SURVIVING NATURAL DISASTERS

"Perhaps catastrophe is the natural human environment, and even though we spend a good deal of energy trying to get away from it, we are programmed for survival amid catastrophe."
-Germaine Greer

Surviving in the aftermath of a natural disaster in the wiles of concrete and steel takes very much the same preparation and knowledge as surviving out in the woods and wilderness. A lot of you have witnessed firsthand in recent years the panic, confusion and non-dependence on them caused because they did not prepare for a natural disaster, even though they knew it was approaching. The most important steps you can take in preparing for emergencies are to develop a household disaster plan.

• Learn about the natural disasters that could occur in your community from your local emergency management office or American Red Cross chapter. Earthquakes, tornados, floods, hurricanes or severe winter storms all pose a potential personal survival situation.
• Discuss openly and honestly with your family members about the potential emergencies and how you as a group are going to respond to each. Talk about what you would need to do in an evacuation.
• Plan how members of your immediate family will stay in contact if you are separated. Identify two meeting places: the first should be near your home if realistic, and the second place be away from your neighborhood in case you cannot return home.
• Pick a friend or relative who lives out of the area for household members to call to say they are okay. Pick a safe place to meet if you are separated.
• Make sure everyone in your household knows how and when to shut off water, gas, and electricity at the main switches. Consult with your local utilities if you have questions.
• Reduce the economic impact that could be caused by any natural disaster on your property and your household's health and financial well-being. Review property insurance policies before disaster strikes-make sure policies are current and be certain they meet your needs (type of coverage, amount of coverage, and hazard covered-flood, earthquake).
• It is advisable to keep a small amount of cash or traveler's checks at home in a safe place where you can quickly gain access to it in case
• Consider ways to help neighbors who may need special assistance, such as the elderly or the disabled.
• Make arrangements for pets. Pets are not allowed in public shelters. Service animals for those who depend on them are allowed.
• Do emergency planning for people with special needs If you, or a member of your family have a disability or special need, you may have to take additional steps to protect yourself and your household in an emergency. If you know of friends or neighbors with special needs, help them with these extra precautions. Examples include:
  • Hearing impaired may need to make special arrangements to receive a warning.
  • Mobility impaired may need assistance in getting to a shelter.
  • Households with a single working parent may need help from others both in planning for disasters and during an emergency.
  • Non-English speaking people may need assistance planning for and responding to emergencies. Community and cultural groups may be able to help keep these populations informed.
  • People without vehicles may need to make arrangements for transportation.
  • People with special dietary needs should have an adequate emergency food supply.

Why Prepare for a Disaster? Disasters disrupt hundreds of thousands of lives every year. Each disaster has lasting effects-people are seriously injured, some are killed, and property damage runs into the billions of dollars. If a disaster occurs in your community, local government and disaster-relief organizations try to help you. But you need to be ready as well. Local responders may not be able to reach you immediately, or they may need to focus their efforts elsewhere. Being prepared and understanding what to do can reduce fear, anxiety and losses that accompany disasters. Most of the information you will need you can garner at FEMA. Communities, families and individuals should know what to do in a fire and where to seek shelter in a tornado. They should be ready to evacuate their homes, take refuge in public shelters and know how to care for their basic medical needs. You should know how to respond to severe weather or any disaster that could occur in your area-hurricanes, earthquakes, extreme cold or flooding. You should also be ready to be self sufficient for at least three days. This may mean providing for your own shelter, first aid, food, water and sanitation.

Disaster Supply Kits: You may need to survive on your own for three days or more. This means having your own water, food and emergency supplies. Assembling the supplies you might need following a disaster is an important part of your disaster plan. Just like assembling an outdoor survival kit you should take ownership of what you have packed, do it yourself rather than buying some pre-prepared kit and relying on that alone. You should prepare emergency supplies for the following situations:

• A disaster supply kit with essential food, water, and supplies for at least three days-this kit should be kept in a designated place and be ready to "grab and go" in case you have to leave your home quickly because of a disaster, such as a flash flood or major chemical emergency. Make sure all household members know where the kit is kept.
• You should also have a disaster supply kit at work. This should be in one container, ready to "grab and go" in case you have to evacuate the building.
• A car kit of emergency supplies, including food and water, to keep stored in your car at all times. This kit would also include flares, jumper cables, and seasonal supplies.

