Greater Jamaica Hosts Disaster Preparedness Event
Residents and business owners in Jamaica, Queens learned how to prepare for and respond to weather emergencies.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Safety
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The Greater Jamaica Development Corporation hosted a disaster preparedness event at its Greater Nexus venue on Parsons Boulevard in Jamaica, Queens. Attendees heard from emergency experts from Verizon, United Way of New York City, and several New York City agencies, and each received a disaster preparedness kit.
Why it matters
The event offered practical guidance on preparing neighborhoods before, during, and after weather emergencies, a need that residents across New York City face. Local officials and private partners coordinating on preparedness can help communities respond more effectively.
The source reports a community event but provides no attendance figures, kit counts, or incident metrics. Attendance totals and the specific emergency scenarios addressed were not disclosed.
The players
Greater Jamaica Development Corporation
A Jamaica, Queens-based nonprofit economic development organization that hosted the preparedness event at its Greater Nexus venue.
United Way of New York City
A regional affiliate of the United Way network that provided disaster preparedness kits to attendees.
Selvena Brooks-Powers
A New York City Council member who spoke at the event.
New York City Emergency Management Department
The city agency responsible for emergency planning, response and community preparedness across New York City.
The details
Speakers included New York City Council Member Selvena Brooks-Powers, Christina Farrell of the New York City Emergency Management Department, and Mario Acosta-Velez and Brian Larned of Verizon. Disaster resilience experts described how communities, businesses, and local government can work together to prepare neighborhoods, and attendees left with a disaster preparedness kit from United Way of New York City.
Timeline
The article about the event was published November 10, 2026.
Seasonal Patterns
Community preparedness events like this one run through the New York City Emergency Management Department's outreach program, which has been used to prepare neighborhoods for storm and heat seasons. The source does not report how this event compares to prior years' outreach totals.
New York City residents can use the disaster preparedness kit model as a starting point for their own household plans, gathering water, a first-aid kit and a communications plan. Local community organizations and the city's emergency management office can help residents identify neighborhood preparedness resources.
The takeaway
Preparedness works best when neighborhoods, businesses and government plan together before an emergency arrives. Residents can start by assembling a household kit and learning their local emergency contacts.
Further reading
For more on staying ready, see the Safety section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by QNS.
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