We are unable to prevent natural phenomena, which often result in natural disasters, such as cyclones, hurricanes, typhoons, earthquakes, tornadoes, floods, lightning strikes, and volcanic eruptions. However, we can prepare and reduce the loss of life and property through planning.
The objective of this report is not to point a finger at the failures of local, state and federal officials or the media but rather to provide you with a set of contingency planning tools so that you can be proactive in your own planning.
Our Personal Experience
As in the cases of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, lessons have been learned and those lessons should be considered in your planning. As residents of Houston, we learned that an evacuation plan must be coordinated with both local and state officials to assure that people are not stranded on freeways with no water, gas or other services. In addition, we learned that many people evacuated when it was not necessary and as a result were exposed to more risk than if they had remained in their homes. In addition, unnecessary evacuations complicate the process for people who are in danger such as low lying flood prone areas. If you are in a secure facility with no threat of flooding, you should consider the alternative of being stranded on the highway in an open and exposed area. We chose not to evacuate for this very reason. In fact, we never lost power or even cable service and while we were comfortable throughout the storm, we were distressed to see our fellow Houstonians stranded in bottlenecked freeway traffic with heat indexes were at or above 100 degrees. All of this while local and state officials pointed fingers at why more lanes of outbound traffic were not opened sooner. As in the case of Louisiana, local, state and federal officials are still pointing fingers at who failed in their responsibilities. The lesson that should be learned from these events is that you have to take responsibility for your own safety and not blindly rely on the media or government officials. They can provide you with information but you have to evaluate that information and do what is in your best interest.
CYCLONES/HURRICANES/TYPHOONS
Tropical cyclones, hurricanes, and typhoons are regional names for what is essentially the same phe-nomenon. Depressions in the tropics that develop into storms are called tropical cyclones in some parts of the world, hurricanes in other areas, and typhoons in still other areas. For the purposes of this report, these storms will be referred to as hurricanes. Winds in tropical hurricanes reach constant speeds of 74 miles per hour or more and blow in a large spiral around a relatively calm center know as the "eye." In the Northern Hemisphere, the circulation is counterclockwise, and in the Southern Hemisphere, it is clockwise. Stated simply, hurricanes are giant whirlwinds in which air moves in a large tighten¬ing spiral around the eye. Near the center of the hurricane, winds may gust to more than 200 miles per hour. The entire storm can dominate an ocean surface and lower atmosphere over tens of thousands of square miles.
The eye of the hurricane is deceptively insidious. If the storm is moving at its average speed of 20 30 miles an hour and the eye passes directly through a location, the winds may subside to relative calm and torrential rains may yield to a partly cloudy or even a clear sky. Many people have been killed or injured when the calm eye lured them out of shelter, only to be caught in the maximum winds at the far side of the eye, where the wind blows from a direction opposite that of the leading half of the storm.
Tropical hurricanes are frequently described as the most devastating of all natural phenomena because of their tremendous size, relatively slow movement, and at times absence of movement, as well as their highly erratic path or direction.
Clearly, the tornado is a much more violent storm (with wind speeds approach¬ing 300 miles per hour), but its time on Earth is short and its devastating destructive path is infinitesimal by comparison to the hurricane. The average path width of a tornado is 425 yards and the average path length only 25 miles. Consider the worst hurricane on record, which struck Bangladesh in 1970, killing more than 200,000 people with damage in the billions of dollars. No tornado has ever even closely approached such unprece¬dented proportions of death, human suffering, and property damage.
Recommended Action to Lessen the Effect of Hurricanes
Over the years, much research and experimentation have been undertaken by meteorological scientists, governments, and emergency planners throughout the world on the subject of tropical hurricanes. These efforts indicate that the effect of hurricanes can be substantially reduced, especially personal injury and loss of life, by effective emergency preparedness. The objective of the following suggestions is to stimulate awareness in planning for such and event. Do not adopt an attitude that nothing can be done about natural disasters. A good understanding of storm phenomena, effective planning, and adequate preparation will lessen the impact on you, your loved ones, and your property.
Safety Rules—Before the Storm
The following suggestions should be considered in preparing for the storm:
• Most developed nations have cyclone/hurricane/ typhoon warning or alerting systems in place. Learn and abide by them.
• Listen to television and radio reports concerning progress of the storm.
• Enter each storm season prepared. June through November is the hurricane season in the United States, but seasons vary in other parts of the world. Learn the months and duration of the season where you reside.
• Establish an emergency supply of boards, tools, batteries, first aid supplies, nonperishable foods, and other equipment that you will need in the event a hurricane strikes.
• When a hurricane becomes imminent in your area, plan your time before the storm arrives and avoid the last minute rush, which might leave you marooned or unprepared.
• Remain calm until the emergency ends.
• Leave low lying areas that may be swept by high tides or storm waves.
• Leave mobile homes for more substantial shelter. Mobile homes are particularly vulnerable to overturning during strong winds. Damage can be minimized by securing the homes with heavy cables anchored in concrete footings.
• Moor your boat securely before the storm arrives or evacuate it to a designated safe area. When your boat is moored, leave it and do not return until the wind and waves subside.
• Board up windows or protect them with storm shutters or tape. Danger to small windows is mainly from wind driven debris. Larger windows may be broken by wind pressure.
