Turn off the gas lines to your home. There is a main valve outside at the meter. Turning the gas supply off to the home may save you from an explosion.
Shut off the electrical power at the main panel. This can avoid shock during the disaster or damage to your electronic equipment and appliances when power is restored to an area.
Be very careful when reentering a flood or fire damaged home. These can and will collapse without warning possibly leaving whoever is in the building in the same condition as the Wicked Witch in Oz after the house fell on her. By the way, we all know you will want back into the home after a disaster, but it is really not a good idea until cleared by a professional.
The drinking water system may be contaminated. Disease can be flushed into the drinking water supply. Flood waters can be contaminated by sewage system overflows. Even a small open cut can be the start of a serious illness or infection when in contact with flood waters.
Do not turn on the electricity or gas in a damaged home until the home is checked by a professional. Damaged appliances can be a risk of fire, injury or explosion. If appliance and other basic equipment are not properly dried and cleaned before they are tuned on, you may cause permanent damage to them.
For much of our lives, Emergency or Disaster Planning referred to natural disasters. Those plans would include floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, fires and the like.
History has changed. As one example, up until 911, if a plane was hijacked, it meant that the passengers got a flight to see what Cuba looked like, not die in an inferno as a plane was driven into a building. Fights at schools were talked about all day, and two students duked it out with fists in an agreed meeting place just out of sight of the school. Guns and mass killings were not a reality we imagined in our wildest dreams.
“Shelter in Place” is the term used for “Stay in your home, do not go outside because it is dangerous”. One reason to Shelter in Place could be terrorists on the loose that are using conventional weapons such and guns and explosives. Blocking of doors and windows with barricades in an interior room is the best plan in that case.
When the reason to “shelter in place” is chemical, biological or nuclear weapons, there are other considerations to include in the plan. Sarin gas, disease agents and dirty nuclear bombs are examples of this type of attack. Most of these deadly toxins tend to move at ground level, not at a higher elevation. The best plan is to:
Other Resources to Prepare for Disaster are a Click Away
Smart phone technology has many benefits, and one is “Apps” for just about everything. Google the subject of “Disaster Apps” and a list of quality apps are available. Select the ones most fitted for your area and circumstances.
Many of us have been touched by at least one and often several disasters. From our family’s experiences, we have had parents evacuated for hurricanes and nieces and nephews in the Columbine School system. When 911 hit, we had several children in office towers in Pittsburgh.
This is a time where we gather and celebrate with our loved ones, and when that is not possible, at the very least, we are thinking about them. It is ever so much more important to be able to reach our loved ones in times of disaster. Make creating a disaster plan your New Year’s resolution
Prepare for Disaster Ahead of Time
Imagine that something terrible has happened. Connecting with the people you love is likely to be your most important goal. Sadly, we need to add terrorist caused events to the list of natural disasters to consider in our planning. You need to have a plan for your family. Communication is difficult at best after a disaster. With terrorism and attacks on our technological infrastructure, our technology may be wiped out and leave us unable to use a cell phone to connect with each other.
One part of the plan is to have a local place to meet. That plan should also have a place out of the area for family members to call and "report in" so that you know that “all are safe” when everyone can’t get to the meeting place.
Then there are the basic necessities of food, water and light. Finding clean and healthy supplies of these items can be a problem in times of disasters. Keep a bin of food and water stored in your home with a couple of flashlights and batteries. Throw an emergency radio into the bin. We have one that operates off of a hand crank avoiding dead battery problems. Make sure you include a couple of LED lights that shine a very long time with little battery drainage.
A container of gasoline stored in a shed outside of the home may be a good idea. This is important if you need to travel away from the area, and there isn’t any power to get gas at a gas station.
Another necessity is keeping some cash on hand just in case the ATM machines and credit card processing are disabled.
Have a portable fire safe for important documents that you may need. You should always have these items in that safe so that they are protected from a fire, and portable to take with you in other disasters. Swapping an extra copy of these papers with a trusted relative in another location is a great backup plan.
www.Ready.gov has a great downloadable resource for collecting and keeping important disaster information. It will guide you through collecting the most important information, and be a resource to copy and give everyone in your family. The website URL for their “Wallet Planning Card” is http://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/108887
Improve Your Home's Environment
These suggestions will make you feel better in your home. It is your castle and should be the very best it can be. Ironically, your castle should be a lot more comfortable than a real castle.
Take a couple of weekends and pick from the list of chores that can make your home healthier and more pleasant.
Streamline and de-clutter
Install "daylight" type light bulbs
Give away unused "stuff"
Clean the rubber gasket at the door of front loading clothes washers
Replace appliance filters
Run a dehumidifier in damp areas
Ventilate bathrooms, kitchens, attics and basements
Identify and remove things with bad odors
As a final suggestion, walk through and look at what is inside of your home. We are talking about your pictures, furnishings, clothes or even paint colors. If what you see conjures up bad memories or feelings: get rid of it ! If you notice something that is hidden away that makes you feel good, get it out where you can see it. Now! That can be a wonderful New Years gift to yourself.
Prepare a Plan for Disaster
A natural disaster or serious world event could leave us unable to pick up our cell phone and find our families. Massive power or communication failures are no longer only a possibility in science fiction. These failures have become a possible means of terrorism.
It takes moments to plan locations for a family to meet if communication systems fail. There should be a local place and one outside of the area. It could be a landmark or the home of a relative. It takes moments to discuss and decide where to meet if things go terribly awry.
Create an Emergency Kit. Food, fuel and light are critical for survival. Take a moment and consider all of the items that will not work without power and create an alternate plan. The best resource for creating emergency kits is www.Ready.gov. They have many sample lists designed for a wide range of needs such as families, seniors, businesses and many other groups.
Without electricity, the Automatic Teller Machine will not spit out money into your hand no matter how much money is in your account or how many times you ask. Keep some cash on hand in a safe place.
Take a pictures or a video of your home's furnishings and its contents. It is a reality that disasters can occur in any home, even yours. It could be a fire, flood or major theft, but each of these disasters require documentation of the home and its contents for insurance recovery.