As an international student studying in the United States, it is important that you prepare for natural disasters and know how to maintain your student status in the event of an emergency.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is a U.S. government agency within the Department of Homeland Security that helps the country prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from and mitigate all hazards. To help support its mission, every September FEMA hosts National Preparedness Month and today marks its signature event: America’s PrepareAthon!

The PrepareAthon is a day of action which happens twice a year and aims to increase community preparedness and resilience. We encourage you to join the millions of people around the country who pledged to practice preparedness!

Below are three easy ways you can take action and join the preparedness movement:

1. Visit America’s PrepareAthon website, where you will find specific information about natural disasters and emergencies, including how to prepare, as well as resources to help you plan and promote preparedness activities around your campus and community.
2. Read Study in the States’ Three Ways to Plan on Maintaining Your Status During an Emergency Event. This blog post provides the steps you should take to ensure you stay safe and compliant with government regulations during an emergency.
3. Talk with your designated school official (DSO) to learn about your campus’ own emergency preparedness plan. Your DSO is an excellent resource for school policies and procedures, including what to do and where to go in case of an emergency.

Want to learn more about America’s PrepareAthon and how you can participate? Follow @PrepareAthon on Twitter and share your preparedness activities using #PrepareAthon.