On July 29th a 5.4 magnitude Earthquake shook Los Angeles without a moment’s notice. The biggest quake since 1994 served as a not-so-gentle reminder that there will be no advanced warning when the Big One hits.

We can, however, prepare for it.

In the past year, the American Red Cross of Greater Los Angeles has made significant progress towards improving our community’s local disaster infrastructure and capabilities. We have initiated a major planning effort to fully prepare our community for any major catastrophic event that we may face in the coming years.

Whether wildfires spark, an earthquake hits, or floods engulf the city, we are committed to being prepared.

Our new Catastrophic Disaster Preparedness Plan will dramatically increase our capacity and allow us to shelter 250,000 people and serve 2 million meals each day.

Our plan also provides state-of-the-art transportation and communication systems that will allow us to be fully functional with no outside assistance for up to 8 days.

As partners in the community, it is our responsibility to do everything possible to prepare for a major catastrophic disaster. We cannot do this without your continued support - it’s your gift that makes our work possible.

Tags: Earthquake, Los Angeles, Prepare, Red Cross