U.S. military C-17 carried the last American troops out of the country. But a whole new mobilization is already afoot to resettle more than 100,000 people, including many women and young children, that have been evacuated from Afghanistan since...
Every September, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) promotes National Disaster Preparedness Month through its Ready campaign. It’s an excellent opportunity to remind everyone that a disaster can occur anywhere, anytime, so being prepared for the worst is the best thing we can all do. But the human toll of disasters is...