All Cities could experience many types of natural or man-made hazards.

Natural hazards may include coastal and interior flooding, drought, extreme cold, heat and sun, hurricanes, thunderstorms and lighting, and tornadoes.

Man-Made hazards are hazardous materials spills or releases, mass transit accidents, (airplanes, boats, trains, trucks and automobiles), massive urban fires, radiation contamination from nuclear power plant accidents, and terrorism.

Many of the City’s facilities used by citizens, tourists and boaters are located in areas with potential exposure to the above hazards. Although the City of Fort Lauderdale is most vulnerable to hurricanes, tornadoes and flooding, the other hazards noted pose significant risks for potentially large portions of the City’s population and property. In the event of a major disaster the following conditions are possible:

• A large number of fatalities and/or injuries;
• The displacement of large groups of people;
• Difficulty in providing food, clothing and shelter to those people and areas most severely affected:
• Damage and/or the destruction of private homes, businesses and industries.

Under the chaotic conditions of a disaster, the City of Fort Lauderdale will immediately begin deploying resources to assist the City’s population, protect property, prevent further damage, and preserve valuable environmental resources. These resources will be generated from areas of the City that have not been impacted by the disaster, from Broward County, from the State, and if necessary, from the federal government to achieve an adequate level of emergency response.