Grist has launched a free, customizable guide to help communities prepare for and recover from extreme weather events, hoping to close a vital information gap during disasters.
In short:
- The “Disaster 101” toolkit from Grist includes downloadable, plain-text guides that remain accessible during power or internet outages.
- It offers tailored advice for hurricanes, floods, wildfires, and more, including specific sections for undocumented immigrants and people seeking mental health support.
- The resources are designed to be localized, allowing newsrooms, governments, and organizations to add region-specific instructions and contacts.
Why this matters:
When a hurricane barrels toward town or wildfires creep too close for comfort, the first thing to go is often the internet — and with it, access to crucial, potentially life-saving information. That’s the void Grist’s new “Disaster 101” toolkit is trying to fill. It’s a nimble response to a glaring flaw in the way we prepare for and survive climate-fueled disasters: The information we need most in a crisis is often stuck behind a dead Wi-Fi signal or buried in bureaucratic jargon. As climate-driven disasters grow more frequent and severe, access to clear, local, and actionable information can save lives.
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