Preparedness is everyone's job. Not just government agencies but all sectors of society -- service providers, businesses, civic and volunteer groups, industry associations and neighborhood associations, as well as every individual citizen -- should plan ahead for disaster. During the first few hours or days following a disaster, essential services may not be available. People must be ready to act on their own!

A Hazard Vulnerability Analysis on Cullman County, completed in 1998, showed that Cullman County would be worst affected should certain disasters happen. The study took into effect the likelihood of the event happening, what the effects would be, and how the county's government/infrastructure/and citizens are prepared to deal with the event. The county and its citizens are most vulnerable from the following types of disasters:

 These links can help you and your family prepare for dealing with these disasters which would adversely affect Cullman County. Take some time to develop a family plan of action today!

One of the best places to find information on preparing for emergencies is the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The hazards section of their site has numerous links to information to help you prepare to protect life and property. FEMA Preparedness links of particular interest to Cullman County residents include:

TORNADOES
THUNDERSTORMS AND LIGHTNING
HURRICANES
WINTER STORMS
FLOODS
HEAT WAVES
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
HOUSEHOLD AND BUILDING FIRES
NUCLEAR PLANT EMERGENCIES
TERRORISM

FEMA has also released "Are You Ready? A Guide to Citizen Preparedness", which brings together facts on disaster survival techniques, disaster-specific information, and how to prepare for and respond to both natural and man-made disasters. It is available for download here.

Get ready for all kinds of hazards with the information provided at the  American Red Cross website. The site features a Disaster Services page with helpful information on disasters including tornados, thunderstorms, winter storms and many more.