TL;DR: Los Angeles County urges residents to stock supplies, test safety devices, make evacuation and communication plans, sign up at alert.lacounty.gov, and expect a planned Non-Weather Emergency Message test on Monday, September 21, 2026, at 10:25 a.m.

County issues Preparedness Month call to action

September is National Preparedness Month, an annual push for households, organizations, and individuals to get ready for major emergencies and disasters. According to the County of Los Angeles release titled “Office of Emergency Management Encourages Residents to Take Action for National Preparedness Month,” County agencies and partner organizations have been working to strengthen readiness and response capacity.

That September 18, 2026, release lists contact as [email protected] and frames local risk as broad rather than limited to one hazard. Los Angeles County faces many possible incidents, and residents are asked to prepare for the risks present where they live and work.

For 2026, the County adds another factor. The release points to El Niño conditions and the chance of more frequent and more intense storms. That seasonal outlook makes September preparation especially relevant for flooding, mudslides, and storm-related outages, alongside year-round earthquake and wildfire concerns.

Hazards Los Angeles households should plan for

The County’s 2026 Preparedness Month guidance names earthquakes, flooding, mudslides, tsunamis, wildfires, power outages, and other incidents as examples of what residents might face depending on location. The point is not to pick one scenario, but to match gear and plans to home, workplace, and commute.

City guidance posted September 18, 2026, reinforces the same idea for Angelenos. According to the City of Los Angeles article titled “Is Your Emergency Kit Ready? Essential Tips for Every Home,” disasters can arrive with little warning, from earthquakes to severe weather. The City notes that Los Angeles covers a large area and first responders may not reach every neighborhood immediately during a crisis.

That City message describes neighbors as an important early source of help when professional response is delayed. It asks residents and business owners to review emergency plans, rehearse evacuation routes, and inspect disaster kits for needed supplies. More City checklists and guides are listed at ready.lacity.gov.

What to stock and check now

The County’s checklist starts with core supplies. Residents are urged to keep extra drinking water, food, and medications on hand. The list also includes flashlights, radios with needed batteries, first aid kits, and fire extinguishers.

Medical readiness gets separate attention. People who use medical devices, assistance technologies, or accessibility technologies should test that equipment and charge batteries and power supplies. That step matters for outages, evacuations, and shelter stays when wall power may not be available.

Home safety devices are next. The County asks residents to test smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and similar warning systems. For preppers, that means pairing the test with a battery refresh, checking expiration dates on detectors where marked, and making sure every sleeping area can hear an alarm.

Planning is treated as gear. Households should develop and test a family plan for evacuation and communication, then learn the evacuation plans for workplaces and other places where family members spend substantial time. A written meeting point, out-of-area contact, and transport options turn supplies into an executable plan.

Alerts, social channels, and help for others

Signup for official warnings is a central request. The County directs residents to alert.lacounty.gov for emergency alerts. County preparedness information is posted at ready.lacounty.gov.

The Office of Emergency Management also asks residents to follow @ReadyLACounty on X, BlueSky, Instagram, and Facebook. Those accounts are presented as additional channels for preparedness information and emergency updates.

The release includes a community-care step. People who know someone experiencing homelessness and needing help are directed to homeless.lacounty.gov/get-help/. Including that link in a family plan helps households share resources beyond their own walls.

For broader context, federal information for National Preparedness Month, 2026 describes the national goal as increasing the share of individuals, families, and communities that take preparedness actions. According to the GovInfo feature titled “National Preparedness Month, 2026,” this year’s theme is “Americans Stand Ready.” That feature notes the Department of Homeland Security launched the National Ready Campaign in 2003 to promote public involvement in preparing for, responding to, and mitigating emergencies, including natural and manmade disasters.

Planned emergency alert test on September 21

The newest verified operational fact is a scheduled test. The Office of Emergency Management, working with the National Weather Service and broadcasters, plans to test the Non-Weather Emergency Message system on Monday, September 21, 2026, at 10:25 a.m.

According to the National Weather Service Public Information Statement from Los Angeles/Oxnard issued September 14, 2026, the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management will originate a Civil Emergency Message test in coordination with that forecast office. The statement says this is only a test and no public action is required.

The County release adds that residents may see additional test messages during September. Those messages will be clearly identified as tests. The September 21 transmission is therefore a chance to confirm that radios, phones, televisions, and other receivers display alerts correctly, without treating the test as a real incident.

If a real severe-weather event or another major emergency occurs that morning, the test will be postponed. According to the National Weather Service, postponement avoids confusion with live, life-saving information. Questions about the exercise can be directed to the National Weather Service Los Angeles/Oxnard at (805) 988-6610.

How the NWEM and CEM system works

A Non-Weather Emergency Message, also called a Civil Emergency Message, is an urgent public notice for non-weather civil situations. County examples include hazmat spills, gas leaks, missing persons, and other civil emergencies.

Delivery can use National Weather Service infrastructure. Listed paths include NOAA Weather Radios, radio, television, cable systems, satellite radio and television providers, wireline video providers, and Wireless Emergency Alert systems. Federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial public-safety officials can issue such messages through the Federal Emergency Management Agency Integrated Public Alert and Warning System.

The National Weather Service test notice says NOAA Weather Radios will activate during the exercise. Appropriately tuned radios, including models with Specific Area Message Encoding technology, should produce alert tones and visual indicators. That makes September a practical time to verify power, frequency, and backup batteries.

The notice suggests three household, school, and business checks around the test. First, make sure a NOAA Weather Radio is on, set to the correct local frequency, and equipped with fresh backup batteries. Second, review and practice emergency action plans for home, school, or workplace. Third, confirm multiple ways to receive warnings, such as local alerts, mobile applications, and Wireless Emergency Alerts.

Who runs county emergency coordination

The Office of Emergency Management carries responsibility for comprehensive planning for, response to, and recovery from large-scale emergencies and disasters affecting Los Angeles County. According to the County release, that work is done in partnership with first-response agencies along with nonprofit, private-sector, and government partners.

The 2026 message fits a longer national effort. The GovInfo feature recalls the 2003 launch of the Ready Campaign and summarizes the 2026 theme around readiness to protect family and friends, support communities, and assist first responders by being more self-reliant. It also cites National Interagency Coordination Center figures for 2025 of 77,850 reported wildfires, 18,385 structures reported destroyed, and more than 5,000,000 acres burned.

For Los Angeles preppers, the practical sequence is direct. Confirm water, food, medications, lighting, radio power, first aid, and fire extinguishers. Test medical and accessibility equipment, smoke alarms, and carbon monoxide alarms. Write and rehearse evacuation and communication plans. Register at alert.lacounty.gov, follow @ReadyLACounty, bookmark ready.lacounty.gov, and use the September 21 test to verify receivers before storm season.

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