As extreme weather events become more severe and destructive, confidence in preparedness is trending down. How can resilience professionals reassure their communities?

Motorola surveyed 1,000 people for their experiences with severe disaster weather, and found 66% said they’d missed work because of a natural disaster, while 40% had been unable to access necessities during that time and 30% reported having to evacuate. As a consequence, only 36% said they felt prepared to face a major weather event.

However, while their confidence in their own capabilities was incredibly low, their faith in the larger preparedness community was nearly universal: 93% believed responders are prepared to help the community during a disaster.

As resilience professionals, this recognition is an important way to connect with the community and provide valuable preparedness information. The good news is that while residents may not feel they’re ready to deal with a disaster, they’re willing to learn. In the past year, 67% said they’d assembled a safety kit, 57% signed up for emergency notifications from local government/public safety, and 47% created an evacuation plan – all up 36-54% from 2022.

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