Superstorm Sandy: A reminder of the importance that communities play in planning and response

In the light of the recent devastation that Hurricane Sandy has done in the USA, Haiti and in the Caribbean, community preparedness and response efforts, and the early warning systems in place as well as information sharing centers showed that small preparedness efforts can have a huge impact in case of emergencies, highlighted Diana Quick and Jennifer Schlecht of the Women's Refugee Commission in their article on the pages of Alertnet. They add that "great strides are still needed in order to strengthen a culture of preparedness. Together, we can build our resistance to such disasters—if we allow it to be a priority."