Bay State's emergency preparedness

As natural disaster becomes more frequent, Massachusetts has focused on preparedness. 22 News State House reporter Olivia Ray attended a Red Cross event and breaks down the state's emergency response. The Red Cross held a state house event on Wednesday, assessing the Bay State's readiness for increasingly common natural disasters. Climate change is making natural disasters like hurricanes and ice storms more frequent and more devastating. While climate disasters in the Bay State are not new, experts say the state needs to increase local level emergency preparedness staff and significantly increase funding. But on the whole, Massachusetts emergency preparedness chief officer says the state has among the best planning in the country. I'm very confident in Massachusetts preparedness both at the state and the local level. The results of these climate disasters, which scientists say are certain to increase, vary, but often include hundreds of thousands of miles of downed wires, billions of downed trees, and road and bridge flooding. Experts say the state response includes hazard mitigation like strengthening bridges and building seaw walls, and expanding training and education about emergency management. Meanwhile, the Red Cross is looking for more Bay State volunteers. We've got good representation across the state. We would love great representation across the state. It's neighbors helping neighbors. In western Massachusetts, the most immediate climate concern is river flooding. As the climate continues to heat up, these climate disasters will only get worse. For more information on how to prepare yourself and your home for poor weather, you can visit the 22 News app or website wwlp.com. Working for you from the state house in Boston.