• Secure outdoor objects that might be blown away or uprooted. Garbage cans, garden tools, toys, signs, porch furniture, and a number of other harmless items become missiles in hurricane winds. Anchor them or store them inside before the storm strikes.
• If possible, remove coconuts and other heavy fruits such as mangos from trees before the storm strikes and secure them so they do not become flying missiles.
• Store drinking water in clean bathtubs, jugs, bottles, and cooking utensils; the water supply may be contaminated by flooding.
• Monitor the storm's position through radio broadcasts on a battery powered radio. Utilities will almost certainly be interrupted.
• Keep your car fueled. Service stations may be inoperable for several days after the storm strikes because of flooding or interrupted electrical power.
• If your home is sturdy and on high ground remain there; if it is not, move to a designated shelter and stay there until the storm is over.
• Remain indoors during the hurricane. Travel is extremely dangerous. Vehicles can be penetrated by flying objects, overturned by winds and swept away in flash floods.
• Know where emergency medical assistance can be obtained and where Red Cross disaster stations will be set up before the storm hits. Learn the safe routes to those locations.
• Beware of the eye of the hurricane. If the calm storm center passes directly overhead, there will be a lull in the wind lasting from a few minutes to half an hour or more. Stay in a safe place unless emergency repairs are absolutely necessary. Remember, at the other side of the eye, the winds rise very rapidly to hurricane force and come from the opposite direction.
When the Hurricane Has Passed
The following suggestions should be considered when the storm has passed:
Stay out of disaster areas. Unless you are qualified to help, your presence might hamper first aid and rescue work.
Drive carefully along debris filled streets. Roads may be undermined and may collapse under the weight of a car. Landslides along roadways are also a hazard.
Avoid loose or dangling wires, and report them immediately to the power company or the nearest law enforcement officer.
• Report broken sewer or water mains to the water department.
• Prevent fires. Lowered water pressure may make fire-fighting difficult.
• If power has been off during the storm, check refrigerated food for spoilage.
• Remember that hurricanes moving inland can cause severe flooding. Stay away from river banks and streams.
Tornadoes spawned by hurricanes are among the worst killers in terms of all storms. The following suggestions should be considered in the instance of a hurricane spawned tornado:
• If you are alerted to a tornado through the radio or if you sight such a storm, seek inside shelter immediately, preferably below ground level.
• If the tornado catches you outside and there is not time to escape, lie flat in the nearest depression such as a ditch or ravine.
• Remain indoors during the storm, preferably in an interior room without windows.
• When electric power is disrupted, turn off appliances and light switches so that electric circuits will not be overloaded when electricity is restored.
• Keep refrigerator and freezer doors shut. Food will stay cold for hours if you keep the cold air inside.
• Use the most perishable foods first.
Have coloring books and crayons to keep young minds busy to prevent boredom. Keep other appropriate games for your children where they are immediately accessible.
Another lesson learned from events in Louisiana was that you can not count on law enforcement or other emergency services for your personal protection. In some cases, they may evacuate with others and simply not be there to protect you and your family. Those who stay, may be so few in numbers that they may not be able to respond to calls for assistance. In fact, their communication systems may be in such disarray that they can’t even communicate between themselves.
In any disaster there will always be a criminal element ready to take advantage of the situation. There were even reports of some in law enforcement who participated in such criminal activity. Depending on your personal beliefs about personal protection and firearms, you may want to consider a personal weapon. If you do consider this option, it is critical that you rush out and purchase a firearm at the last minute. This should be considered well in advance with consultation from a professional who can discuss what is best for your specific situation and offer suggestions for training. For those of us who have grown up with firearms or served in the military with a variety of weapons, a personal firearm is just another tool in the personal protection planning kit.
Unfortunately, many people do not prepare in advance for severe storms and they rapidly exhaust their survival supplies. Every home should have a survival kit which is immediately available in the event of a natural disaster. The following suggestions should be considered in preparing a survival kit:
• Flashlight
• Fresh batteries
• Portable radio
• First aid kit
• Bottled water
• Sterno
• Candles
• Matches
• Non¬perishable foods
• Canned Food
• Manual can opener
• Hammer
• Nails
• Duct tape
• Plywood sheets
• Rope
• Canvas tarpaulin
• Inflatable raft
• Life preservers
• Cooking and eating utensils
• Plastic bags for storage of waste and trash
TORNADOES
A tornado is a violently swirling column of air in contact with the ground. Tornadoes usually develop from strong or severe thunderstorms. Their time on Earth is short, and their destructive paths are rather small. Yet, when one of these short lived, local storms marches through populated areas, it leaves a path of almost total destruction. In seconds, a tornado can reduce neighborhoods into rubble.
Although most tornadoes strike during the spring and summer, it is important to realize that they can occur anywhere, at any time. The winds of the tornado can reach speeds of 100 to 300 miles per hour, and the tornado travels at an average speed of 30 miles per hour. Tornadoes can topple buildings, roll mobile homes, uproot trees, hurl people and animals through the air for hundreds of yards, and fill the air with lethal, wind¬borne debris. Test have shown that a tornado can penetrate a block structure with a piece of lumber or other debris like a knife through butter. Since the direction tornadoes travel can be erratic and may change suddenly, get to shelter immedi-ately!
