Kentuckians have experienced firsthand how natural disasters can occur any time and often with little warning. Disasters take many forms, and we can feel their impacts across most areas of family life. Because there is no “one-size-fits-all” disaster model, planning community outreach can be challenging, and Cooperative Extension is often involved in disaster preparation and response at the local level. 

 As a result of local needs, the County Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences in Whitley County presented information at the local Earth Day event in April and followed-up by hosted the In the Face of Disaster Workshop in June, 2025.  The focus of this event was on protecting your family and home during a natural disaster.  243 individuals engaged with the booth and received information on how to create a Disaster Preparedness Kit during the Earth Day event with 6 individuals participating in the workshop.

 Following the workshop, participants completed evaluations. 100% of participants gained a better understanding of steps they could take in preparation of natural disasters. 100% of participants increased their understanding of how to find reliable resources on disaster preparation and/or response. Further, 100% of participants can better identify what items they should include in a disaster kit. Most importantly, 100% of participants reported they intended to assemble a disaster kit that fits their needs and 100% of participants shared they intend to create a disaster response plan. 

 Participants specifically shared the most significant things they learned from the workshop were “I need to get serious about getting my disaster kit done!” and “I need to review my insurance coverage”