David and Linda Kling lived in a two-bedroom home they'd owned for just shy of 18 years. That's where they were when they heard the news broadcast about a fire in the canyon. They gathered a few items for themselves and their pets. At 9:20 p.m., they fled.
 
"What was normally a 20-minute drive took us five hours," Linda says. "Everyone was evacuating." When they returned home weeks later, there was nothing left. David could smell the melted vinyl from his record collection. His recording equipment was charred beyond recognition.
 

David and Linda Kling lived in a two-bedroom home they'd owned for just shy of 18 years. That's where they were when they heard the news broadcast about a fire in the canyon. They gathered a few items for themselves and their pets. At 9:20 p.m., they fled.
 
"What was normally a 20-minute drive took us five hours," Linda says. "Everyone was evacuating." When they returned home weeks later, there was nothing left. David could smell the melted vinyl from his record collection. His recording equipment was charred beyond recognition.
 

September is National Preparedness Month, a time to prepare for disasters or emergencies that could happen at any time. Neighborhood Housing Services of South Florida (NHSSF) is spending the month putting the finishing touches on a new loan program that will help families prepare their properties for emergencies, says Juan Carlos Gordillo, marketing and communications manager for the NeighborWorks network organization.

Community development organizations need to be "disaster resistant," believes Jayne Windham, CEO and senior consultant of Livable Housing, Inc. "This is sometimes difficult because we're all so busy

In the wake of the historic winter storms that have left large portions of the country blanketed

Some years, hurricane season is marked by one or two major storms that make headlines across the country. Some years, it's marked by smaller storms that disrupt fewer lives. But every year, the Red Cross encourages residents to be prepared.