| What Is in This Guide This guide contains awareness and action messages intended to help people reduce their risk of injury or loss in the event of natural and human-caused disasters. Awareness messages provide general information about the threats presented by each type of disaster. These are found at the beginning of each chapter in a question-and-answer format. Action messages describe what people should do to prepare for and get safely through a disaster. These are found above detailed explanations of how to do it. Also included are statistics and other supporting information that reinforce the credibility and importance of each message. New to this edition of the guide is a section in most chapters on "Facts and Fiction.” This section describes some of the common folklore, or fiction, about hazards and provides factual information that refutes the fiction. “Facts and Fiction” will help you answer commonly asked questions and communicate accurate information to the public, as well as help you avoid unintentionally passing on information that is not true. |