If You Are in a House or Apartment
The following suggestions should be considered in a tornado:
• The safest place is in the basement in a corner against an outside wall or underneath the basement stairway.
• For added protection, get under something strong, such as a workbench or heavy table. If possible, cover your body with a blanket or sleeping bag. Protect your head with anything that is available.
• Avoid windows! Flying debris does most of the killing, and the worst kind of flying debris is broken glass.
• Avoid taking shelter underneath a floor that supports the refrigerator, washing machine, piano, or other heavy objects.
• Avoid rock or brick walls and chimneys. They have a tendency to collapse straight down.
• If the house has no basement or if there is not enough time to get to the basement, move to an interior closet, an interior bathroom, or the innermost hallway on the lowest floor. Because the walls are closely tied together, they will hold together better in the high winds.
• If your apartment building has a steel and concrete reinforced parking area, this may offer more protection from flying debris and the threat of collapsing floors or ceilings.
If You Are in a Mobile Home
The following suggestions should be considered in a tornado:
• Seek other shelter immediately.
• Do not get under a mobile home.
• Make arrangements with friends or neighbors who have basements. When the weather looks threatening, go there. Encourage your mobile home community to develop its own shelter.
If You Are in a Motor Vehicle
The following suggestions should be considered in a tornado:
• Do not stay in a motor vehicle during a tornado as it is the least desirable place. Cars, buses, and trucks easily become flying missiles can easily penetrate your vehicle as a result of a tornados winds.
• Never try to outrun a tornado in your car.
• Stop your vehicle and get out. Seek shelter someplace else. Try to get into a basement. Do not get under or next to your vehicle; it may roll over on you.
If You Are Outdoors
The following suggestions should be considered in a tornado:
• If you are outdoors and there is no basement or building to get into, get as far underground as possible. Remember, your best chance for survival is to get away from the killing winds.
• Do not stand up and watch the tornado.
• Seek shelter in a ditch, gully, ravine, or culvert. Even just a low spot in the ground is going to give you some protection.
• Do not get into a grove of trees. Remember to protect your head.
If You Are in a Long Span Building
The following suggestions should be considered in a tornado:
• Grocery stores, theaters, civic centers, shopping centers, gymnasiums, and swimming pools are especially dangerous because the entire roof structure is usually supported solely by the outside walls. The tornado winds knock out the supporting walls and the roof collapses.
• If there is not enough time to get to another building, go to the restroom, the next best place to be. The concrete block walls, metal partitions, and plumbing help hold things together as well as to help support any falling debris.
• If the building is coming apart and there is no time to go anywhere, seek shelter right where you are. Try to get up against something that will support or deflect the falling debris. In a department store, get up against heavy shelving or counters. In a theater, get under the seats. Remember to protect your head.
• If there is time to get out of long span buildings, try to get to a building that has a basement. If no building is available, remember to get out of the winds and into a ditch, gully, or ravine.
In a School, Hospital, Nursing Home, or Office Building
The following suggestions should be considered in a tornado:
• Get into the innermost portion of the building with the shortest span.
• Avoid windows and glass doorways.
• Get into the basement if possible.
• Do not use elevators; the power may go off and you could become stuck on the upper floors.
• Do not open windows; time is too valuable and flying glass is dangerous.
• Students and patients should be moved from the upper floors first.
• Get into the inside hallways and close the doors to the outside rooms. This action will keep flying glass and debris to a minimum. Get everyone against the hallway walls, facing the wall.
• Protect your head, and make yourself as small a target as possible by crouching.
Keep away from the ends of the hallways.
Be Prepared
No matter where your shelter is, have a few basic supplies there. Have spare clothing, blankets or sleeping bags, a portable radio and/ or weather radio, and a flashlight. Fresh drinking water and some food are helpful, as well as a few tools to help you dig out in case of collapse.
Since tornadoes usually take out power lines, practice getting to your shelter under blackout conditions at least once before the tornado season begins and occasionally throughout the season.
EARTHQUAKES
The devastation caused by an earthquake is not confined to those areas of the world on or near fault lines. Earthquakes can cause severe damage hundreds of miles away from a fault line.
During an earthquake, the "solid" Earth moves like the deck of a ship. The actual movement of the ground, however, is seldom the direct cause of death or injury. Most casualties result from falling objects and debris because the shocks can shake, damage, or demolish buildings. Earthquakes may also trigger landslides, cause fires, and generate huge ocean waves called tsunamis. Typically tsunamis kill thousands of people and destroy whole communities.
This report offers suggestions to assist you in preparing for an Earthquake. Other suggestions may also be available from local, state and federal agencies and organizations such as the Red Cross.
Home Checklist
The following suggestions should be considered as part of your home checklist:
• The water heater is attached to the wall studs with galvanized plumber's tape to prevent tipping. Galvanized plumber's tape can be found at your local hardware store.
• There are no cracks in your home's foundation. Cracks wider than one eighth inch indicate potential weakness.
• Your house is attached to the foundation with bolts through the sill.
• The exterior foundation cripple walls (the walls that enclose the crawl space under your home) are properly braced.
• Children's play areas are located away from earthquake hazards. Walls of brick, adobe or concrete block without steel reinforcement, and masonry veneers or chimneys often collapse in earthquakes.
• Household chemicals are stored so that containers will not easily tip over and spill their contents.
