What to Pack and Be Your Own Leader

Exactly one year ago, on January 7, 2025, the Palisades and Eaton Fires erupted, eventually burning down more than 16,000 structures and killing at least 31 people, becoming among the most destructive and deadly wildfires in California’s history. 

Two Wirecutter writers, Gregory Han and Mike Cohen, lived through the Eaton fire. Both lived in Altadena, just outside Los Angeles. Gregory’s home was damaged, while Mike’s burned to the ground. They collaborated on an article sharing their biggest lessons of recovery, which Wirecutter published last July, as part of our emergency preparation coverage. 

Now, in a special podcast series, we’re sharing the biggest lessons they’ve learned from the past year–—and what they can teach you about how to prepare for a disaster. 

Unfortunately, climate change is making extreme weather events more frequent, more intense, and more unpredictable. In the last year alone, we’ve seen cataclysmic floods in the Texas Hill Country, deadly tornadoes in many parts of the U.S., and increasing flash floods across the country, just to name a few. No one is completely insulated from these types of events. 

In this first episode, we’ll introduce you to Gregory and Mike, and why they think it’s imperative to invest in your community before a disaster. 

Look for part two of this series on Friday January 9, and part three on Monday January 12.

Actionable steps you can take from this episode:

• Invest in your community before a disaster. Information can be hard to come by during and in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. This is when knowing your neighbors can be invaluable. Both Gregory and Mike relied on neighbors and others in their community for information before, during, and after the fires. They’ve continued to share resources with this community as they’ve worked toward recovery over the past year.
• Create an easy way to communicate with your neighbors. This could be a text chain or a group chat–through something like WhatsApp or GroupMe. Maybe you’re already involved with a group that may eventually help in an emergency. Mike’s neighborhood thread started as a group of local dog owners before the fire. 
• Join a volunteer organization in your community. After the fires, Gregory joined a group to do brush cleanup, which has helped deepen his connection with the people who live close to him.

You can find out more about Gregory Han on his website and on Instagram @typefiend

Additional reading:

• The LA Wildfires Devastated the Homes of Two Wirecutter Writers. Here’s What They Learned While Recovering.
• Build Your Own Disaster-Prep Kit
• How to Prepare Your Pantry for an Emergency
• 9 Extreme Weather Survivors Share the Tools That Helped Them Get Through Disaster

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The Wirecutter Show is executive produced by Rosie Guerin and produced by Abigail Keel.Engineering support from Maddy Masiello and Nick Pitman. Episodes are mixed by Catherine Anderson, Efim Shapiro, Rowan Niemisto, Sophia Lanman, and Sonia Herrero. Original music by Dan Powell, Marion Lozano, Elisheba Ittoop, and Diane Wong. Wirecutter’s deputy publisher and general manager is Cliff Levy. Ben Frumin is Wirecutter’s editor-in-chief. Hosted by Rosie Guerin, Caira Blackwell and Christine Cyr Clisset.

Find edited transcripts for each episode here: The Wirecutter Show Podcast