Emergency Preparedness

It is important for every household and business to be prepared in the case of an emergency.


CodeRED Emergency Alerts 
The City of Arcata uses CodeRED to send emergency notifications by phone, email, text and social media to keep residents informed of evacuation notices, utility outages, water main breaks, fires, floods, chemical spills or other emergencies.

The City may also activate CodeRED to send general notifications to registered subscribers to let them know about non-life-threatening health and safety matters such as planned road closures, water main repairs, water and power service interruptions. You can receive these types of notifications by electing to receive general alerts.

Please click here to sign up for CodeRED emergency alerts. There is no charge to register or use CodeRED and all personal information is kept confidential.

Humboldt County Alerts
To sign up for Humboldt County emergency alerts, please click here. 

Household Emergency Preparedness Tips

Beach Hazards

Earthquake Warning California

Earthquake Warning California is the country’s first publicly available, statewide warning system that could give California residents crucial seconds to take cover before an earthquake. Managed by the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), Earthquake Warning California uses ground motion sensors from across the state to detect earthquakes before humans can feel them and can notify Californians to “Drop, Cover and Hold On” in advance of an earthquake.

To receive earthquake warnings, individuals and family members can download the MyShake App and ensure phone settings are adjusted to receive emergency alerts.

https://earthquake.ca.gov/

Tsunamis

The map below is to help you protect yourself from the worst-case tsunami expected along our coast. It is based on the Relative Tsunami Hazard Maps developed by Humboldt State University and tsunami inundation mapping by the California Geological Survey.

What you can do to prepare before the next tsunami: 

  • Know the best evacuation route—practice walking your route at night and in stormy weather.
  • Keep a “grab and go” kit by the door with what you need to survive for a day.
  • Create emergency plans and discuss with family, coworkers, and neighbors.
  • Consider how to evacuate pets—such as dogs on leashes and cats in crates.
  • Prearrange assistance from neighbors if you need help evacuating.
  • Time is of the essence! The largest tsunami will come from an earthquake you will feel. Evacuate as soon as you can safely move.
  • Get notified: sign up for City and County alerts.
Arcata Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)

Arcata Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) volunteers are your neighbors who have been trained in areas such as fire prevention and suppression, light search and rescue, and disaster medical operations in order to be able to assist their community in an emergency. Arcata CERT members are also active in guiding neighborhood preparedness projects, believing that the higher the degree of preparedness before an emergency, the lower the need for emergency response afterward.

CERT graduates interested in joining the team may contact the Arcata Police Department, the team’s sponsor. To be notified of upcoming, free CERT training, please contact Linda Nellist at humboldtcert@gmail.com or (707) 498-8132.

City of Arcata Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) 

The City of Arcata’s Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) explains what the City will do to protect you during an emergency.

Local Hazard Mitigation Plan
Hazard mitigation is the use of long and short-term strategies to reduce or alleviate personal injury, property damage and the loss of life that can result from a disaster.

Humboldt County's Operational Area Hazard Mitigation Plan was approved by the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services on October 24, 2019 and submitted to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for approval, and on January 2, 2020, FEMA determined the Hazard Mitigation Plan is eligible for approval pending adoption by participating jurisdictions.

Please contact the Humboldt County Office of Emergency Services at 707-268-2500 for more information about this plan or the adoption process.

For more information, please click here.

Additional Emergency Preparedness Resources