NATURAL DISASTERS

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1

It Won’t Happen to Me 2

Why Me? 2

Mitigation 2

The Cost of Natural Disasters 3

How Much will it cost to Prepare 3

Where Can I Get Help? 4

Will You be ready When the Next Disaster Hits? 4

CHAPTER 2: NATURAL DISASTERS 5

EARTHQUAKES 5

What is an Earthquake? 5

What You Should I do (Before, During and After) 5

Before the Earthquake Strikes 5

Assemble a Disaster Supplies Kit 6

Protect Your Property 7

Media and Community 17

Education Ideas 17

During an Earthquake 17

After an Earthquake 19

Getting Ready for an Earthquake 22

Practice Drills 22

Evacuation Plans 23

Establish Priorities 23

Write Down Important Information 23

First Aid Kit 24

Survival Kit for Your Automobile 25

Survival Kit for Your Workplace 26

Emergency Water Storage and Purification 27

Emergency Food 27

Getting Back Together After the Earthquake 28

Inspecting for Possible Home Hazards (prior to a hazard) 28

People With Special Needs/People With Disabilities 31

Before an Earthquake 31

During an Earthquake 31

After an Earthquake 32

Children’s Needs 32

FLOODS AND FLASH FLOODS 33

Emergency Information 33

Danger Zones 33

What is a Flood? 34

What is a Flash Flood 34

Help your Community Get Ready 34

Did You Know… 34

Floods and Flashfloods (Before, During and After) 35

Before a Flood 35

What Should I do Before a Flood? 35

How to Plan 35

Buy a Flood Insurance 35

During the Flood 37

Once the Flood Arrives 37

After The Flood 37

After a Flood: The First Steps 38

Check For Hazards When Returning Home 39

Inspecting Utilities in a Damaged Home 40

Take Precautions During and After Flooding 41

If Your home is Flooded 41

Drinking Water 42

Clean-up/Hygiene 42

Toilet 42

Animals 42

Food 42

Building Cleanup 42

National Flood Insurance 44

National Flood Insurance Program 45

Federal Disaster Assistance and National Flood Insurance 51

Protecting your Property from Flooding 53

HEAT WAVES (EXTREME HEAT) & HOT WEATHER HEALTH EMERGENCIES 59

Emergency Information 59

Danger Zones 60

What is Extreme Heat? 60

Help Your Community Get Ready 60

Did You Know… 61

Extreme Heat (Before, During and After) 61

Before 61

During 62

During a Drought 63

Heat Disorders 63

HURRICANES 72

Hurricanes (Before, During and After) 75

Before 75

During a Hurricane Watch 81

During a Hurricane Warning 81

After 83

Inspecting Utilities in a Damaged Home 83

LANDSLIDES AND MUDFLOWS 84

Emergency Information 84

What is a landslide? 84

What is a Mudflow? 85

Help Your Community Get Ready 85

Did you Know… 86

Landslides and Mudflows (Before, During and After) 86

Before 86

During 87

After 89

Media and Community Education Ideas 89

Before a Lanslide: How to Plan 90

What to do Before instense Storm 91

How to Protect Your Property Before a Landslide 91

Mitigation 91

THUNDERSTORMS AND LIGHTNING 92

Emergency Information 92

Danger Zones 92

What is a Thunderstorm? 92

What is Lightning? 92

Help Your Community Get Ready 92

Did You Know… 93

Thunderstorm and Lightning (Before, During and After) 94

Before 94

During 95

Hail 96

After 96

Mitigation 96

TORNADOES 97

Emergency Information 97

Danger Zones 97

What is a Tornado? 97

Help Your Community Get Ready 97

Did you know… 98

Fujita-Pearson Tornado Scale 98

Tornadoes (Before, During and After) 98

Before 98

During 99

After 100

Mitigation 100

Protecting Your Home 101

Protecting Your Business 102

Protecting Your Communities 103

TSUNAMIS 105

What is Tsunami? 105

Did You Know….105

Tsunamis (Before, During and After) 106

