Hazards like earthquakes, floods, erosion, heavy rains, landslides, cyclones, etc., are natural, but preparedness can prevent them from turning into disasters and drastically reduce fatalities. Communities that ignore disaster preparedness blur the line between natural hazards and disasters, leaving a trail of disaster in the wake of every natural hazard. Often, people assume that disaster management is solely the responsibility of government departments. Such wrong perception makes them passive participants in disaster preparedness. The best disaster prevention measures backed by advanced technologies and research-driven insights may falter without the active participation of the communities. An earthquake of magnitude 5.8, with its epicentre in Bhutan, shook Assam on Sunday night, serving as a sobering reminder of the harsh reality that the entire northeast region is in the highest risk category. A powerful earthquake of 7.8 magnitude hit the Philippines on Monday morning, leaving dozens dead and hundreds injured, highlighting the urgent need for Assam and the other northeastern states to build their preparedness without delay. In the case of floods, heavy rainfalls, cyclones, and, to a great extent, landslides, early warning systems have considerably improved, enabling disaster management authorities to issue timely alerts to communities in the region to remain prepared and protect themselves. An early warning is not possible in the case of an earthquake, and raising the scale of preparedness is the only way to reduce casualties and damage. Transparency in preventive measures initiated by the government plays a crucial role in boosting the confidence of communities to strictly follow the advisories issued by disaster management authorities from time to time. Informing people about the safety of public and private multi-storeyed buildings remains essential in the region to reduce earthquake-related anxiety. This calls for carrying out a safety audit of the buildings, bridges and other infrastructure by trained professionals and making public the findings, including the gaps in any detected and retrofitting solutions applied. Strict adherence to prescribed building codes is essential to strengthen structural safety and reduce vulnerabilities. It is essential to take a comprehensive review of the administrative system in place to ascertain if builders have adhered to these codes during construction. The system must have a clear answer to the pertinent question – whether the masons employed at the construction sites are trained to follow the building codes, from preparing the mortar correctly to beam tying, slab casting, reinforcement placement, etc., to assure the occupants of the buildings about strict adherence to design and safety norms during the construction period. The structural safety has a defined limit to the intensity of earthquake it can withstand, which is determined by the quality of construction and design standards. The community’s preparedness for the occurrence of an earthquake of bigger magnitudes beyond the limits of the structural safety of buildings and infrastructure is critical to increasing earthquake resilience in a high-risk zone like the Northeast. Frequent drills of earthquake preparedness in educational institutions, hospitals, government buildings, residential complexes, and marketplaces can significantly reduce fatalities. As these places remain crowded and if people remain unprepared, the panic triggered by an earthquake can quickly spiral into chaos and rushed evacuation, blocking of emergency exits, with such secondary hazards causing more damage than the earthquake itself. When a major earthquake of higher magnitude occurs, the aftershocks that follow are often strong as well, and they can cause additional fatalities and damage if the level of preparedness is lowered once the main earthquake is over. Periodic assessments of preparedness and awareness by communities in Assam and neighbouring states can significantly alleviate public anxieties that arise during earthquakes and enhance disaster resilience. This can be possible only when awareness campaigns run by disaster management authorities go beyond the routine and motivate people to voluntarily organise the awareness drive with the technical guidance of disaster experts. Local administrations can transform awareness campaigns into powerful communication platforms by informing people who gather for meetings and programmes about the safety status of all public and private buildings and infrastructure in their area, thereby fostering informed conversations about earthquake preparedness within communities throughout the region. The rescue and rehabilitation dominate the public and media discourse after a major, powerful earthquake strikes any region. While the issue of preparedness gains gradual prominence once the immediate rescue operation comes to an end, it soon fades as days pass and community participation slips back into being a passive recipient of periodic advisories on disaster preparedness. Adapting the official guidance into practical, community-specific guidelines, tailored to the needs of each community and geophysical characteristics of their places, can motivate the community members to become active participants in earthquake preparedness exercises and make it an integral part of the community practice of sustainable living. Prioritising community participation in earthquake preparedness is essential for building long-term regional resilience in the Northeast.