Suggested Disaster Evacuation Kit: Buy one of those 5-gallon buckets with a lid or a small plastic trash can with a good lid and handles and pack it with the following items. Store “YOUR GO KIT” in the front hall closet or in the garage so you can easily grab it and go if and when the time comes to evacuate your home. Replace noted items every 3 to 6 months; tape a piece of paper on the top listing the contents and so you know when you last updated your supplies. Contents:

• Flashlights at least 2 of them without batteries inserted.
• Batteries for flashlights, at least 3 sets for each light… watch dates on package
• Small roll of duct tape, and a pair of work gloves, and some basic tools… you may need them.
• Chemical light sticks (8-12 hour variety) at least 4 (longer lasting light especially for kids)
• Portable radio (batteries out) with 2 sets of batteries
• A Small Basic First Aid Kit
• Roll of toilet paper, toothbrushes, toothpaste, small bar of soap, washcloths, Wet Wipes
• Water: bottled water (rotate every 6 months) 12 bottles. Stack around perimeter of bucket, one up one down- fill middle area of bucket with other gear to hold water bottles against the sides. Water is heavy, but necessary and could be a scarce commodity in a shelter.
• A 32 oz. wide mouth polycarbonate water bottle (available at hiking shops) in case you have to secure water in a shelter. Put as many personal toiletries inside the bottle as you can.
• Save a small eyedropper type bottle and fill it with household bleach, dump out old and fill with new bleach every 6 months. Should it be necessary you can use the bleach to disinfect your drinking water. 1 quart = 2 drops if water is clear, 4 drops if water is cloudy.
• A few high-energy food/snack bars and some pieces of hard candy and/or mints.
• Pre-sweetened ice tea packets or drink mix, maybe even some dry soup mix.
• Consider including a small pocket stove and solid fuel tablets, to heat water for a cup of tea or soup mix, a little comfort item. Put in a metal campers cup to use over the flame.
• Small hard plastic cups, in case they are dispensing water.
• Next time you are in a fast food place, take a few sugar and salt/pepper packages to spice up shelter food service.
• Your out of state family-friends phone contact numbers taped inside the lid, also include your home/car insurance policy# and agent contact#
• SPACE Brand ALL WEATHER BLANKETS for warmth and protection, they will not get damp or mildew laden. A few SPACE Brand EMERGENCY BLANKETS for on the go use protection or signaling or to help out a neighbor who is wet and cold. They help deter the effects of post trauma shock by maintaining a persons body heat so they do not easily go into shock., and being wrapped up and protected is a great psychological advantage in all the panic.
• Draw top kitchen trash bags; use bucket as emergency toilet, bags as disposable liners.
• Smokers, put in a pack of cigarettes and lighter, you don’t need stress in a time like this.
• Pen and a notebook, you will need it.
• If you have children, small puzzle books, deck of playing cards, reading material, a ball and small game items to occupy their time if you are stuck in a shelter.
• Some cash as credit cards and your ATM will be useless.

Personal Papers: Since you live in a disaster prone area get all personal papers such as deeds, bank books, check books, insurance papers, agents phone numbers, car titles in one place so you can take them if you have to evacuate. Have them stored in a plastic folder that you can buy at an office supply store… so it’s a grab and go.

Personal Medication: Keep an empty zip lock poly bag stored inside your medicine cabinet, place all your personal need medications in it and take with you when it is time to evacuate. Don’t forget your extra pair of glasses. For help in times of panic, write beforehand on the bag with a marker or make a list of the items you really need to put in this bag when the time comes.

Your Cell phone: Most of us have cell phones today, make sure you have a car recharging unit to take with you so you will be able to recharge the phone battery from any car lighter or 12V socket. Electricity outlets may not be readily available for your home plug in recharger.

Inside your car: Put a few SPACE Brand ALL WEATHER Blankets inside your trunk, bungee cord them up on the slots in the trunk lid, makes for use as emergency blankets, privacy tarps, provides warmth and protection from wind and/or rain, and can be used as a cot cover. In warmer climes, put one or two one-gallon bottles of spring water in the trunk in a small cardboard box to stop them from banging around. Replace them every 3 months. If you have the room in your trunk put in an extra set of work type clothes like jeans and t-shirts and clean socks.