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See Also: Hurricanes
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Prepare a Family Disaster Plan Now
A well-thought-out plan of action for you and your family
can go a long way toward reducing potential suffering from any type of
disaster that could strike. With
hurricane season upon us, preparing your family disaster plan is the
first step.
Household emergency plans should be kept simple. The best emergency
plans are those that are easy to
remember.
Maintaining a link to the outside can be crucial. Keep a
battery-operated radio and extra batteries on hand as part of your
disaster supply kit. Make sure family members know where the radio is
kept. Be sure to include pets in your family disaster plan.
Post emergency numbers (fire, police, ambulance) by the phone. Teach
children how to call 911 for help.
Teach responsible family members how to turn off the utilities in your
home.
Identify family meeting places in case you are separated. Choose a place
in a building or park outside your neighborhood. Everyone should be
clear about this location. Develop an emergency communication plan. Ask
an out-of-state relative or friend to serve as the family's contact.
Make sure everyone knows the telephone number of this contact.
Be familiar with escape routes in case you need to evacuate your
neighborhood. Plan several escape routes for different contingencies.
For more information visit www.ready.gov on the Internet or, for printed
information, call 800-BE-READY.
ACTIONS TO TAKE BEFORE -- AND AFTER -- A HURRICANE
The hurricane warning system is increasingly effective in providing
warnings in time for people to move inland when hurricanes threaten.
However, it is becoming more difficult to evacuate people from densely
populated areas. Roads are easily overcrowded, particularly during
summer tourist season.
The problem is compounded by the complacency of people who do not
understand the awesome power of the storm.
Complacency and delayed action could result in needless loss of life and
damage to property.
Before a Hurricane Strikes
Plan a safe evacuation route that will take you 20-50 miles inland.
Contact your local emergency management office or Red Cross chapter and
ask for the community preparedness plan.
Have disaster supplies on hand, including:
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• Portable battery-operated radio and extra batteries
• First-aid kit
• Emergency food and water
• Nonelectric can opener
• Essential medicines
• Cash and credit cards
• Sturdy shoes and a change of clothing
• Copies of important papers, including bank accounts, insurance and
household inventory records
Make sure your family goes over the family disaster plan (see page 2).
Make plans for protecting your house, especially the roof, windows and
doors (see page 4).
Trim dead or weak branches from trees.
Check into flood insurance. Homeowners policies do not cover damage from
flooding that often accompanies hurricanes. Call your local insurance
agent for information or the National Flood Insurance Program at
800-720-1090 (see page 6).
When a Hurricane Watch or Warning Is Issued
Listen to radio or television for hurricane progress reports. Follow
instructions if ordered to evacuate.
Check your emergency supplies. Store drinking water in clean bathtubs,
jugs, bottles and cooking utensils.
Bring in outdoor objects such as lawn furniture, toys and garden tools;
anchor objects that cannot be brought inside but that could be
wind-tossed. Remove outdoor antennas, if possible.
Secure your home by installing hurricane shutters or precut plywood.
Turn the refrigerator and freezer to the coldest settings if not
instructed by officials to turn off utilities.
Fuel your car. Review evacuation routes and gather your disaster supply
kit in case you are instructed to evacuate.
Store valuables and personal papers in a waterproof container.
After a Hurricane
Return home only after authorities say it is safe to do so. Keep tuned
to your local radio or tv station for recovery information.
Beware of downed or loose power lines.
Report them immediately to the power company, police or fire department.
Enter your home with caution. Open windows and doors to ventilate or dry
your home. Do not use candles or open flames in doors. Use a flashlight
to inspect for damage.
Check for gas leaks. If you smell gas or hear a blowing or hissing
noise, quickly leave the building and leave the doors open. Call the gas
company.
Look for electrical system damage. If you see sparks or frayed wires,
turn off electricity at the main fuse box. If you have to step in water
to reach the electric box, call an electrician for advice.
Check for sewage and water-line damage. If you suspect there is such
damage, call the water company. Do not drink or prepare food with tap
water until notified it is safe to do so.
Take pictures of the damage for insurance claims and contact your
service agent.
If Evacuation Is Necessary
If officials order evacuation, leave as soon as possible. Avoid flooded
roads and watch for washed-out bridges.
Secure your home. Unplug appliances and turn off electricity and the
main water valve. If time permits, elevate furniture to protect it from
flooding or move it to a higher floor.
Take your pre-assembled emergency supplies and warm, protective clot
Surviving the Storm is a special edition of the Recovery Times
newsletter, developed by the U.S.
Department of Homeland Security/FEMA.
Copies of Surviving the Storm are available on the FEMA Web site:
www.fema.gov
Aileen Cooper, Editor, DHS/FEMA
Office of Public Affairs.
STRENGTHENING YOUR HOME
After Hurricane Andrew, which caused large- scale destruction in parts
of southern Florida
in 1992, a team of experts examined homes that failed and ones that
survived. They found four areas that
should be checked for vulnerability
to strong winds: the roof, windows, doors and garage doors. Measures can
be taken to strengthen each of
these areas of your home.
