By living in Palo Alto, you know that natural disasters can be a part of life: flooding in the lowlands, fires in the foothills, or the risk of another major earthquake. Although we cannot eliminate these risks, the degree to which an emergency or natural disaster will affect us is directly related to how well we have prepared for it.

Palo Alto provides a variety of resources to help you, your family and your business prepare for an emergency at the best time – before it happens. We encourage preparedness based on earthquakes, because an earthquake triggers many events. An earthquake will cause fires, floods, hazardous material releases, collapsed buildings, etc. It is an "all-hazard" disaster. Therefore, preparing for earthquakes, prepares you for most disasters. A good home emergency plan lends itself to protect you and your family against all disasters. Take the time now, to research your options, prepare a plan, stock up on emergency supplies, get trained, and be ready.

During an emergency the City's primary duty is to ensure public safety and restore services as soon as possible. In any natural disaster, City resources are directed toward evacuating residents as necessary, responding to police, fire, and medical emergencies, maintaining utility services and providing traffic control, and clearing streets of water or debris. After the emergency is over, the City will focus on recovery and restoring services back to normal operation.