How to survive natural disasters: Hurricanes;Earthquakes; and Floods, etc. If you think you’ll never be struck by natural disaster, you’re not alone. That’s what people thought in Los Angeles before the last earthquake, and in 2005 with category 5 Hurricane Katrina before the catastrophic floods. Reality: There’s hardly a home in the country that is truly safe from some type of disaster, ranging from major catastrophes, such as a major flood, to relatively minor emergencies, such as electrical blackouts and freak snow storms. Good news: Elaborate survival procedures aren’t necessary. Commonsense precautions go a long way in avoiding loss of property and life. Though the list of precautions might seem long, they can be taken over a period of weeks or months. And once you have the measures in place, there’s little left to do except cope with the next disaster with greater peace of mind.
Emergency provisions: Think of weathering a disaster as a little like camping out in your own home, where electricity and water have been cut off. Store in a closet or other convenient location: Food that can be eaten with little or no preparation, such as peanut butter, whole-grain crackers, baby food, powdered milk and cold cereal & lots of canned goods. Several gallons of water, which you can buy in bottles at the supermarket. Food and water, for pets if you have any. A first-aid kit: that contains not just the standard items such as bandages and iodine, but also scissors, needles and thread and several days’ supply of whatever medication you’re currently taking. Kits can be bought from the Red Cross, camping-supply shops and most drugstores. Flashlights with batteries stored separately so they’ll stay fresh.
Cash: if electricity goes out, banks and automatic teller machines will not be working. An extra pair of eyeglasses or contact lenses. A ladder and basic tools: including a crowbar, screwdriver, saw and hammer. Keep a full or nearly full tank of gas in your vehicle. The last experience you want is seeing an empty gas gauge while you’re racing to escape rising flood waters.
Document defense: Since disasters often destroy homes and their contents, store copies of important documents and vital information with a trusted friend. Examples: A copy of your insurance policy, and the phone number of your agent. Your attorney’s name and number. A list of health problems, medication and your doctor’s number. The location of your safe-deposit box and an extra key. As a rule, choose an out-of-town friend to hold these items since a neighbor’s house may be just as vulnerable as yours. Moreover, local phone service often goes down in a disaster while long-distance is still operating. An out-of-town contact person can then take and relay messages if family members are separated.
Disaster training: First-aid training does more than let you help the injured. It also builds up a sense of confidence that can be vital in getting you through a disaster. The Red Cross, YMCAs, YWCAs, community centers and many hospitals offer courses in first aid. Courses in preventing and surviving fires are offered by most fire departments. But even if you don’t take a course, make your own plan to evacuate in case of fire. Install smoke alarms and/or sprinklers, Insurance companies often lower their rates on homes with sprinklers. Store towels, water and a rope ladder under your bed. In case of fire, you can often buy lots of escape time by soaking towels in water and stuffing them under doors to block incoming smoke. Keep fire extinguishers in appropriate places around the house. Sleep with the doors closed. Plan an evacuation procedure, and practice it periodically, implement this plan with spouse and kids. Be aware of items that can become hazardous in a disaster: Difficult-to-see power lines that have fallen or are dangling. Water pipes, electricity lines and gas mains in your home. Ask utility companies to show you how to shut them off. That’s what to do if water is leaking, if you smell gas or if you suspect an electrical problem after a disaster.
Neighborhood teams: Organize a neighborhood disaster committee whose members can come to each other’s aid in the event of an emergency. Working as a team, neighbors can often save a home if, for example, the owners are away and gas main has ruptured. Many residents have skills or equipment that can be invaluable in a disaster. Example: Doctors, carpenters, plumbers, electricians or neighbors with generators or cellular phones. Key: A system that lets homeowners signal their post-disaster status to the rest of the neighborhood. Pin large white, yellow or red ribbons to your door or other conspicuous location. White means all is okay. Yellow indicates residents are fine but need some assistance. Red signals an emergency and the immediate need for help. After Hurricane Katrina, rescue teams landed on roof tops, forced to bust through to tend to screams for help by families trapped in their attics, do to rising flood waters. So make sure you have handy: an axe, saw, sledge hammer, shovel etc., so this doesn’t happen to you!
The right insurance: Few events are more disheartening than reviving a disaster only to discover that insurance won’t cover your property loss. To avoid this problem: Buy a homeowner’s policy that covers the replacement of your home and contents. Many policies cover only the current value. That means if a Regency chair is destroyed in a fire, insurance pays only the current value of a chair, not the replacement value of the antique. Choose an insurance policy that pays your living expenses for an adequate period of time for putting your house back in living condition. To document the value of your home and its contents: keep all receipts for items you buy. Then photograph or videotape your possessions, or consider hiring a professional appraiser to put a price on items for which you don’t have receipts. Cost, about $200 for most households. If you don’t have a video camera, you can rent one from a local video store.