• Contact an architect, engineer or local building official for advice on needed repairs or strengthening. If you live in an apartment, ask the building owner to do these repairs.
• Know the locations of emergency exits, fire alarms, and fire extinguishers.
Emergency Supplies
The following suggestions should be considered in preparing your basic supplies for home and office:
• Portable radio (extra batteries).
• Flashlights. Any two battery cell lights are excellent. Lights using more than two "D" battery cells or any lights requiring higher voltage batteries should be of the sealed "safety" type. Batteries last longer if stored in the freezer.
• First aid kit and handbook.
• Enough water for each family member for at least one week and also keep a canteen of water in the car.
• Canned food, non electric can opener, required medications, and powdered milk for at least one week.
• Pipe or crescent wrenches to turn off gas and water supplies.
• Alternate means of cooking such as a barbecue or camp stove that can be used outdoors. Be sure to store fuel out of children's reach.
• Small bottle of chlorine bleach to purify drinking water.
The safest places in your home should be away from heavy furniture or appliances which might shift in an earthquake, masonry veneers (e.g. fireplace) which might fall, and large panes of glass that might break.
Check the location of your gas, electric, and water main shutoffs. Know how to turn them off. If in doubt, ask your gas, power, and water companies.
You should have a place where your family can reunite after the earthquake. You may be at work when the earthquake occurs, or the children may be in school. Know the earthquake plan developed by your children's school. You may have to stay at your workplace for a day or two following a major earthquake. Transportation and communication may be disrupted. Make sure your family has a plan for what to do wherever they are when the earthquake occurs.
You should know the locations of your nearest fire and police stations and local emergency medical facilities.
Organizing Your Neighborhood
It may take up to 72 hours or longer for emergency assistance to reach you after a major earthquake. You and your neighbors will have to depend on one another to cope with the damage and injuries until help arrives. Just like your family, your neighbors will be better able to cope with the aftermath of an earthquake or any disaster if everyone is prepared.
Some communities with an existing program to watch out for the property and welfare of other residents, such as "Neighborhood Watch," may include earthquake preparedness as part of their program.
Community Preparedness
This report offers suggestions for developing a Community Preparedness Plan.
Schedule a meeting of your neighbors to discuss earthquake preparedness. Your local, state and federal agencies may be able to assist you with suggestions and materials. In addition, community organizations such as the Red Cross may be able to assist you with speakers, films, and printed materials.
Develop and distribute a questionnaire in person well in advance of the scheduled meeting. There may be an initial lack of enthusiasm in the community for such an activity so you may want to consider including copies of newspaper clippings from earlier crisis events to support your suggestions.
The following suggestions should be considered in developing the questionnaire:
• Number of residents per household.
• Home telephone number.
• Work address and telephone number.
• Name, address and telephone number of school(s).
• Telephone number of relatives.
• Special skills, such as nursing or radio operation that could be helpful in an emergency.
At the meeting, assign emergency tasks to each person. Assign enough work to maintain interest, but not enough to discourage volunteers. Try matching assignments with special skills. Selected individuals should have professional skills or first aid training. Individuals with radio experience could handle communications. Plumbers and electricians could help restore utility service.
During an Earthquake
The following suggestions should be considered during an Earthquake:
• If you are indoors, get under a desk or table and hang onto it. Stay clear of windows, fireplaces, and heavy furniture or appliances. If you rush outside, you may be injured by falling glass or falling debris. Do not try using the stairs or elevators while the building is shaking or while there is danger of being hit by falling glass or debris.
• If you are outside, get into an open area, away from buildings and power lines.
• If you are driving, stop but stay inside your vehicle. Do not stop under trees, light post, electrical power lines or signs.
• If you are in a mountainous area, be alert for falling rock and other debris that could be loosened by the quake.
After an Earthquake
The following suggestions should be considered in the aftermath of an Earthquake:
• Check for injuries, use proper first aid, and seek out and treat the most seriously injured first.
• If a person is not breathing—use mouth to¬ mouth resuscitation to revive them.
• If a person is bleeding—put pressure over the wound. Use clean gauze or cloth, if available.
• Do not attempt to move seriously injured persons unless they are in immediate danger of further injury.
• Cover injured persons with blankets to prevent shock.
• Wear shoes to avoid injury from broken glass and debris.
The following suggestions should be considered as potential risk:
• Fire or fire hazards.
• Gas leaks. If a leak is suspected or identi¬fied by the odor of natural gas, shut off the main gas valve or wait for the gas company to check it and they will turn it back on.
• Damaged electrical wiring. If there is any damage to your house wiring, shut off power at the control box.
• Downed or damaged utility lines. Do not touch downed power lines or objects in contact with them.
• Downed or damaged chimneys. Approach chimneys with caution. They may be weakened and could topple during an aftershock. Don't use a damaged chimney; it could start a fire.
• Fallen items in closets and cupboards. Be¬ware of items tumbling off shelves when you open the door.
• Immediately clean up any spilled medicines, drugs, or other potentially harmful materials such as bleach, lye or gasoline or other petroleum products.
• Check your food and water supplies.
• Do not eat or drink anything from open containers near shattered glass.
• If power is off, plan meals to use up frozen food or food that spoils quickly.
• Use barbecues or camp stoves outdoors for emergency cooking.
