Catastrophic Emergency Resources

Catastrophic Emergency Services - content photo

How We Can Help

While living in Southern California is a wonderful place to live, the area is prone to various human-caused and natural emergency situations including fires, hazardous spills, earthquakes, flooding, explosion, and civil disorders. To support our emergency partners from federal, state and community resources, UC and UC Riverside have specific services and resources for faculty, staff and students. Our main concern is always for the well being and safety of our campus community and is well prepared with valuable campus resources to keep you safe in any event.

In the event of a catastrophic event, Central Human Resources offers you information about resources available to you to keep you and your family cared for. It is important to review these tips and services so that you are prepared to make educated decisions concerning your welfare.

Please be sure to check back often for any new information and updates.

Should I Stay or Should I Go

The decision to evacuate when you are given the notice or order to evacuate will be key in whether you and your family will be safe during an emergency situation. There are two types of evacuations - notice to evacuate and a mandatory evacuation notice. The following information differentiates between the two types of evacuations and how to be prepared to leave.

Catastrophic Support

Evacuation Warning

An evacuation warning is issued when there is a potential threat to your life or property. This alert gives you time to prepare to leave if conditions worsen. Experts advise that the sooner you leave after an evacuation warning is issued, the more time you have to get to safety. Leaving early also helps keep the roads clear of congestion for emergency responders, according to the Los Angeles Emergency Management Department.

What to do during an evacuation warning:

Know your evacuation route whether on campus or at home
Sign up for the UCR Emergency Alert System for critical updates

For additional information to help you prepare to evacuate during an evacuation warning, please visit

Start gathering important items and documents to add to your Go-Bag and Pet Preparedness Kit (if applicable)
Maintain communication with emergency contacts using a fully charged power bank or portable charger
Make plans for a possible evacuation, including helping neighbors who may need assistance
Individuals who need extra time to evacuate, for anyone who needs special care, pets or large animals and livestock, should pack up and leave when a warning is issued

Mandatory Evacuation

The difference from an Evacuation Warning is that there is an immediate threat to life and is a lawful order issued by local authorities. this also means that the area will be closed to public access. This can happen at any time and may mean that you only have a few minutes to gather your loved ones including animals and pets and leave now.

What to do

It is understandable when some people would rather stay in place to either protect their home from the impending catastrophy or looters. Studies have shown that those who stay are at a high risk of serious injury or death by choosing to stay. Those risks include:

Losing the ability to leave if their evacuation route is no longer available or passable
Injury or loss of mobility trying to protect the home(i.e. falling off of a roof watering it down during a fire)
Not being able to be reached by first responders

If you were not prepared with a go-bag or evacuation plan and only have minutes to spare, take the following if at all possible:

Wallet/Purse
Car, house, RV keys
Cell phones and chargers
Medications
glasses
Laptop and charger
Medical devices - cane, CPAP, oxygen, etc.

Be sure to lock your doors and windows, turn off appliance and utilities

Emergency Alerts

During any type of catastrophe, it is vital to stay informed of any new developments and important information to keep you and your family safe. The best way to do this is to be sure to sign up for emergency alerts offered by our surrounding counties as well as statewide.

The following counties offer their own alert systems which are easy to sign up for:

Mass Care Shelters - Evacuation Centers

You've evacuated due to evacuation orders and/or the impact of a catastrophe; where to you and you family go now. These types of Shelters provide life sustaining services to disaster survivors. Even though mass care shelters often provide water,food, medicine and basic sanitary facilities, you should plan to take your emergency supply kit with you so you will have the supplies you need. Mass care sheltering can involve living with many people in a confined space, which can be difficult and unpleasant. Be prepared to take cleaning items with you like, soap, hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes or general household cleaning supplies to disinfect surfaces. All shelters accept service animals, but many public shelters and hotels do not allow pets inside. Know a safe place where you can take your pets before disasters and emergencies happen.

Search for open shelters by texting SHELTER and your ZIP code to 43362. Example: Shelter 01234 (standard rates apply). Learn more by visiting: http://www.disasterassistance.gov/.
Emergency Shelter - DisasterAssistance.gov

The following counties offer evacuation centers to provide temporary emergency housing:

Riverside County
San Bernardino County
Los Angeles County
University of California (UCR)
California Statewide Alerts

Sheltering in Place

Whether you are at home, work or anywhere else you frequent regularly, there may be situations when it's best to stay where you are and avoid any uncertainty outside.

Here are some indicators and steps to take if the situation arises:

Use common sense and available information to assess the situation and determine if there is immediate danger.
If you see large amounts of debris in the air, or if local authorities say the air is badly contaminated you may want to take this kind of action.

Here are some tips for sheltering in place:

Local authorities may not immediately be able to provide information on what is happening and what you should do.
Pay attention to local media outlets for official news and instructions as they become available.
Bring your family and pets inside.
Lock doors, close windows, air vents and fireplace dampers.
Turn off fans, air conditioning and forced air heating systems.
Take your emergency supply kit unless you have reason to believe it has been contaminated.
Go into an interior room with few windows if possible.
Seal all windows, doors and air vents with thick plastic sheeting and duct tape.
- Consider measuring and cutting the sheeting in advance to save time.
- Cut the plastic sheeting several inches wider than the openings and label each sheet.
- Duct tape plastic at corners first and then tape down all edges.
- Be prepared to improvise and use what you have on hand to seal gaps so that you create a barrier between yourself and any contamination.