County not ready for disaster

With nearly one in three Los Angeles County residents unable to fully read and understand English, the region must do more to prepare immigrant communities for catastrophes, city leaders said Monday at the close of Emergency Preparedness Month.Kerry Cavanaugh in the Daily News.

Too often, disaster preparedness officials and nonprofits rely on English-language materials and training to get residents ready for an emergency. Some agencies are increasingly translating materials into Spanish, but there are hundreds of other languages spoken in L.A.

"Natural disasters and other tragedies strike without concern for language abilities," said Los Angeles City Councilman Jose Huizar, who has asked the city to report on ways to improve emergency preparedness outreach to immigrants.