National Preparedness Report

The National Preparedness Report evaluates progress and challenges that individuals and communities, private and nonprofit sectors, faith-based organizations, and all levels of government have faced in preparedness. The 2018 National Preparedness Report takes a revised approach that includes an in-depth analysis of five core capabilities that have been identified in past National Preparedness Reports as facing persistent challenges: Operational Coordination, Infrastructure Systems, Housing, Economic Recovery, and Cybersecurity. Refining the report’s scope to focus on these recurring challenges concentrates the discussion on what the whole community needs to accomplish to have the most impact on increasing the Nation’s preparedness.

The 2018 edition also provides an overview of key developments in national preparedness, incorporating findings and lessons learned from past incidents from the 9/11 attacks to the 2017 Hurricane season. Although the response operations in 2017 were among the largest and most complex in history, lessons from these disasters show there is much more to do to help people prepare for disasters. Future incidents will yield additional lessons learned, underscoring the fact that national preparedness is an ongoing effort and requires continuous improvement, innovation, and action to build the capabilities needed to address the Nation’s evolving risks.