Home › Oakland & the East Bay
Oakland & the East BayEmergency preparedness for Oakland and the East Bay.
We are based in Oakland, and this is home. The East Bay has its own particular mix of risks — a major fault, hills that burn, and a power grid that gets switched off on purpose. Here is what actually matters here, and how to get ready for it without losing sleep.
The four that matter most here.
You do not need a different kit for each one. Build for these, and you are ready for almost anything the East Bay brings.
- Earthquakes. The Hayward Fault runs straight through the East Bay, under Oakland and Berkeley. Store water, secure tall furniture and water heaters, and know where your gas and water shutoffs are.
- Wildfire. The hills have a long fire history, and red-flag days arrive most years. If you are in or near the hills, a packed go bag and an early-departure plan are not optional.
- Power shutoffs. During high fire-risk weather the utility can cut power on purpose — a PSPS — for hours or days. Backup light, power, and a plan for medical equipment matter even with no fire in sight.
- Extreme heat. Many East Bay homes have no air conditioning. A heat wave plus a power outage is a real risk for elders, seniors, and anyone with a health condition — plan for water, shade, and a cooler place to go.
Sign up for local alerts.
Five minutes now is how the warning reaches you later. All free.
- AC Alert — Alameda County's official emergency alert system. Register your address so evacuation orders reach your phone. In another county, search your county name plus “emergency alerts.”
- Wireless Emergency Alerts — turn them on in your phone settings. Most people have them off without realizing it.
- Watch Duty — real-time wildfire tracking run by volunteers, often faster than the news for hill fires.
- Your utility's outage and PSPS alerts — sign up with your account so you get advance notice of a planned shutoff.
A neighbor who knows the ground.
Stay Ready Preps is run from Oakland by a CERT-certified lead trained through both the Oakland and Albany Community Emergency Response Team programs. We build plans for the households standard checklists skip — seniors, disabled and neurodivergent folks, medical equipment users, families with infants, pets, and any budget.
Start free: the stay-home plan, the go bag list, the water math, and the Household Emergency Binder. When you want a person to walk it through with you, a virtual readiness audit gets it done in one sitting — and community workshops are available for East Bay groups, priced for your budget, including free for under-resourced communities.
East Bay questions people ask.
What disasters should I prepare for in Oakland and the East Bay?
The big four are earthquakes, wildfire in and near the hills, power shutoffs, and extreme heat, with winter storms and local flooding behind them. One stay-home kit and one go bag cover nearly all of it.
Is Oakland really at risk for a big earthquake?
Yes. The Hayward Fault runs directly under the East Bay and is considered one of the region's most likely to produce a damaging quake. Stored water, secured furniture, and known shutoffs are the highest-value things you can do.
What is a PSPS?
A Public Safety Power Shutoff — the utility turning off power on purpose during dangerous fire weather so the lines do not spark a wildfire. It can last hours or days, so plan for backup light, power, and any medical equipment.
Where do I sign up for alerts in Alameda County?
Register for AC Alert, the county's official system, and turn on Wireless Emergency Alerts on your phone. Add Watch Duty for wildfire. In another East Bay county, search your county name plus “emergency alerts.”
Get your East Bay household ready.
Start with the free tools, or book a virtual audit and we will walk your home together, room by room.