• If water is off, you can use supplies from water heaters, toilet tanks, melted ice cubes, canned vegetables.
• Do not search for a gas leak with a match, or lit smoking material.
• Let the gas company turn on the gas.
• Do not use lighters or open flame appliances until you are sure there are no gas leaks.
• Do not operate electrical switches/appliances, including telephones, if you suspect a gas leak. The appliance may create a spark that could ignite the leaking gas.
• Only use telephones in an emergency. You could tie up lines needed for emergency services.
How to Shut Off a Gas Supply
Typically, the main shut off valve is located next to your meter on the inlet pipe. You can use a crescent or pipe wrench and give the valve a quarter turn in either direction. The valve should run crosswise on the pipe and this should close the line. You should know how to turn off the gas supply in an emergency. If in doubt, you should contact your service provider.
How to Shut Off Electricity
Locate the ON/OFF switch on the circuit breaker box or fuse box. The main fuse nearest the heavy cable coming into the building can also be shut off. You should know how to turn off the electricity in an emergency. If in doubt, you should contact your service provider.
Disinfecting of Water
There are several effective and well tested water purification kits available through most camping and hunting outdoor retailers. We recommend that you obtain one of these kits and store it with your emergency supplies. Straining water through a clean cloth and boiling may be another option. If Sterno is available in your kit as suggested earlier in this report, it will make this task easier.
Cooperate With Public Safety Efforts
The following suggestions should be considered in order to assist public safety efforts:
• Do not use your telephone except to report medical, fire or violent crime emergencies.
• Turn on your portable radio for emergency information and damage reports.
• Do not go sightseeing afterwards, especially in beach and waterfront areas where seismic waves could strike. Stay away from heavily damaged areas.
• Keep streets clear for emergency vehicles.
• Be prepared for aftershocks. Most of these are smaller than the main quake, but some may be large enough to do additional damage.
THUNDERSTORMS AND LIGHTNING
Lightning always accompanies thunderstorms. One strike of lightning can carry 100 million volts and a heat so intense that it can boil and evaporate the sap in a tree. Lightning travels 200 miles per second; it can take less than 1 second for lightning to fatally strike a person. Usually, people are not directly struck. The strike may hit a tree, and the person near the tree receives a small charge, only 1 2 seconds of that small charge can cause death. Lightning causes many thousands of building and forest fires each year, and it kills more people than either hurricanes or tornadoes combined. Of those people struck, two thirds survive. Probably more people would survive if those at the scene knew how to react.
When someone is struck by lightning, all cells in the body stop functioning. The sudden voltage can place the victim in suspended animation for 5 20 minutes. This causes a halt to respiration, heartbeat, and metabo¬lism. An observer could easily assume that the victim is dead, and many people probably die because of this faulty assumption. This is not true. The lightning enters and exits the body in a second.
First Aid for Victims of Lightning Strikes
The following suggestions should be considered when providing first aid to the lightning victim:
• Check the breathing of the person who seems to be unconscious or even dead. If the person is not breathing, begin mouth to mouth resuscitation and try to find a pulse. If there is no pulse, begin cardiovascular resuscitation and continue until the body takes over and resumes normal function. This may take a long time, but with your efforts you are sustaining life. When the heartbeat does return, it often begins with a very slow beat and gradually returns to normal. It is also possible that the heart and breathing may stop and start many times. Therefore, victims must be watched continuously until professional help arrives. Even after recovery, the person may appear cyanotic (blue) or complain of numbness and even paralysis. Others will suffer from headache or amnesia. You should be alert to these symptoms and mention them to the medical professionals when they arrive; however, a first responders primary concern is to sustain breathing and heartbeat.
• Many victims also have burns, ranging from minor redness to third degree charring, after being struck by lightning. The skin may appear charred in two areas: the point where flow of electricity entered the body and the point where it exited—usually the feet. Treat these burns by covering them with sterile gauze. The depth of injury may be greater than it appears.
• Lightning may create debris and also cause people to be thrown about, resulting in wounds and broken bones. These are treated the same way as any wounds or fractures. First try to control bleeding and then cover and splint possible breaks. To be sure, keep a close watch on breathing and heartbeat and, if they stop, begin emergency procedures.
Precautions To Take During Thunderstorms
The following suggestions should be considered during a thunderstorm:
• Go inside when a thunderstorm develops. While inside, do not use the telephone or stand between a door and a window.
• If you are in an all metal vehicle, stay there. In a car, do not lean against the doors or play a citizen band radio. If you are in a convertible car, get indoors.
• It may be advisable to unplug the television set and other appliances, e.g., air conditioners, etc. If lightning strikes a power line, the electrical surge could bum out your set. Do not, however, unplug the set during a storm—an electrical surge at that moment could cause severe injury.
• If you cannot get indoors, do not stand under a natural lightning rod, such as a single tree in an open area. Avoid small sheds or barns standing alone in open spaces.
• Try not to be the tallest object in an area. Do not stand on a hilltop or an open beach. Look for a cave, an overhang, a gully, or a ditch that is lower than ground level, but not one that is filling with water.
• Stay away from wire fences, metal pipes, railroad rails, or any other metal path that could conduct lightning and carry it to you.
• If you are on a vehicle such as a motorcycle, golf cart, or bike, get off and find safe shelter.
