Throughout instances of nationwide emergency, USAGov serves because the official channel of catastrophe communications for the federal authorities. To assist folks throughout the nation put together for and recuperate from disasters, we use completely different techniques throughout our channels.
The following tips can assist your group ship well timed info to your viewers throughout a catastrophe.
Ask your guests and followers to enroll in emergency alerts. To make sure they keep conscious, urge your followers to enroll in emergency alerts from their native authorities, FEMA, the Nationwide Climate Service, and extra. These textual content messages, apps, and radio alerts can assist anybody have probably the most up to date emergency info out there.
Have a content material financial institution able to go. Our group depends on info developed each internally and by company companions earlier than, throughout, and after an emergency. This might embrace storm-specific suggestions, apps to make use of on the fly, and predictions and mapping. The pre-developed content material permits us to tailor to particular storm wants and add hashtags like #Milton or #Helene to extend findability on-line. Our go-to web sites embrace:
- Prepared.gov – A multilingual public service marketing campaign run by way of the Federal Emergency Administration Company (FEMA) with storm-specific info, planning steering, and data for people, households, companies, and communities
- Catastrophe Misery Hotline – A confidential emotional assist hotline run by the Substance Abuse and Psychological Well being Providers Administration (SAMHSA) out there by telephone or textual content at 1-800-985-5990.
- Nationwide Hurricane Middle – Stay maps from the Nationwide Climate Service together with lively storms, every day projections, and flood predictions
- Disasters and Emergencies on USA.gov – up to date with info primarily based on particular storms in addition to emergency-related monetary, security, and preparation info and providers
Comply with FEMA’s social media accounts. FEMA shares well timed info that individuals impacted by disasters want. Comply with and continually examine their social media accounts for speedy updates as a storm develops. FEMA HQ is on Fb, Instagram, and X (Twitter), and has further accounts throughout FEMA’s 10 areas and sub-programs like Prepared.gov.
Guarantee content material is accessible even when there are connectivity points. Throughout emergencies, it is vitally frequent for areas to have decreased connectivity. Share info that doesn’t take lengthy to load and doesn’t require a robust web connection. For instance, we embrace key info that individuals want within the textual content of the submit itself. Don’t make these within the path or survivors of a storm need to click on on a hyperlink to get probably the most important info as connectivity is likely to be a difficulty. Relying simply on graphics and movies to convey your key messages may additionally pose issues for individuals who can’t entry them.
Plan for various audiences. Emergencies can influence all people. Along with creating messaging for most of the people, take into account growing content material for varied geographic areas and completely different demographic teams too, together with:
- Mother and father with younger kids
- Pet homeowners
- Seniors
- Folks with restricted English proficiency
- Folks with disabilities and caregivers
As this busy hurricane season involves an finish, we’re persevering with to fine-tune the best way we serve companies and other people in want. Comply with us on Instagram, X (Twitter), and Fb in English, and on X (Twitter) and Fb in Spanish, to see USAGov’s work in motion.
Observe: this submit was initially revealed in 2019, and was refreshed for the 2024 season.
