Each year, the American Red Cross responds immediately to more than 70,000 disasters, including house or apartment fires (the majority of disaster responses), hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, hazardous materials spills, transportation accidents, explosions, and other natural and man-made disasters.

Disaster can strike quickly and without warning. It can force you to evacuate your neighborhood or confine you to your home. What would you do
if basic services--water, gas, electricity or telephones--were cut off? Local officials and relief workers will be on the scene after a disaster, but they cannot reach everyone right away. The best way to make you and your family safer is to be prepared before disaster strikes. We encourage you to:
Get an Emergency Kit before a disaster hits. There are preparedness kits of all types from 72 Hour Kits - enough for one person to Deluxe Emergency Kits enough for 50 people.

For example more than 40,000 families applied for disaster relief at aid centers opened by the Federal agency. The most expensive single disaster, with Federal relief estimated to have cost more than $160 million, came in January, when California was hit by storms, floods, mudslides and high tides. From coast to coast the US citizens deal with Earthquakes, Fires, Floods, Hurricanes, Mudslides, Tornadoes, Thunderstorms, Heat Waves, Blackouts, Winter Storms even Volcanoes and Tsunami. It is recommeded by agencies such as FEMA and The American Red Cross to prepare for disasters before they strike. Emergency Kits and Emergency Escape Ladders are very cost effective for the American Public with more and website companies making these products available.