The 1st 90 seconds, the 1st 72 hours and your role in what comes next  

Before you can even think it through, your body has already started making choices for you. Your heart races. Your chest tightens. The part of your brain responsible for making decisions has gone offline. That’s not panic. That’s your brain’s alarm system doing exactly what it was built to do — flood you with stress hormones to help you respond to danger. 

That alarm system is fast but it isn’t smart. It reacts to the scariest thing in front of you, not the most accurate. That dramatic post on social media with frightening photos? Your brain treats it as more real than the official update you scrolled right past. And in that moment, you don’t feel confused. You feel sure. That false sense of certainty is where mistakes happen. 

Here’s what helps. That stress surge lasts about 90 seconds. Just 90 seconds. And the single best thing you can do during that window is breathe. Not think. Breathe. Try this: breathe in for four counts, hold for four, breathe out for four, hold for four. One round takes about 16 seconds. Even a single round starts to calm the alarm and lets the thinking part of your brain come back online. 

Then, once you can think clearly, name what you’re feeling. Say it to yourself: “I’m scared about the water reaching our house.” It sounds too simple to work, but putting a name on the feeling actually helps your brain shift from reacting to reasoning. After that, ask yourself one question: Am I reacting to the most dramatic thing I’ve seen, or the most reliable? Is there an official source I should check? 

That’s the first 90 seconds. But a disaster doesn’t end in 90 seconds. 

Here is something that surprises many people: The scale and size of a disaster dictates responses and  focus is on the most critical, life-threatening situations first. That means your household will need to take care of itself for at least 72 hours — and ideally up to five days. That’s not a failure of the system. That’s how emergency response works best everywhere. Responders go where the need is greatest, and the more households that can handle those first few days on their own, the better resources can be assigned to the most urgent needs.  

Being ready for 72 hours isn’t complicated. It means having water, food, medications, important documents, a way to charge your phone, and a plan for where your family meets if you can’t get home. It means knowing your neighbors — especially the ones who might need extra help, like seniors living alone or families with young children. It means thinking about these things now, on a calm Saturday with blue skies, not at 2 a.m. with water flooding the street. 

And you don’t have to figure it out alone. Your cities and San Mateo County have resources and programs throughout the year designed to help you and your family get ready, step by step. Our annual Disaster Prep Day in August brings together resources, experts and hands-on activities for the whole family. These aren’t one-time events. They’re part of a year-round effort to build a county where every neighborhood is stronger because the people in it are prepared. 

This is what readiness really looks like. It’s not about being fearless. It’s about knowing that fear is normal, that your brain will try to rush you, and that a single breath can restore the ability to think clearly. It’s about having supplies and a plan so your family can get through the first few days. And it’s about being part of something bigger — a community that looks out for one another, because that’s how we all get through what comes next. 

The stress you feel when something goes wrong isn’t a sign of weakness. It’s a sign that you care about the people around you. Take that breath. Make that plan. Join us. Together, we’re ready for what comes next. 

Dr. Shruti Dhapodkar is the director, San Mateo County Department of Emergency Management. To advance your disaster readiness, go to smcgov.org/dem/prepare or ready.gov.