emergency preparedness

12 Stories

Costco Sells Doomsday Bucket With Food Good for 25 Years

Retailer suggests shopping ahead for times of crisis

(Newser) - Those worried about going hungry during a societal crisis anytime in the next 25 years can take a step toward security for $79.99—assuming they're Costco members. The warehouse club has begun selling the Readywise Emergency Food Bucket to US customers. It's a collection of 150 food...

'Disease X' Isn't Here Yet, but Preparations Are Being Made

World leaders, health experts set up for pandemic that could potentially be far worse than COVID-19

(Newser) - World leaders and health experts are coming together to combat a serious international epidemic that's thankfully hypothetical at this point. If the COVID-19 pandemic taught us anything, it's that health care systems and economies can be easily overwhelmed by the global spread of a little-understood disease. Enter "...

These Are the Safest States Amid the Pandemic
10 Safest, Least Safe
States in US
Oct 26, 2021 11:27 AM CDT

10 Safest, Least Safe States in US

Vermont is No. 1 and Louisiana is last

(Newser) - WalletHub usually considers a wide range of factors in determining the safest states in America, including the number of assaults, mass shootings, and terrorist attacks. This year, with the coronavirus pandemic still in play, it's also considering the percentage of residents who are fully vaccinated. That's one...

Americans Can't Opt Out of Today's 'Presidential Alert'

Message from Trump will be sent to all cellphones

(Newser) - A text message from President Trump will be sent to more than 200 million US cellphones in a test starting at 2:18pm Eastern on Wednesday—but officials stress that the president won't be texting Americans on a regular basis. The Federal Emergency Management Agency says the "Presidential...

Every Home in Sweden to Get Pamphlet on War Preparedness
Sweden Telling All Its People
How to Prepare for War
in case you missed it
May 26, 2018 11:25 AM CDT

Sweden Telling All Its People How to Prepare for War

'If Sweden is attacked by another country, we will never give up'

(Newser) - What would you do if you couldn't flush your toilet, access an ATM, turn on your heat, easily buy food, or go online? Those living in Sweden should soon be able to answer those questions. The government will next week send a 20-page pamphlet to each of the country'...

British Columbia Preps Citizens for Zombies

If you're ready for the undead, you're ready for anything

(Newser) - You've picked on the wrong little girl, zombie! That's the message a feisty British Columbian has for a walker who aims to eat her brains in a video produced by the province to prepare its citizens for an invasion of the undead. Actually, not really. It's a...

Verizon 'Emergency' Text Spooks New Jersey

Customers ordered to 'take shelter now,' but it's just a test

(Newser) - Verizon sparked panic in central New Jersey yesterday by sending thousands of customers a text message reading: "Civil Emergency in this area until 1:24 PM EST Take Shelter Now US Govern." Verizon says the message, which caused 911 dispatchers to be swamped with calls, was part of...

CDC: Get Ready for Zombie Apocalypse

Or, you know, a hurricane

(Newser) - The CDC wants to make sure you’re prepared … for a zombie apocalypse. In a blog posting Monday that quickly became the organization’s most popular ever, Assistant Surgeon General Ali Khan offers helpful tips to prepare for the invasion of “flesh-eating zombies.” Conveniently enough, many of...

Fukushima's Disaster Plan: A Stretcher and a Fax

Plant was woefully unprepared for natural disaster

(Newser) - Tokyo Electric Power Co. had a disaster plan in place at its Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant, but certainly not a very thorough one: It only involved one stretcher, and relied heavily on a satellite phone and fax machine for emergency communications. In a look at the plan, the Wall Street ...

Madoff Family's New Gig: High-End Disaster Planning

Catherine Hooper and Andrew Madoff run 'Black Umbrella'

(Newser) - Are you prepared in the event of a disaster? Well, if you have tons of excess cash, don’t worry: The Madoff family can help. After his father was arrested, Andrew Madoff helped fiancée Catherine Hooper launch a high-end disaster planning service, ABC News reports. Dubbed “Black Umbrella,...

Recession Endangers Emergency Response Plans

Report cites progress but warns of state budget cuts

(Newser) - States are more prepared than ever to respond to public emergencies, but the recession is putting all those gains at risk, an annual assessment warns. The report from Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation gives states their highest marks since the report's inception in the...

2-Way Tweeting Helps Louisiana Monitor Spill
2-Way Tweeting Helps Louisiana Monitor Spill 
OPINION
Jun 14, 2010 4:35 PM CDT

2-Way Tweeting Helps Louisiana Monitor Spill

Emergency agency makes good use of give-and-take with followers

(Newser) - Like a lot of other government agencies, Louisiana's emergency-preparedness office uses its Twitter feed to keep citizens updated on issues like the Gulf oil spill. In a neat twist, the office is following thousands of its own followers, "something that a lot of government agencies in the emergency area...

12 Stories