Before 106

During 106

After 107

Inspecting Utilities in a Damaged Home 107

Mitigation 108

VOLCANOES 109

Emergency Information 109

Danger Zones 109

What is a Volcano? 109

Help Your Community Get Ready 109

Did You Know… 110

Volcanoes (Before, During and After) 110

Before 111

During 111

After 112

WILDFIRES 114

Practice Wildfire Safety 114

Protect Your Home 114

Before Wildfire Threatens 115

Plan Your Water Needs 116

When Wildfire Threatens 116

Emergency Supplies 118

Create a Family Disaster Plan 118

WILDLAND FIRES 119

Emergency Information 119

Danger Zones 120

What is a Wildland Fires 120

Help Your Community Get Ready 120

Did You Know…120

Wildland Fires (Before, During and After) 121

Before 121

During 122

After 122

Mitigation 122

How the Public Can Help After a Disaster 123

WINTER STORMS 124

Winter Storm (Before During and After) 124

Before 124

During 125

Frostbite and Hypothermia 126

Mitigation 127

WINTER PREPAREDNESS SAFETY TIPS 127

Before Severe Weather Arrives 127

Winter Weather Terms 127

During Any Storm or Emergency 129

During a Flood 129

During a Winter Storm 129

If a blizzard Traps You in Your Car 129

After the Storm 130

Returning To Your Home After a Flood 130

Preparing Your Family 131

Preparing your Car 132

Preparing your Home 132

Winter Driving (Before and During) 133

Before 133

During 135

If Trapped in Car During a Blizzard 135

CHAPTER 3: TECHNOLOGICAL & OTHER MAN-MADE DISASTERS 137

HOUSING & BUILDING FIRES 137

Before 137

During 138

After 139

HOME FIRE SAFETY 139

Earthquakes Fire Safety 139

Some Fire related hazards Present During and After an earthquake 139

Chemical Safety 140

Electrical Safety 140

Gas Safety 140

Generator Safety 141

Heating Safety 141

Floods Fire Safety 142

Types of Fire related hazards Present During and After a Flood 142

Chemical Safety 142

Electrical Safety 143

Generator Safety 143

Heating Safety 143

Summer Storms Fire Safety 144

Some Types of related hazards Present During and After a Summer Storm 144

Chemical Safety 144

Electrical Safety 145

Gas Safety 145

Generator Safety 145

Heating Safety 145

Tornadoes or Hurricane Fire Safety 146

Some Fire related hazards Present During and After a Tornado or Hurricane 146

Chemical Safety 147

Electrical Safety 147

Gas Safety 147

Generator Safety 147

Heating Safety 148

Winter Storms Fire Safety 149

Some Fire related hazards Present During and After a Winter Storm 149

Chemical Safety 149

Electrical Safety 149

Gas Safety 150

Generator Safety 150

Heating Safety 150

HOME FIRES 151

Planning Emergency Escape from Manufactured Homes 151

Wood Stoves, Fireplaces, and Space Heaters for Manufactured Homes 152

Bedroom Fire Prevention 153

Rural Fire Safety and Prevention 154

Fire Safety Beyond the City Limits 155

Fireplace and Home Fire Safety 156

Fire-safe Landscaping 158

Rural Fire Prevention Checklist 160

Special Population Fire-safe Checklist 161

Fire Safety for People with Special Needs 161

Fire Safety for Older Adults and their Caregivers 163

Fire Safety last a Lifetime 163

Home Fire Prevention 165

Working Together for Home Fire Safety 165

Protecting Your Property from Fire 166

TERRORISM 169

What is Terrorism? 169

Emergency Information 169

Terrorism Prior to September 11, 2001, 170

Terrorism in the United States 170

Terrorism (Before, During and After) 170

Before 170

During 172

After 173

BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL WEAPONS 173

Chemical Agents 173

Chemical Threat 174

Chemical Agents Exposure 174

