While the geography of the southeastern and midwestern states makes those regions more prone to disaster conditions, the magnitude of these disasters became unmanageably high in late April 2011.

According to the National Weather Service, an astounding 343 tornadoes tore through 13 states between April 25 and 28 last year, resulting in more than 300 casualties.

Considering the devastation a region may face when natural disasters occur, many municipality officials are wisely instituting disaster preparedness programs to ensure communities have the proper resources and education to cope with emergency conditions when they appear.

For example, the Alabama and Tennessee Emergency Management Agencies have been in the news recently for declaring the days between February 19 and 24 "Severe Weather Awareness Week." According to reports, each business day will focus on increasing community preparedness for different emergency circumstances ranging from severe thunder and lightning storms to tornadoes and floods.

Reports state that the Awareness Week was instituted to better prepare communities for events like the April tornadoes and another rare tornado that occurred in January 2012.

Other states concerned with their ability to effectively cope with and recover from natural disasters may benefit from deploying the services of a certified business continuity consultant experienced in disaster recovery. For example, a disaster consultant can help secure fully-equipped hot sites fortified with enhanced architectural technology to better endure extreme weather conditions.

Furthermore, it would undoubtedly benefit municipality officials to register for the Continuity Insights Management Conference 2012 in Scottsdale, Arizona, from April 16 to 18. At this conference, local officials can learn the key aspects of continuity of operations planning, and later leverage that knowledge to optimally prepare their community for a range of different emergencies.