The U.S. has experienced a record-breaking number of natural disasters in the last decade. In 2022 alone, there were 18 weather or climate disasters that each resulted in at least $1 billion in damages. Adding up to an estimated $165.1 billion, those events included hailstorms in the upper Midwest, Western wildfires, tornadoes across the South, three hurricanes, and flooding in Kentucky and Missouri. The first five months of 2023 saw flooding in California, more hail in Texas and Florida, an outbreak of 29 tornadoes on one day across the central and southern Plains, and historic one-day rainfall totals in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. All of this activity happened before June 1, the day the latest Atlantic hurricane season arrived.

No matter where you are, there’s the potential for a weather or climate disaster, so it’s worth taking steps now to make sure you and your family can be prepared for the worst. Crisis Assist* is a service that provides you with critical assistance during severe weather, natural disasters and other crises. It includes:

•    A 24/7 priority connection to an OnStar Emergency Advisor*
•    Routing assistance away from trouble areas
•    Help contacting loved ones
•    Up-to-date information about the crisis

Whether you need emergency assistance or to connect with a loved one to let them know you’re all right, OnStar* is just a button-push away. Below are five things you should know about OnStar Crisis Assist.

OnStar Advisors can act as your central point of contact during a crisis. Whether you need routing assistance due to the conditions or are looking for an available hotel room or the nearest shelter, Advisors are ready to assist. Just push the blue OnStar button and tell the Advisor what you need. Advisors will do what they can to help, including helping you stay in touch with your loved ones throughout the crisis.

If you need police, fire or an ambulance, just push the red Emergency button.* You’ll be connected with an Emergency Advisor who can provide critical medical direction until First Responders arrive.

Even if you’re not in your vehicle, you can access key OnStar safety services with the OnStar Guardian® app.* The app includes Mobile Crash Response, which is designed to use your smartphone’s sensors to detect a crash and alert an Emergency Advisor. And if the unexpected happens, the app also gives you access to Roadside Assistance. * Plus, if your family members become separated during a crisis, you can view and share locations on a map using Location Status.*

Whether you’re at home or on the road, you can rely on OnStar to help in severe weather such as flash floods and winter storms. But OnStar is also there in disasters such as:

• Natural Resource/Man-Made Disasters: Energy/power outages, hazardous material situations or terrorist activity
• Natural Disasters: Earthquakes, landslides, hurricanes, tsunamis, wildfires or volcanic eruptions

OnStar has a central Command Center that monitors severe weather and disaster situations 24/7. In times of disaster, you might not have access to information you need. Our Command Center team works to stay on top of events as they unfold and gather critical information, which may include instructions from your local authorities and emergency management officials. You can also check out our hurricane preparedness tips for more information.