• Do not carry anything made of metal, such as golf clubs, an umbrella, or a metal tennis racket. Put it down and come back for it after the storm.
• Get away from and out of water. Do not stay out in a small open boat. In a boat, go below deck or get as low as possible. Stay as far away as you can from the mast of a sailboat.
• If you are in the woods, find a low area under a thick growth of small trees, but be alert for flash floods. A camp tent in the woods is probably safe if the tent is not pitched near a tall, isolated tree or in an open space.
• As the storm descends, resist running out to take clothes off the line.
• If you feel your hair stand on end, suggesting that lightning is about to strike, drop to your knees and bend forward, putting your hands on your knees. Do not lie flat. You want as small an area as possible touching the ground to minimize the danger of your body acting as a conductor.
OTHER NATURAL DISASTERS
The natural phenomena described in this report do not normally receive the amounts of publicity that the previously described storms do, but they can be equally dangerous.
Winter Storms
Blizzards are the most dramatic and perilous of all winter storms, characterized by strong winds bearing large amounts of snow. Most of the snow accompany¬ing a blizzard is in the form of fine, powdery particles, whipped in such great quantities that at times visibility is only a few yards.
The following suggestions should be considered if you are trapped in a blizzard:
• Avoid overexertion and exposure. Exertion from attempting to push your car, shoveling heavy drifts, and performing other difficult chores during the strong winds, blinding snow, and bitter cold of a blizzard may cause a heart attack—even for people in apparently good physical condition.
• Stay in your vehicle. Do not attempt to walk out of a blizzard. Disorientation comes quickly in blowing and drifting snow. Being lost in open country during a blizzard is almost certain death. You are more likely to be found and more likely to be sheltered in your car.
• Keep fresh air in the car. Freezing wet snow and wind driven snow can completely seal the passenger compartment.
• Beware of carbon monoxide and oxygen starvation. Run the motor and heater sparingly and only with the downwind window open for ventilation.
• Exercise by clapping hands and moving arms and legs vigorously from time to time, and do not stay in one position for too long.
• Turn on dome light at night to make the vehicle visible to work crews.
• Keep watch. Do not permit all occupants of the car to sleep at once.
Winter Storms Checklist
Keep ahead of the winter storm by listening to the latest weather warnings and bulletins on radio and television. The following suggestions should be considered as part of your winter storms checklist:
• Check battery powered equipment before the storm arrives. A portable radio or television set may be your only contact with the world outside the winter storm. Also, check emergency cooking facilities and flashlights.
• Check your supply of heating fuel. Fuel carriers may not be able to service you if winter storm buries your area in snow.
• Keep an extra food supply. Your supply should include food that requires no cook¬ing or refrigeration in case of a power failure.
• Prevent fire hazards due to overheated coal or oil burning stoves, fireplaces, heaters, or furnaces.
• Stay indoors during storms and cold snaps unless you are in peak physical condition. If you must go out, avoid overexertion.
• Shoveling snow can be extremely hard work for anyone in less than prime physical condition and has been known to bring on a heart attack, a major cause of death during and after winter storms.
• If you live in a rural area, make necessary trips for supplies before the storm develops or not at all; arrange for emergency heat supply in case of power failure, and be sure camp stoves and lanterns are filled.
Your automobile can be your best friend—or your worst enemy—during winter storms, depending on your preparations. Have your car winterized before the storm season begins. The following suggestions should be considered in preparing your vehicle checklist before the storm season:
• Ignition system
• Battery
• Radio
• Lights
• Tire tread
• Fuel system
• Lubrication
• Exhaust system
• Window scraper
• Heater
• Brakes adjusted
• Wiper blades
• Defroster
• Snow tires installed
• Chains
• Antifreeze
• Winter grade oil
During the winter storm season you should be prepared for the worst case scenario. Carry a winter storm survival kit in your car, especially if cross country travel is anticipated.
The following suggestions should be considered in preparing a winter storm survival kit:
• Blankets
• Sleeping bags
• Matches
• Candles
• Empty 3 pound coffee can with plastic cover
• Facial tissue
• Paper towels
• Extra clothing
• High calorie nonperishable food
• Compass and road maps
• Knife
• First aid kit
• Shovel
• Sack of sand
• Flashlight or signal light
• Windshield scraper
• Battery booster cables
• Tow chains
• Fire extinguisher
• Catalytic heater
• Ax
• Handheld Global Positioning System (GPS) with integrated map.
Winter travel by automobile is serious business. Take your travel seriously. If you are fortunate enough to have a Global Positioning System installed in your vehicle this will greatly aid in your navigation when visibility is poor. In addition to directing you to your destination, it will notify you in advance of upcoming turns which will greatly reduce last minute turns and reduce accidents.
If the storm exceeds or even tests your limi¬tations, seek available refuge immediately. Plan your travel and select primary and alternate routes. Check latest weather information on your radio. Try not to travel alone; two or three people are preferable. Travel in convoy with another vehicle, if possible. Always fill gasoline tank before entering open country, even for a short distance. Drive carefully and defensively.
