Skip main navigation

Military Health System

Clear Your Cache

Health.mil has undergone a recent update. For the best user experience we recommend clearing your browser cache.

Are You Prepared for a Disaster?

Image of Start by creating a basic disaster emergency kit and create a plan to get back together as a family in the event of a disaster. . Airmen at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi assisted the 81st Civil Engineer Squadron with filling more than 2500 sand bags. Hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30. (U.S. Air Force photo by Kemberly Groue)

Wildfires have burned more than 3 million acres of land in the U.S. already this year — an area bigger than Connecticut.

An array of disasters – like massive wildfires, hurricanes, cyclones, tornadoes, floods, and mud slides – now seem to be everyday risks.

So, how to prepare for an evacuation affecting your family and pets? Or even losing your home?

Start by creating a basic disaster emergency kit and create a plan to get back together as a family in the event of a disaster. Watching this disaster preparedness video can help you create your kit.

“The most important things you should have is the basic life-saving equipment”, said Christopher Springer, head of emergency management at, Naval Medical Center San Diego.

That means flashlights, radios, and batteries to support that equipment. “Then look at your actual household to think about your family members who have special needs or special medications, then build each emergency preparedness kit for your home and your family,” Springer said.

TRICARE also has information on what to do before, during, and after a disaster, and your benefits during a disaster.

Your Pets

For your pets, the Army Public Health Center recommends gathering an emergency kit with a two-week supply of pet food, water, and any medications. Make sure you have copies of pets’ vaccination and medical records as well.

Some emergency shelters require crates for pets, and some only accept service animals. It's a good idea to identify pet-friendly housing options outside of the evacuation area.

Make sure your pet's ID tags include your current contact information. You also may want to ask your veterinarian about getting your pet microchipped in case you’re separated during an emergency.

Hurricanes and Lessons Learned

In the eastern U.S., people are more likely to see hurricanes, flooding, and tornados. This year, the government predicts an above average hurricane season with up to 21 storms, and the year has already seen many deadly tornadoes.

For the staff of Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida in 2018, the impact of hurricanes became all too real, when Hurricane Michael devastated the base in October 2018. Many base personnel and families lived in the surrounding community, which had to rebuild following the hurricane.

“One of the biggest lessons we learned after the Tyndall was destroyed by was to understand what your insurance plan says,” said Robert Genova, the Emergency Management Operations support manager at Tyndall.

“Once the storm has passed, what are you authorized to do, such as having a contractor put tarp on your roof, and will your insurance pay for that?” he advised. “You need to understand what kind of limitations you have on your insurance.”

Preparedness Toolkits

Every military service has a guide and thorough preparedness toolkit localized to the installation and outside-of-base housing. New service members or PCS’ed families get initial information on the local hazards during their orientation briefings.

For example, the Air Force’s Be Ready guide is an authoritative and highly thorough reference source for all types of natural, man-made, technological and terrorism-related disasters.

The guide helps military families prepare for those events and runs the gamut from basic preparation to exactly how to deal with most any type of disaster.

The toolkits and catalogs go from awareness posters, information tear sheets, table tents, to hazard vignette short videos. There are also kids’ awareness campaign materials that include activity books and tear sheets focused on the threats or hazards for each installation.

You also may be interested in...

Article
Sep 28, 2023

Nebraska Air National Guard State Surgeon’s Path Leads Him to Professional Boxing’s Highest Pinnacle

Nebraska Air National Guard Col. (Dr.) Mark Shirley takes in a practice at Mick Doyle’s Kickboxing and Fitness Center in Omaha, Nebraska, on Oct. 10, 2022. A member of the Nebraska Air National Guard where he serves as the state surgeon, Shirley is also a doctor of osteopathic medicine and a member of the emergency department staff of the Memorial Community Hospital and Health System in Blair, Nebraska. (Photo: U.S. Air Force National Guard Lt. Col. Kevin Hynes)

Dressed in surgical scrubs, Nebraska Air National Guard Col. Mark Shirley looks like any other medical doctor pulling a 24-hour emergency department shift. Shirley serves as the state air surgeon where he oversees the medical support required to keep the Nebraska Air Guard’s approximately 1,000 airmen ready to support any and every federal or state ...

Article
Aug 2, 2023

55th Dental Squadron Participates in Operation Healthy Delta

U.S. Air Force Capt. Bethanie Swanson, a dentist, and U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Omalee Vega, the noncommissioned officer in charge, both assigned to the 55th Medical Group in Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, conduct a dental examination during Operation Healthy Delta Innovative Readiness training program in Anna, Illinois, on June 11, 2023.  (Photo: U.S. Air National Guard Airman 1st Class Danielle Dawson)

More than 270 service members from the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Space Force, U.S. Army and U.S. Air National Guard, Army and Air Force Reserve, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, U.S. Navy Reserve, and the U.S Public Health Service collaborated to provide no-cost health services to underserved communities in Illinois and Missouri.

Article
Aug 1, 2023

Case Report: Complicated Urinary Tract Infection Due to an Extensively Resistant Escherichia coli in a Returning Traveler

This article presents the medical case report of a 76-year-old man who returned to the U.S. following overseas travel and was admitted at Hawai'i's Tri­pler Army Medical Center with a complicated urinary tract infection due to an extensively resistant strain of E. coli.

Article
Aug 1, 2023

Active Surveillance for Acute Respiratory Disease Detected No Outbreaks at Four U.S. Army Basic Training Installations in 2022

This article presents the 2022 results of the active surveillance program for acute respiratory disease and Group A Beta-Hemolytic Streptococcus conducted by the Defense Centers for Public Health-Aberdeen at the four Army installations responsible for basic combat training or one-station unit training. This ARD surveillance program rapidly monitors, ...

Topic
Jul 31, 2023

Civil Military Medicine

Civil-Military Medicine ensures the Military Health System provides the highest possible level and quality of health service support to military missions and other responsibilities that are outside the realm of major combat operations with an emphasis on emerging mission sets of homeland defense & defense support of civil authorities.

Article
Jul 25, 2023

Defense Public Health Experts Investigate If Minority Group Service Members are More Likely to Experience Behavioral Health Problems

A recent Department of Defense study found American Indian and Alaska Native U.S. Army Soldiers had higher rates of suicidal ideation than white soldiers. The DOD is investigating behavioral health disparities among minority groups in the military to see how they might mirror similar disparities in the civilian population. (Graphic illustration: Steven Basso, Defense Centers for Public Health-Aberdeen)

U.S. public health agencies such as the National Institute of Mental Health have recognized that certain minority groups appear to experience greater risk for certain behavioral health disorders. The higher rates of adverse health problems in minority groups are often referred to as “disparities.”

Skip subpage navigation
Refine your search
Last Updated: February 25, 2025
Follow us on Instagram Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on YouTube Sign up on GovDelivery