buildings burn in maui as wildfires sweep across the island

The hall of historic Waiola Church in Lahaina, Hawaii, and nearby Lahaina Hongwanji Mission are engulfed in flames Aug. 8, 2023.

Matthew Thayer/The Maui News via AP

Quiz: What Do You Know About Preparing for a Natural Disaster?

Earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes and wildfires are hitting in unexpected places

AARP

En español

Published August 17, 2023

8 Questions

45ab4c4f-83cc-42c9-a27d-0fcd57c77b22

Technology has made it easier for people to prepare and respond during emergencies.

But its reliability depends on the steps a person takes before a disaster strikes. Severe weather — drought, earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires and other extreme events — can put older adults in more danger than those younger because of a higher risk of chronic health conditions and less mobility. So having an emergency plan in place and knowing how to use your technology to help you stay informed is critical.

Quiz: What Do You Know About Preparing for a Natural Disaster?

[ {
  "question" : "What percentage of people age 50 and older have not created an emergency plan for natural disasters?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "13 percent",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "29 percent",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "58 percent",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "65 percent",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "In July 2023, fewer than 3 in 10 older adults told researchers from AARP and the University of Chicago’s National Opinion Research Center that they had an emergency plan. Only 9 percent said they felt very prepared.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "What are some good ways to use technology to prepare for a hurricane, wildfire or other disaster?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "Print disaster response guides.",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Download the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) app.",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Make sure that emergency text alerts are enabled on your cellphone.",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "B and C.",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "FEMA’s smartphone app lets you toggle between English and Spanish to access emergency safety tips for more than 20 types of disasters. Your smartphone’s wireless emergency alerts default to “on.”\n\nBut you don’t always need a fancy phone to get the alerts. Several newer model flip phones, including the Alcatel Go Flip V, Cingular Flip 2 and TCL Flip Pro, also allow you to turn on emergency alerts for the area you’re in.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "What’s the best way to make sure you will have enough prescription drugs during a natural disaster?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "Talk to your doctor about creating an emergency supply of your medicines.",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Keep a three-week supply of your medications in your family’s emergency bag.",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Check to make sure that you have a cooler and frozen ice packs if some of your medicines must stay cold.",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "All of the above.",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "If you receive a notice that your area may be evacuated, call your pharmacy immediately to request an extra refill. Many states allow doctors and pharmacies to do this as hurricanes threaten the coasts. Be aware that depending on your insurer, you may have to pay full price. \n\nAnd don’t forget to stock up on over-the-counter medicines you regularly take, including antidiarrheal drugs, antihistamines and fever and pain relievers. ",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "What documents are important to have securely stored online in case paper records are destroyed?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "Driver’s license or other ID and passport.",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Insurance policies and photos of valuable belongings.",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Health insurance card and list of the medicines you take.",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "All of the above.",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "Yes, you can and should keep a binder or folder with this important information in a waterproof and fireproof grab-and-go bag. But having it stored securely in the cloud adds another layer of protection if the information gets wet or your home is destroyed.\n\nRedundancy is important, and consider adding other important papers to your list to digitize. Apps built into your phone allow you to scan documents and photos.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "What are some ways you can prepare your phone now to help emergency responders later?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "Set up your medical ID on your smartphone.",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Designate emergency contacts — family, physician and employer — in case you become injured.",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Familiarize yourself with the Emergency SOS features on your Android or iPhone.",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "All of the above.",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "The information you have in your smartphone can save your life if you’ve set it up in advance. If you set up the medical ID, first responders can access your critical health information from the lock screen of your device without knowing the passcode.\n\nCheck to see that your emergency alerts are on. Sometimes sirens aren’t activated and electricity for your TV is down. It’s better to know about potential problems more than once than not at all.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "What organizations should you follow on social media to get real-time information during a natural disaster?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "Local fire departments, law enforcement agencies, news sites, and TV and radio stations.",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Regional and national FEMA accounts.",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "AARP state offices.",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "All of the above.",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "The beauty of social media is that information sharing can be a two-way street. Local government agencies and news organizations not only are using social media to disseminate information, they also want to hear from you.\n\nMaybe a member of your family hasn’t shown up at your designated meeting place. Maybe you want to show the path of destruction of a tornado at the edge of your neighborhood. You also can establish private groups of friends and family to communicate with on a social media site.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "What financial tasks can apps help you with in an emergency?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "Managing sports season tickets.",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Budgeting for family expenses.",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Banking and credit cards.",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "Purchasing from favorite retailer.",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "While smartphone apps can do all of the above in normal times, they excel in keeping track of your bank accounts and credit cards when you may be away from home — and reliable mail delivery — for weeks or months. \n\nApps allow you to pay your bills securely on your smartphone and check the balances in your bank accounts. If you get checks in the mail, many bank apps allow you to deposit them after you sign the back, taking photos of both the front and back.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "How can you be reunited with your pets if you get separated in a disaster?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "Keep an ID tag with your cellphone number on your dog’s or cat’s collar.",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Implant a microchip.",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Use a collar with a GPS tracker.",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "Make sure you have recent photos of your animals on your smartphone.",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "Increase your odds and use all of the suggestions, but only a GPS tracker can broadcast the location of your animal to your smartphone. The catch: You pay a one-time fee for the device and a monthly fee for the connection to the tracker.\n\nMicrochips, implanted in the skin, are important for identification because any type of collar can come off or be taken off. But they do require a reader, which animal shelters and veterinarians generally have, to link to your contact information.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
} ]

Quiz Progress

0 Correct

0 Incorrect