Natural Disasters

Colorado Department of Public Safety/Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management

• Colorado Recovery: Recovery specific website created by the Colorado Office of Emergency Management.

• Statewide Flood Information: Quick and timely information updated twice daily about Colorado flood information.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Flood Recovery

• Information and helpful tips on mental health, cleaning up and hygiene, water safety, and worker, safety, following a flood.

Disaster Assistance.gov

• Apply for federal resources to help recover and rebuild.

Other Natural Disaster Resources

American Red Cross

• How to prepare for Emergencies

• Types of Emergencies (Available in multiple languages)

• How Schools Can Prepare for Emergencies

• Red Cross Apps (For mobile devices, available in English & Spanish)

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

• America's PrepareAthon Resources for Schools

  • Tornadoes

    • Prepare Your People for Tornado Safety - K-12 Schools (Released - April 2014)

  • Wildfires

    • Prepare Your People for Wildfire Safety - K-12 Schools (Released - April 2014)

  • Floods

    • Prepare Your People for Flood Safety - K-12 Schools (Released - April 2014)

  • Hurricanes

    • Prepare Your People for Hurricane Safety - K-12 Schools (Released - April 2014)

• Earthquake Safety for Schools: Instructor Guide

  • Earthquake Safety for Schools: Student Manual (Published May 2011)

    • The purpose of this course is to prepare school staff and administrators for an earthquake at their school location. The course is designed to describe the effects of an earthquake, explain how to mitigate those effects, state the key elements of an earthquake plan for preparedness, response, and recovery, and outline the procedures for training and exercises related to that emergency plan.

• Seismic Sleuths: Earthquakes: A Teacher's Package for Grades 7-12

  • The materials introduce master teachers of grades 7-12 to Seismic Sleuths curriculum. The teacher's package provides hands-on/minds-on classroom activities on earthquake-related topics that can be easily integrated into existing science, math, and social studies curricula. The materials foster an understanding of how science, math, and social studies concepts are apply to reduce earthquake hazards and risk in the built environment through seismic safety design, construction, land-use, and emergency management techniques.

    • Introduction

    • Unit 1

    • Unit 2A

    • Unit 2B

    • Unit 2C

    • Unit 3A

    • Unit 3B

    • Unit 3C

    • Unit 4

    • Unit 5A

    • Unit 5B

    • Unit 6

    • Appendix

    • Glossary

• Tremor Troop: Earthquakes: A Teacher's Package for K-6

  • The materials introduce kindergarten and elementary teachers to Earthquakes: A Teacher's Package for K-6 (FEMA 159). Also known as "Tremor Troops" the collection of multi-disciplinary, hands-on classroom activities was developed for FEMA by the National Science Teachers Association. The materials provide basic information on earthquakes. The lesson plans and activities promote scientific literacy among young children and give them the information and skills they need to cope safely during and following an earthquake.

National Sexual Violence Resource Center

• NEW - - Sexual Violence in Disasters

  • This guide helps communities develop plans to prevent and address sexual violence when disaster strikes.

Indiana Department of Education

• Suggested - - Tornado Refuge Areas in Existing Indiana K-12 Schools

  • Published in 2013 by the American Institute of Architects Indiana (AIA), Indiana School Safety Task Force, with assistance from members of the Indiana Department of Education. It is suggested that school consult an architect or engineer to evaluate their buildings for tornado refuge areas because what often looks like the safest area of the school sometimes is actually not structurally sound. This is intended to be a resource for school safety specialists and school administrators in Indiana K-12 schools in identifying tornado refuge areas. Specifically, there are suggestions for locating / improving / utilizing the "best available refuge areas" from tornadoes in existing buildings.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

• The Dialogue: Children and Disasters

  • This issue of The Dialogue from the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center (DTAC) highlights the important process of helping children prepare for and cope with their reactions to disasters. A variety of preparedness and recovery resources are offered to better help parents, caregivers, and disaster behavioral health professionals. Additionally, several programs are discussed that can help inspire your community to help children better prepare for and recover after a disaster.

  • After a disaster, children may be affected in a variety of ways, including their short- and long-term functioning, psychosocial adjustment, health, and their developmental trajectory. Children often have different needs before, during, and after disasters. After Hurricane Katrina, disaster response experts recognized that the unique needs children have had been overlooked in federal and state disaster planning (Save the Children). Children are a vulnerable group that make up 25 percent of the nation, and it is vital to be prepared ahead of a disaster to help limit the risk of children's separation from their families, and to speed up recovery.

  • Download: "The Dialogue 2019 | Vol. 15 - Issue 2"

• SAMHSA's mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America\'s communities.

• SAMHSA Disaster App offers behavioral health responders immediate access to tips and information for all phases of disaster response, including the resources from SAMHSA's Disaster Kit and SAMHSA's Behavioral Health Treatment Facilities Locator, right on their smartphone.

U.S. Fire Administration (USFA)

• As an entity of the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency, the mission of the USFA is to provide national leadership to foster a solid foundation for our fire and emergency services stakeholders in prevention, preparedness, and response.

• Fire Prevention and Public Education

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