Survival Tips

Disasters are inevitable — at some point in our lives, almost all of us will have a brush with an earthquake, flood, tornado, blizzard or storm. But there's no use in worrying yourself sick; the best way to defend yourself against any emergency is to have a disaster preparedness plan.

Disaster prevention comes in many forms, from knowing what type of emergency to expect and packing an emergency preparedness kit to prepping your home and knowing how to return to it when the coast is clear. Follow these expert-sourced disaster preparedness tips to ensure you have a foolproof plan in place.

• Earthquakes: They can happen in all states at any time of year.
• Wildfires: High risk in forested areas with little rain, such as Southern California.
• Floods: The most common natural disaster can hit anywhere, but especially in low-lying areas.
• Tornadoes: "Tornado Ally" includes the states of TX, OK, IA, KS, NE and OH, which are on alert from March to August.
• Blizzards: They can occur wherever the temperature drops below freezing.
• Storms and Hurricanes: The East and Gulf coasts are at high risk from June to November.

Get notifications sent to your phone from your service provider or via a free app from FEMA or the Red Cross. Some employers use a service such as LiveSafe to blast emergency info to their teams — see if your company or school uses it, and if so, download the free app.