If this is an emergency …

Families need to be prepared in case of disaster

Home, sweet home. Our nest, our haven. The place where we feel the safest and wrap our protective arms around our families. But in times of disaster, natural or man-made, our little corner of the world can quickly be turned upside down.

Here in Arkansas, the mention of disasters usually brings to mind tornadoes, floods, ice storms, earthquakes and fires.

But as illustrated by the March 29 Exxon Mobil pipeline rupture in Mayflower, which spilled an estimated 210,000 gallons of oil and forced residents of 22 houses in the Northwoods subdivision to evacuate, emergencies vary. And they usually arrive with little or no warning.

What’s the best way to keep your family, yourself and your home safe in an emergency? Prepare for it by creating an emergency plan and assembling an emergency supply kit of helpful items in a container that is transportable if an evacuation becomes necessary.

There are lots of options for those wishing to buy prepackaged kits, from the small, portable Quakehold! Grab ’n Go Emergency Kit, a two-person, three-day backpack for $39, to a 50-piece Stansport Deluxe Emergency Preparedness Kit in a 30-by-14-inch cargo bag for $167.31, both found on amazon.com.

The American Red Cross sells disaster supply kits on its online store at redcrossstore.org and at some local offices. Contact your nearest Red Cross chapter to see what is available.

There are also guidebooks like The Prepper’s Pocket Guide: 101 Easy Things You Can Do to Ready Your Home for a Disaster by Bernie Carr and Evan Wondolowski. In the book, which sells for $12.95, topics ranging from assembling a 72-hour survival kit and avoiding common preparedness mistakes are covered.

MAKE A KIT

Several agencies and organizations, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the American Red Cross, offer advice on how to assemble a home emergency kit as well as what to do in an emergency.

“Past disasters clearly identify the critical need for individuals and families to make a plan, have a kit and stay informed to successfully navigate a disaster,” says Robert J. Alvey, a spokesman with FEMA.

He directs those interested in compiling a personal disaster kit to visit FEMA’s website, ready.

gov/build-a-kit.

“The key is to take the time to build the kit so that you simply pick it up and take it with you without delaying any evacuation or sheltering actions,” Alvey says.

Since those experiencing a disaster may need to survive on their own for a while, FEMA encourages having enough food, water and other supplies to last at least 72 hours.

And since basic services such as electricity, telephone, water, gas, and sewage treatment may be out of service for days, a week, or more, residents should include items in their disaster supplies kit to survive without those services.

WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE …

Of all the items in a disaster supplies kit, water is the most important. FEMA recommends drinking the water that you know is not contaminated first. Every person needs at least one quart (four cups) of water each day, but allow people to drink according to their needs; many need more than the average amount. Carbonated beverages don’t meet drinking water requirements, and caffeinated and alcoholic beverages actually dehydrate the body, increasing the need for water. Don’t ration drinking water; instead drink the amount you need that day and try to find more the next. Reduce activity and stay cool to lessen the amount of water needed.

If needed, suspicious water (cloudy water from regular faucets or water from streams or ponds) can be consumed after it has been treated. If water treatment is not possible, delay drinking suspicious water as long as possible, but do not become dehydrated.

In the case of broken water or sewage lines or if local officials report a problem, protect the water sources already in your home from contamination by turning off main water valves. To close the water source, find the incoming valve and turn it to the closed position.

PLAN AHEAD

Having a plan in place makes it easier for family members who may not be together when an emergency occurs to work together, communicate and reunite.

“Most people still do not take preparedness as seriously as we should,” says Brigette Williams, spokesman for the American Red Cross in Arkansas. “Living in a disaster-prone state such as Arkansas, you’d think we’d be experts at this but statistically we still have people who wait to hear a tornado or see it before they take action. But it’s always better to be safe than sorry.”

Red Cross suggests meeting with family or household members to discuss how to prepare and respond to emergencies that are most likely to happen in your area. Identify responsibilities for each member of your household and plan to work together as a team and what to do in case you are separated during an emergency, selecting two places to meet - one just outside the home in case of an emergency such as a fire and a location outside the neighborhood in case returning home isn’t an option.

If evacuation is required, decide where you would go - a hotel, staying with friends, or an evacuation shelter - and what route to take. Practice evacuating twice a year, driving the route and choosing alternates in case roads are impassable. Pet owners should plan ahead with a list of pet-friendly hotels/motels and animal shelters that are along your evacuation routes.

Choose someone who lives outside the area to be the emergency contact, as they could be easier to reach if local lines are overloaded or out of service. Everyone should have emergency contact information in writing or saved on their cell phones. To let family members know you are safe following a community-wide disaster, call (800) RED CROSS or (800) 733-2767 and select the prompt for “Disaster” to register yourself and your family or register on the American Red Cross Safe and Well website, safeandwell.communityos.org/cms/index.php.

THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT

Williams adds that the Red Cross is also putting modern technology to use to help people stay safe, offering a variety of disaster-related applications for smart phones, which include a flashlight, strobe light and a feature that will push all weather warnings in the resident’s area to their phone, and the capacity to build an emergency plan on the phone, which can be accessed even when phone service is out and calls can’t be made. For more information, visit the tools and resources section at redcross.org/prepare/mobile-apps or at iTunes or Google Play on a smart phone. Additional disaster planning information is available at redcross.org.

HomeStyle, Pages 33 on 04/27/2013

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