Families & the public
- 10-minute hacks to do tonight
- Power, water and medicine hacks that work
- What to do for each kind of disaster
- Viral TikTok and Instagram tips: keep or skip
- A contact plan that works when calls don't
MedRise MedicineEmergency preparednessEmergency preparedness
Plans that hold up anywhere in the U.S., whether it's a hurricane, tornado, earthquake, wildfire smoke, a heat wave, a winter storm or a long power outage: for families, for medical students and residents, and for the programs and hospitals that train them.
Emergency happening now? Call 911. Follow evacuation orders from your local officials, even if this page says something different.
Pick your track
Who are you planning for?
Students & residents
- Free FEMA courses and Psychological First Aid
- Disaster life support certification (BDLS, ADLS)
- Teams you can join: MRC, CERT, Red Cross, NDMS
- Disaster medicine groups for trainees
- What happens to your training in a disaster
People with medical conditions
- Insulin, dialysis, home oxygen and powered devices
- Asthma, severe allergies and blood thinners
- Seizures, pregnancy, babies and dementia
- Addiction treatment and heat-sensitive medicines
- What to do if you can't reach your doctor (education only)
Residency programs & hospitals
- ACGME disaster policy requirements
- ACGME Extraordinary Circumstances timelines
- CMS emergency preparedness rule for hospitals
- Joint Commission emergency management
- A GME disaster readiness checklist
Free printable emergency cards: your medicines, insulin, dialysis and home oxygen
The basics
Four things every plan needs
Know your local risks
Hurricanes on the Gulf and Atlantic coasts (the Atlantic season runs June 1 to November 30), tornadoes across the Plains, Midwest and South, earthquakes in the West, Alaska and parts of the central U.S., wildfire smoke that can travel across the country, and floods, heat waves and power outages almost everywhere. Your county emergency management office can tell you which ones matter where you live.
Make a plan
One out-of-town contact everyone checks in with, meeting places, and a habit of texting instead of calling: in an emergency a text often gets through when a call won't.
Build a kit
Water (one gallon per person per day for several days), food for several days, your medicines, copies of key documents, light, power and a radio.
Get alerts that wake you up
A NOAA Weather Radio programmed with your county's code, emergency alerts left on in your phone's settings, the FEMA app and your county's own alert sign-up.
General education, not medical, legal or compliance advice. MedRise is not an emergency service and cannot respond to emergencies. For decisions about a specific person, program or hospital, talk to a clinician, your institution or your own advisers.
Want your residency program disaster-ready?
MedRise reviews GME disaster policies and runs tabletop exercises for programs and sponsoring institutions.
Sources
Where this comes from
- Ready.gov: Build a Kit
- FCC and FEMA: Tips for communicating during an emergency (PDF)
- National Weather Service: Using NOAA Weather Radio SAME
- ACGME Institutional Requirements (2026), section 4.14
- 42 CFR 482.15: Hospital condition of participation, emergency preparedness (eCFR)
Sources last checked November 14, 2026. Rules and links change: open the official page before you rely on a figure.