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Consumer Focus: Natural
Disasters: Are You Prepared? |
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Natural Disasters: Are You Prepared?
Natural disasters come in
many different forms and with different intensities. Technology can predict
some events and increase our warning time, but everyone needs to do his or her
part by preparing in advance. Preparing will also decrease your recovery time
if a disaster strikes where you live.
Learn more about:
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Where
Disasters Will Occur
Some areas are prone to specific natural
disasters. Become familiar with the disasters
that threaten your area. Being familiar with those
risks will give you the advantage of knowing how to prepare properly.
Once you know the risks, take the proper
steps to prepare.
Listed below are some tips to help
you start preparing for three of the most devastating and widespread
spring and summer season natural disasters - floods, tornados, and
extreme heat. (The hurricane
season generally begins in late summer and lasts throughout the
fall.)
Flood
- Store valuables in the
attic or on the highest floor.
- Relocate the main
breaker or the fuse box and the utility meters above the anticipated flood
level, if economically possible.
- Buy
flood insurance.
Tornado
- Practice tornado
drills by designating an area in the home as a shelter and having the entire
family go there in response to a simulated tornado threat.
- Have disaster
supplies on hand.
- Develop an emergency
family communication plan in case you are separated, such as having an
out-of-state relative serve as a "family contact."
- Learn the danger
signs of a tornado.
Extreme Heat
- Know the symptoms
of heat-related illnesses and overexposure to the
sun, and be ready to give first aid treatment.
- Install any window air
conditioners snugly, and insulate for a tight fit.
- Close any floor heat
registers and check air-conditioning ducts for proper insulation.
- Use a circulating or
box fan to increase airflow.
- Keep air conditioning
inside by installing temporary reflectors, such as aluminum foil covered
cardboard over windows, to reflect heat back outside.
- Keep air conditioning
inside by weather-stripping doors and windowsills.
- Consider keeping storm
windows up all year. Storm windows can keep heat out and air conditioning in
during the summer just like they keep heat in and cold out in the
winter.
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General Emergency Preparedness
Even if your region is not susceptible
to floods or tornadoes, you
should know what to do in the event of an emergency.
Fires and accidents can occur at any time. Knowing what to do could
be the key to your survival.
- Make a list of
important local telephone numbers, such as the police department, fire
department, and poison control center. Keep a copy by each telephone and carry
one in your wallet.
- Write down telephone
numbers and contact information for your family. Be sure to include any special
contact information and plans for children and seniors who may be home alone
during an emergency. Keep one copy by the telephone and provide others to
family and friends.
- Make a neighborhood
directory and map.
- Make your house easy
to find. Street address numbers should be large and well lit so that emergency
personnel can find your house quickly.
- Organize emergency
preparedness kits, one for your home and one for
an evacuation.
- Keep a copy of
important records, such as birth and marriage certificates, insurance contracts
and financial statements in a fire safe box or away from the home in a secure
place such as a safety deposit box.
- Keep a small amount
of emergency cash on hand at all times.
- Make and practice an evacuation
plan out of your home and out of your area.
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A Note About
Pets
Disaster plans should include
your pets. Last minute efforts to find them or take
care of them during an emergency could endanger you or members of
your family.
- If you have to
evacuate your home, designate an adult to find and bring your pets.
- Keep carriers
accessible and ready-to-use.
- Make sure
identification tags are up to date and securely fastened to your pet's
collar.
- Pack a pet survival
kit with food, water, a leash or harness, any medication, and a copy of their
medical records.
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Other Resources
This is just a brief
overview. For more information on natural disasters, check out these resources
the World Wide Web:
Publications available:
Websites*:
*If
you click on these links, you are leaving our website. Please bookmark us
before you leave so you can return easily. We are not responsible for the
content of these websites.
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