This is an article by June Kailes, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, December 10, 2025. 

People with disabilities face higher disaster deaths because planning failures turn hazards into disproportionate threats. Even with solid local evacuation plans, everyone needs a personal plan that involves neighbors, friends, family, or colleagues.  

Learn more about why the public should be ready to manage on their own for extended periods and how public entities need to plan for and be honest with people they cannot reach in an emergency.  

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This is an article by Jack B. Carter and T. Todd Lindley, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, December 3, 2025. 

Red flag warnings fall short in dynamic and complex wildfire environments. Recognizing this, an interagency working group developed a better firestorm prediction model that saved hundreds of millions of dollars in assets during the 2022–2024 wildfire seasons in Texas and Oklahoma.

Learn about this new blueprint for universal fire mitigation and smarter, data-driven preparedness. 

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This is an article by Judy Kruger and Vern Elliott, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, December 3, 2025.

Direct and indirect wildfire smoke exposure poses a risk to responders and residents, but situational awareness can help reduce unnecessary exposure. Learn about the risks and vulnerabilities associated with smoke and how to mitigate their impact on communities.

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In this episode, Teresa Farfan talks with Lance Wood, a former meteorologist with the National Weather Service and a weather scientist with more than 30 years of experience studying weather patterns and extreme events. Wood discusses emerging natural hazards that threaten lives and livelihoods, not only in his home state of Texas but across the nation. This conversation was recorded on May 28, 2025, during the Texas Emergency Management Conference in Fort Worth, Texas.

This is an article by Seth Jordan and Tasnim Isaba, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, November 26, 2025. 

Young people play active roles in local response and recovery, and the growing demand for skilled professionals in emergency management creates strong career opportunities for them. By engaging youth early, communities build resilience today and cultivate a new generation of leaders ready to meet future crises.  

Learn how disaster-educated youth can inspire their families, strengthen community preparedness, and turn their passion for service into meaningful, lasting careers.

This is an article by Charles Guddemi, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, November 26, 2025. 

Mobile command buses serve as rolling nerve centers, boosting response speed, coordination, and situational awareness. At the 2025 National Homeland Security Conference, the Washington, D.C., Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency deployed multiple mobile command buses for a “Command Bus Rally.” 

Learn about these buses’ real-time power from the on-site disaster simulation.

This is an article by Charles (Chuck) L. Manto, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, November 19, 2025.

The United States power grid, including its planned growth of transmission capabilities, was not built for the new demands of data centers such as those used for artificial intelligence or cascading high-impact disasters. Yet, the interdependency that creates modern risk could also build resilience through local energy generation if it were prioritized.

Learn how local energy can ensure data uptime and safeguard local water, food, and healthcare infrastructure in “island mode.”

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This is an article by Julia Masters, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, November 19, 2025. 

Aging infrastructure, growing weather events, and rising demand from data centers are straining the nation’s electric grid. Learn how microgrids are emerging as an innovative way to strengthen power reliability and resilience for both routine and emergency operations. 

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This is an article by Victoria Kluge and Rick Christ, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, November 12, 2025.

Every jurisdiction faces the challenge of managing and prioritizing its preparedness efforts. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport has developed an innovative formula designed to simplify that process. Learn how this flexible model, built to work with data visualization software and adaptable for any jurisdiction, helps organizations identify priorities, allocate resources efficiently, and strengthen readiness across all emergency plans.

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This is an article by Brent Bennett and Cullen Neely, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, November 12, 2025.

The rise of data centers is reshaping the risk landscape for the electric grid. Now, essential infrastructure supporting hospitals, communications, finance, and government, data centers are vulnerable to – and potential drivers of – cascading failures when grid reliability falters.

Learn how providing enough oversight to keep the grid stable and fair without stifling innovation is the real task.

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