Those of us who live in places that haven't given much thought to how citizens should prepare for disaster can learn from cities and regions where natural disasters are more common. The city of San Francisco's Office of Emergency Services, for example, has set up a terrific website called 72 Hours, spelling out in easy, straightforward language the basics of how to prepare for a major disaster. The information focuses a bit more on earthquakes than on other kinds of events, but the vast majority of the content is applicable to just about any kind of traumatic event. The advice is quite good, too: tips for making disaster plans; lists for "Go Bags;" specific sections for planning to aid children, the disabled, and household pets; what to put into an emergency first aid kit; and much more. The site is available in English, Spanish and Chinese.
I know that many of our readers live in locations also prone to disasters, and likely know of local resources giving useful information as to how to prepare for trouble. The 72 Hours site is good, but is likely missing sections of use in other kinds of emergencies.
Please use the comments to give links to good disaster prep information, especially for places outside of the United States.