Dress to fit the season. If you spend much time outdoors, wear loose fitting, lightweight, warm clothing in several layers; layers can be removed to prevent perspiring and subsequent chill. Outer garments should be tightly woven, water repellent, and hooded. The hood should protect much of the face; cover the mouth to ensure warm breathing and to protect the lungs from the extremely cold air. Remember that entrapped, insulating air, warmed by body heat, is the best protection against cold. Several layers of thinner protective clothing are more effective and efficient than single layers of thick clothing; and mittens, snug at the wrists, are better protection than fingered gloves.
Flash Floods
Flash floods are a fact of life, and death frequently occurs along the rivers and streams of the world. These deaths result from heavy rains filling natural and manu¬factured drainage systems, to overflowing, with raging water.
Flash flood waves, moving at incredible speeds, can roll boulders, tear out trees, destroy buildings and bridges, and scour out new channels. Killing walls of water can reach heights of 10 20 feet. You will not always have warning that these deadly, sudden floods are coming.
The moment you first realize that a flash flood is imminent, act quickly to save yourself. You may have only seconds and should consider the following suggestions:
• Get out of areas subject to flooding, including dips, low spots, canyons, washes, etc.
• Avoid already flooded and high velocity flow areas. Do not attempt to cross a flowing stream on foot where water is above your knees.
• If driving, know the depth of water in a dip before crossing. The roadbed may not be intact under the water.
• If the vehicle stalls, abandon it immediately and seek higher ground; rapidly rising water may engulf the vehicle and its occupants and sweep them away.
• Be especially cautious at night when it is harder to recognize flood dangers.
• Do not camp or park your vehicle along streams and washes, particularly during threatening conditions.
General Floods
A general flood usually provides ample warning time to those in its path. It is much slower to develop than the flash flood. Flooding occurs when sufficient rain has fallen to cause rivers to overflow their banks and when melting snow combines with rainfall to produce similar effects.
Flood Safety Rules
Before the flood:
The following suggestions should be considered before the flood:
• Keep materials on hand such as sandbags, plywood, plastic sheeting, and lumber.
• Install check valves in building sewer traps to prevent flood water from backing up in sewer drains.
• Arrange for auxiliary electrical supplies for hospitals and other operations that are critically affected by power failure.
• Keep first aid supplies at hand.
• Keep your automobile fueled; if electric power is cut off, service stations may not be able to operate pumps for several days.
• Keep a stock of food that requires little or no cooking and no refrigeration; electrical power may be interrupted.
• Keep a portable radio, emergency cooking equipment, lights, and flashlights in working order.
• Know your elevation above flood state.
• Know your evacuation route.
After a flood warning:
The following suggestions should be considered:
• Store drinking water in clean bathtubs and in various containers. Water service may be interrupted.
• If you are forced to leave your home and time permits, move essential items to safe ground; fill fuel tanks to keep them from floating away, and grease immovable machinery.
• Move to a safe area before access is cut off by flood water.
During the flood:
The following suggestions should be considered:
• Avoid areas subject to flooding.
• Do not attempt to cross a flowing stream where water is above your knees.
• Do not attempt to drive over a flooded road; you can be stranded or trapped. The depth of water is not always obvious.
After the flood:
The following suggestions should be considered:
• Do not use fresh food that has come in contact with flood waters.
• Boil drinking water before using. Wells should be pumped out, and the water tested for purity before drinking.
• Seek necessary medical care at nearest hospital. Food, clothing, shelter, and first aid may also be available at Red Cross shelters.
• Do not visit disaster areas; your presence might hamper rescue and other emergency operations.
• Do not handle live electrical equipment in wet areas; electrical equipment should be checked and dried before being resumed to service.
• Use flashlights, not lanterns or torches, to examine buildings, because flammable may be inside.
• Report broken utility lines to appropriate authorities.
Heat Wave
Heat kills by taxing the human body beyond its abilities. U.S. Government statistics, from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, indicate that in the United States more direct casualties result annually from heat and solar radiation than from other natural hazards, such as lightning strikes, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, or earthquakes.
Problems for Special Populations
Elderly people, small children, chronic invalids, those on certain medications or drugs, and people with weight and alcohol problems are particularly susceptible to heat reactions, especially during heat waves in areas where a moderate climate usually prevails.
Heat Wave Safety Tips
The following suggestions should be considered during a heat wave:
• Slow down. Strenuous activities should be reduced, eliminated, or rescheduled to the coolest time of the day.
• Individuals at risk should stay in the coolest available place, which may not necessarily be indoors.
• Dress for summer. Lightweight, light colored clothing reflects heat and sunlight and helps the body maintain normal temperatures.
• Put less fuel on your inner fires. Foods (like proteins) that increase metabolic heat production also increase water loss.
• Drink plenty of water or other nonalcoholic fluids. Your body needs water to keep cool. Drink plenty of fluids even if you do not feel thirsty. People who: (1) have epilepsy, kidney, or liver disease, (2) are on fluid restrictive diets, or (3) have a problem with fluid retention should consult a physician before increasing their consumption of fluids.
• Do not drink alcoholic beverages.
• Do not take salt tablets or increase salt intake unless specified by a physician.
• Spend more time in air conditioned places. If you cannot afford an air conditioner, spend some time each day (during hot weather) in an air conditioned environment if possible, because it affords some protection.
• Do not get too much sun. Sunburn makes the job of heat dissipation much more difficult.