Roof
The roof of your house is most vulnerable to damage from high winds.
Proper roof con-struction is
essential. A small investment made before a storm hits can save
thousands in
future damage.
The connection between the roof and walls
must be strong enough to resist the "uplift" effect of strong winds.
Roof trusses or rafters should be tied
properly to exterior walls with metal hurricane connectors or straps.
Have a building professional use specially designed metal connectors to
attach the roof
to wall plates, which are already well
connected to wall studs.
You may choose instead to use metal strapping or connectors to tie the
roof truss to both the wall top plate
and the wall studs (see Figure 1). Special connectors also are available to attach a roof to a masonry wall.
Gable-end roofs are more susceptible to damage from high winds than hip
or flat roofs. Bracing for trusses
and rafters can add protection to your home.
n choosing the appropriate connectors for your walls, check with
lumber-supply outlets, a building
professional or local building and planning officials.
Windows
Installing storm shutters over all exposed windows and other glass
surfaces is one of the easiest and most
effective ways to protect your home. Cover all windows, French doors,
sliding glass doors and skylights.
There are many types of manufactured storm shutters available. Before
installing shutters, check with local
building officials to find out whether or not a permit is required.
Plywood shutters that you make yourself, if installed properly, can
offer a high level of protection from
flying debris during a hurricane. Plywood shutters can be installed on
all types of homes.
Doors
If you have double-entry doors, one is active and one is inactive. Check
to see how the fixed half is secured
top and bottom. The bolts or pins that secure most doors are not strong
enough to withstand hurricane
winds.
Check with your local building supplies retailer to find out what kind
of bolt system will work for your
door. Doors with windows will need additional protection from flying
debris.
Garage Doors
Double-wide (two-car) garage doors can pose a problem during hurricanes.
Because they are so large, they
wobble as high winds blow and can pull out of their tracks or collapse
from wind pressure.
Certain parts of the country have building codes requiring garage doors
that withstand high winds. Some
garage doors can be strengthened with retrofit kits. Check with your
local building supplies dealer.
More detailed information on protecting your home from wind is available
in the FEMA publication
Against the Wind:Protecting Your Home from Hurricane Wind Damage. You
will find it on the FEMA
web site:
www.fema.gov/pdf/hazards/agstwnd.pdf
MOBILE HOMES REQUIRE SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS
Mobile homes are particularly vulnerable to hurricane-force winds.
Anchor the mobile home with over-the-top, or frame, ties. When a storm threatens, do what you can to secure
your home, then take refuge with
friends or relatives or at a public shelter.
Before you leave, take the following precautions:
• Pack breakables in boxes and put them on the floor.
• Remove mirrors and tape them. Wrap mirrors and lamps in blankets and
place them in the bathtub or
shower.
• Install hurricane shutters or precut plywood on all windows.
• Shut off utilities and disconnect electricity, sewer and water lines.
Shut off propane tanks and leave them
outside after anchoring them securely.
• Store awnings, folding furniture, trashcans and other loose outdoor
objects.
MAKE PLANS FOR YOUR PETS
In planning for the hurricane season, do not forget your pets. If you
evacuate your home, do not leave pets behind.
The Humane Society of the United States urges pet owners to make
arrangements to evacuate their animals.
Be sure you have up-to-date identification tags, a pet carrier and a
leash for them. Assemble a disaster kit that you can provide to whomever
assumes care of your pet during a disaster.
Most emergency shelters will not accept pets. In the event of
evacuation, make alternative arrangements for pets, such as with family
friends, veterinarians or kennels in safe locations. Send medicine,
food, feeding information and other supplies with them.
PLANNING COULD SAVE YOUR BUSINESS
If a hurricane is threatening the area where your business is located,
you can take
actions ahead of time that will save damage and lost productivity.
Clear out areas with extensive glass frontage as much as possible. If
you have shutters, use them; otherwise, use precut plywood to board up
doors and windows.
Remove outdoor hanging signs.
Bring inside or secure any objects that might become airborne and cause
damage in strong winds.
Secure showcases. Use plywood to protect glass showcases or, if
possible, turn the glass side toward an inside wall.
Store as much merchandise as high as possible off the floor, especially
goods that could be in short supply after the storm.
Move merchandise that cannot be stored away from glass and cover it with
tarpulins or heavy plastic.
Secure all goods in warehouses off the floor, and place sandbags in
spaces where water could enter.
Remove papers from lower drawers of desks and file cabinets and place
them in plastic bags or containers on top of the cabinets.
Turn off water heaters, stoves, pilot lights and other burners.
DANGER: FLASH FLOODS
Nearly half of all flash flood fatalities are automobile related.
Water weighs 62.4 lbs. per cubic foot and typically flows downstream at
6 to 12 mph.
When a vehicle stalls in water, the water's momentum is transferred to
the car. For each foot water rises, 500 lbs. of lateral force are
applied to the car.
But the biggest factor is buoyancy. For each foot that water rises up
the side of the car, the car displaces 1500 lbs. of water. In effect,
the car weighs 1500 lbs. less for each foot water rises.
Two feet of water will carry away most automobiles.
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