With an earthquake in Philadelphia, tornadoes in Massachusetts and elsewhere, wildfires in Arizona and massive flooding in the Midwest, spring 2011 has been marked by rare disasters and extreme weather. As June ushers in the hurricane season, an extension specialist in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences said people should prepare themselves for the next outbreak of the unexpected. From Mississippi to North Dakota, recent natural disasters have struck at unusual times, in unusual locations or with unusual severity, said David Filson, Penn State Extension state program leader for emergency readiness.

Keeping employees, volunteers and students well-informed and safe during a widespread disaster or emergency situation is an important part of the Penn State Hershey Medical Center's emergency preparedness plans. The Medical Center has endorsed the SERVPA volunteer registry through the Department of Health to not only register employees willing to be deployed in the event of a disaster but to utilize the program's notification system to keep our campus informed. Important event information can be instantly sent to the entire registry in seconds.