EPIDEMICS AND EMERGENCY CARE
A significant challenge to any health care system is the occurrence of a sudden disaster such as a flood, earthquake, or hurricane. Such events create a period in which decisions made can alter the balance between life and death. The word disaster implies that the estab¬lished systems of medical care are overwhelmed or destroyed. With this in mind, we will examine the question of epidemic and emergency care concerns during a crisis.
Even under normal conditions, health risks exist every¬where, and for this reason, international travelers are advised to contact their local health department, physi¬cian, or private or public health agency at least four weeks prior to departure to obtain current health infor¬mation on countries that they plan to visit. It is very important to be aware of health problems associated with your scheduled destination. This focus on educa¬tion, prior to departure, can assist you in overcoming a spontaneous situation arising from some emergency after your arrival.
EPIDEMICS
We can examine the role you can play in protecting yourself from an epidemic situation. From the educa-tional approach, you can review the medical history of an area. Wherever you might travel, medical statistics have been collected, analyzed, and summarized evaluat¬ing diseases past and present. Although most authorities agree that significant reporting problems exist, they still feel that the information gathered is very useful in monitoring and reflecting an area's current state of health. Although executives who travel cannot person¬ally do all of the research involved, they can assign it to someone on their staffs. Without this slight advance preparation, you could be placing yourself at risk.
Most industrialized countries have virtually eliminated the problem of epidemics as primary disasters, but outbreaks can result in connection with some other disaster or as an isolated terrorist event. Although poorer developing countries also rarely experience outbreaks of communicable diseases, when it happens after a disaster, it usually involves encampment of populations where meticulous attention to sanitation is not a priority. The most prevalent diseases in populations stricken by disaster are food intoxication because of bacterial toxins or water con¬tamination resulting from the breakdown of sanitation systems.
Because disease can erupt in the aftermath of a disaster, health authorities monitor epidemiological factors that determine the potential for transmitting communicable diseases. Some of these factors may include:
• Changes in preexisting levels of disease.
• Population displacement.
• Population density.
• Disruption of public utilities.
• Interruption of basic public health services.
All diseases have specific preventive recommendations. Generally these recommendations are routine public health measures that apply to everyday life. Although some guidelines may seem obvious, we need to think in terms of the factors listed.
The following concerns should be considered after a disaster:
• Safe water for drinking and washing: If the local water system becomes contaminated, do you have treatment capability or stored emergency water for drinking and personal hygiene? Would the local authorities be able to communicate a contamination problem to you, or could you identify a problem immediately?
• Sanitation: When normal sanitation systems stop working, a temporary system must be established immediately to prevent further health complications. Adequate water supplies are necessary to clean hands to prevent further spread of disease while executing routine duties such as food preparation or care of the sick and injured.
• Food preparation: You should have access to adequate food and the means to prepare it properly and eat only well cooked foods while they are hot.
• Insect and animal control: The concerns noted above, water contamination, sanitation, and food preparation, will determine the impact of animals and insects in a disaster area. They can become carriers in some situations if attention is not given to vector control. In areas where insect and animal diseases are endemic, use screening and insect repellent and avoid contact with animals as much as possible.
• Crowding: As the population density increases, all emergency services will feel the effects. When any system is overwhelmed, it creates additional problems that need quick solutions. If an epidemic potential exists, departure from the general area will remove you from the danger, but often this is not feasible. Remember, epidemics can occur after a disaster when encampments become necessary.
• Disease surveillance, identification, immunization, isolation, and treatment: Authorities will investigate rumors and reports of diseases, test for factual results, report to decision makers, and provide continuous monitoring through the recovery phase after an epidemic.
EMERGENCY CARE
After any disaster, emergency care becomes a main part of the recovery. When we think of emergency care, many things come to mind, such as ambulance techni¬cians at an accident scene or the hospital emergency room. These two situations are far removed from the types of scenes found in the aftermath of a disaster. It is possible that local authorities could be completely overwhelmed and committed for several days, depend¬ing on the size of the disaster. The importance of knowing life safety procedures and first aid techniques cannot be overstressed during this initial period of a disaster.
The first 24 hours are critical in saving the lives of injured victims. A medical assessment should be done immediately, or as soon as possible, following the disaster. Some injured people will not be able to survive the ordeal, and your limited response should be used where it can do the most good. Those who have training in first aid need to organize the others and use them in assisting and treating the injured, thus starting to care for the injured and keeping the others busy to reduce the risk of panic. A morgue must be established to separate the deceased people from the survivors. Separation is as much for psychological as for physical purposes.
In a disaster setting, survival could depend on an ability to care for yourself, your family, or your group for several days, independent of any local, regional, or national assistance. Survival studies have suggested that it is dangerous to be passive and to wait for help. You should be ready to assume a high level of personal responsibility and take charge, assess, plan, and act, using the resources at hand to maximize your chances to bring yourself and your group through the ordeal.
In most industrialized urban work settings, health care systems are organized so that the vast majority of health problems are handled quickly, effectively, and with a minimal loss of life. As you travel, the responsibility for knowing emergency care techniques and health¬ related information increases proportionately with the distance that separates you from a health care system or program on which you can depend. Health organiza¬tions recommend a working knowledge of first aid, health profile research for all destinations, and on arrival, familiarization with health care resources available locally. Advance planning and research is always recommended before a trip.
