Californians face an unmistakable pattern: natural disasters are becoming more intense, more frequent and more disruptive to everyday life.
Thirteen of the 20 largest wildfires in California history happened from 2017 to 2024, without accounting for the 2025 Palisades Fire, the most destructive in Los Angeles’ history. And scientists predict a greater than 99% chance of a magnitude 6.7 or larger earthquake shaking the state within the next three decades – with a two-in-three chance one will hit L.A.
In the wake of last year’s Palisades Fire, food insecurity increased dramatically as survivors were displaced. One year later, nearly half of survivors have depleted their savings as they attempt to relocate and rebuild their lives, and more than 10% report skipping or reducing meals to make ends meet.
That reality demands a shift – not just in how we respond to wildfires and earthquakes but in how we prepare for them. Local communities, nonprofits and private-sector companies all have a role to play.
In the past, businesses have played an essential role in helping communities recover after disasters strike. Food companies, logistics firms and retailers have delivered emergency supplies, funded relief efforts and helped families get back on their feet.
Those contributions matter. But as recent wildfire seasons have made clear, reaction and recovery are not enough.
Companies and organizations need to look beyond traditional disaster response and ask a different question: how can we use our resources, expertise and partnerships to help communities withstand natural disasters before they happen?
Putting idea to practice
That thinking is behind the collaboration between the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank and Abbott.
Working with Feeding America, we’ve pre-positioned essential hydration and nutrition supplies in “disaster packs” that are stocked at the food bank, ready to provide immediate aid anywhere across the region. Abbott and Feeding America pioneered this strategy to help communities to quickly respond to hurricanes across the U.S. Gulf Coast for many years. Applying these types of proven models in Los Angeles can help ensure that families have access to food immediately, even if supply chains are disrupted.
This kind of preparation is critical because wildfires don’t just destroy property. They interrupt the systems people rely on every day.
Road closures can cut off access to grocery stores. Power outages can shut down clinics and spoil medications. For many families, especially those already struggling to make ends meet, even a short disruption can quickly escalate into a crisis.
Meeting this challenge will take a broader approach – one focused on strengthening the infrastructure that supports communities year-round.
Food banks are a clear example. They often serve as lifelines during emergencies, yet many operate at capacity even in normal times. Investing in their storage, logistics and emergency stockpiles before disasters strike can help ensure they are ready when demand surges.
Access to healthcare is another critical concern. Power outages can force clinics to close, disrupt patient records and compromise temperature-sensitive medicines. After Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in 2017, researchers found that disruptions to medical care were a leading contributor to an increase in deaths in the months following the storm.
When essential systems fail, the consequences can last long after the flames are extinguished or the rain stops.
Businesses are uniquely positioned to help prevent that outcome – whether by strengthening supply chains, supporting local nonprofits or investing in resilient infrastructure. These efforts are not just acts of corporate citizenship. They are also sound business decisions, helping protect employees, customers and operations from growing climate risks.
California is facing heightened challenges from wildfires and other disasters. But we also have proven strategies that can help, with the tools, partnerships and expertise to prepare more effectively for the fury nature can wield. Now is the time to use them.
Michael Flood is president and chief executive of the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. Melissa Brotz is senior vice president of global marketing and external affairs at the global healthcare company Abbott.
The post OpEd: Are We Ready for the Next Disaster? appeared first on Los Angeles Business Journal.
