From the San Diego wildfires to multi-drug-resistant strains of bacteria, communities are facing an ever-growing list of potential disasters. Some events, like pandemic flu or anthrax attacks, are public health emergencies first and foremost. Hurricane Katrina taught us, however, that lack of planning for the frail, elderly, and impoverished population can turn a natural disaster into a healthcare nightmare and lead to needless death and suffering. Emergency managers and public health professionals must integrate their prevention and response efforts to serve their communities most effectively.