Nurses play an important role in emergency preparedness at the community level. They are responsible for educating the public about prevention during primary phases of emergencies. During secondary and tertiary phases, nurses care for individuals and assess the impact on populations and society. The readings examine nursing responsibilities and activities in emergency situations involving tornadoes, disease outbreaks, and explosions. Students are asked to analyze the local, state, or national response to one actual community emergency from the last five years and discuss prevention and control measures.