Personal Cleaning and Disposal of Contaminated Clothing 175

Biological Agents 177

Responding to Biological Attacks 177

Warning Signs of an Attack or Incident 178

Why to Do in Case of an Attack 180

Preparing a Safeheven 181

Choosing a Safehaven Room 181

Suggested Safehaven Equipment 182

NUCLEAR POWER PLANT EMERGENCY 183

What is Radiation 183

Preparing for an Emergency 184

Emergency Classification Levels 184

If You Are Alerted 185

If You Are Advised to Evacuate the Area 185

If Advised to Remain at Home 186

When Coming In From Outdoors 186

School Evacuations 187

For Farmers and Home Growers 187

What you Can Do to Stay Informed 187

Radiation Threat 188

Radiological Accidents (Before, During and After) 188

Before 188

Three Ways to minimize radiation Exposure 189

During 189

After the Event 191

Nuclear Blast 191

ROLLING BLACKOUTS 192

What is “Rolling Blackout?” 192

Top Safety Tips for a Balckout 192

Rolling Blackout (Before and During)

How Can I Prepare Before a Blackout happens? 192

Specific Information For People with Disabilities 193

Using a Generator 193

What Do I do During a Blackout? 194

Emergency Conservation Recommendations 194

Refrigerator Foods, 198

Frozen Foods 201

Safe Drinking Water 203

Heat-Related Injuries and Prevention 203

First Aid for Electrical Shock 204

Power line Hazards and Cars 204

Safety at Work During recovery 204

Summertime Blackouts and Heat Wave 205

HAZARDOUS MATERIALS ACCIDENTS 206

Emergency Information 206

Transportation Incidents 206

What are Hazardous Materials? 206

Did You Know…207

Hazardous Materials (Before, During and After) 208

Before 208

During 208

If Caught at the Scene of an Accident 209

If Asked to Stay Indoors 209

If Asked to Evacuate 209

After 210

Finding Hazards in the Home 210

Identifying Hazards 210

Safe Equipment 211

CHAPTER 4: CHILDREN AND DISASTERS 213

Children and their Response to Disaster 213

Advice to Parents 213

After the Disaster: Time for Recovery 214

Kits Activity Survival Kit 215

CHAPTER 5: ANIMALS AND EMERGENCIES 217

Disaster Planning Tips for Pets, Livestock and Wildlife 217

Wildlife 218

Livestock 218

Pets and Disasters (Before During and After) 219

Before 219

During 220

After 221

CHAPTER 6: FOOD AND WATER IN AN EMERGENCY 223

Water: The Absolute Necessity 223

How to Store Emergency Water Supplies 223

Hidden Water Sources in Your House 224

Emergency Outdoor Water Sources 224

Three Easy Ways to Purify Water 224

Food Preparation and Emergency Stockpile 226

How to Store Emergency Food 226

Storage & Preparation of Food Supplies 228

Shelf Life of Foods for Storage 229

Preparing Food 229

How to Use Emergency Food 230

CHAPTER 7: DISASTER PREPAREDNESS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES 233

Coping with Disaster 234

Tips for Older Adults 234

Some Common Responses to Disaster 234

How to Cope In the Aftermath of a Disaster Attack 235

Assisting People With Disabilities in a Disaster 235

CHAPTER 8: PREPARING FOR EMERGENCIES 239

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS CHECKLIST 239

DISASTER SERVICES – DISASTER SUPPLIES KIT 242

CREATING A FAMILY PLAN 248

AT WORK AND SCHOOL 248

IN AMOVING CAR 249

IN A HIGH RISE BUILDING 250

DECIDING TO STAY OR GO 250

STAYING PUT 250

GETTING AWAY 251

EVACUATION 252

How People will Know if They need to Evacuate 252

What to Do 252

SHELTERING IN PLACE 252

What “Sheltering in Place” mean 252

Sheltering in Place During a Chemical Disaster or Attack 253

Sheltering in Place During a Radiation Emergency 254

SOURCES, REFERENCES AND RESOURCES 259

APPENDIXES 263