Natural hazard guide

What to do in the first seconds of shaking, and what to watch for once it stops.

1. 1.Drop to your hands and knees where you are
2. 2.Cover your head and neck with one arm and one hand
3. 3.Hold on until the shaking stops — and if you are under shelter, hold on with one hand and be ready to move with it

If you are in bed, turn face down and cover your head and neck with a pillow. / Afterwards expect aftershocks, and if the quake was near the coast, watch for a tsunami warning.

Ready.gov — Earthquakes · Checked 2026-10-23

How to leave before the storm, where to shelter during it, and why the water is the real danger.

1. 1.Know your evacuation zone and routes before you need them, and keep copies somewhere safe
2. 2.If officials order an evacuation in a mandatory zone, leave immediately
3. 3.Take refuge in a designated storm shelter or an interior room, and if rising water traps you, go to the highest level of the building

Hurricanes are dangerous mainly through storm surge, wind, rip currents and flooding. Check the National Hurricane Center for the current storm and your local alert service for official warnings.

Ready.gov — Hurricanes · Checked 2026-10-23 · NOAA National Hurricane Center

What to do when the sea withdraws or the ground shakes, and why the danger lasts for hours.

1. 1.If the tsunami was caused by an earthquake, Drop, Cover, and Hold On first
2. 2.Move to high ground as far inland as possible — do not wait for an official warning if you see natural signs
3. 3.Expect waves to keep arriving: a tsunami is a series of waves, and the danger lasts for hours

Natural signs: a strong earthquake, a loud roar from the ocean, or the sea suddenly rising or pulling back to show the sea bed.

Ready.gov — Tsunamis · Checked 2026-10-23 · NOAA Tsunami Program

How to get ready, how to leave, and where to shelter when a fire is closing in.

1. 1.Set up alerts on your phone and know your evacuation zone and routes
2. 2.Keep a go bag ready with water, a first aid kit and documents
3. 3.If authorities order an evacuation, leave immediately — do not wait for the fire to look closer

Check the FEMA app or the Red Cross Emergency app for open shelters near you. If you can, plan to shelter with friends or family rather than a public shelter.

Ready.gov — Wildfires · Checked 2026-10-23

Why moving water is more dangerous than it looks, and what to do before and during a flood.

1. 1.If you are under a flood warning, find safe shelter right away
2. 2.Do not walk, swim or drive through flood water
3. 3.Turn around: six inches of moving water can knock you down and one foot can carry a vehicle away

Flash floods can arrive without warning. At home, know your flood risk before the season — insurance for flooding usually has to be in place well ahead of a disaster.

Ready.gov — Floods · Checked 2026-10-23

What ash does to your body, and how to stay safe while an eruption is happening.

1. 1.Follow evacuation or shelter orders, and evacuate early if you are advised to
2. 2.Limit your time outdoors, and use a dust or cloth mask as a last resort if you must go out
3. 3.Take temporary shelter where you are — avoid driving in heavy ash, and do not get on your roof to clear it

Ash can travel hundreds of miles and irritates the skin, eyes, nose and throat. It is the ash that is the problem, not the eruption itself.

Ready.gov — Volcanoes · Checked 2026-10-23

How to keep cool when the air is too hot for a fan to help.

1. 1.Learn the signs of heat illness and check on older adults, children and people with chronic conditions
2. 2.Find somewhere cool to go — a library, a shopping mall, a cooling centre — before the hottest hours
3. 3.Do not rely on a fan to cool you: it moves air but does not lower your body temperature

Extreme heat is high heat and humidity, usually with temperatures above 90°F for two or three days. It causes more deaths than any other weather hazard in the United States.

Ready.gov — Extreme Heat · Checked 2026-10-23