Just in Case (42 page)

If an earthquake occurs and you are outside, stay put. Do not seek shelter in a building. In fact, move as far from buildings, utility poles, and large signage as possible.

If you are in a vehicle, pull to the side of the road and stay in your car. Do not stop under bridges or near trees, buildings, or utility poles. Proceed carefully after the shaking has stopped. Roadways and overpasses may have structural damage.

IF YOU BECOME TRAPPED IN DEBRIS:

• Do not use a match or lighter. Gas lines may have been ruptured. Lie still and try not to stir up dust and debris.

• Use a handkerchief or piece of clothing to cover your mouth to keep from inhaling dust.

• Avoid calling for help. Yelling may cause you to inhale dangerous amounts of dust. Use a whistle or bang on a pipe. Yell only as a last resort or if you hear rescuers calling for you.

AFTER AN EARTHQUAKE:

• Be prepared for aftershocks. Although usually less violent than the first quake, a secondary quake can still do considerable damage.

• Check on neighbors.

• Use care when reentering your home. Open cabinets with caution and do not use an open flame until authorities assure you it is safe to do so.

• Tsunamis are a possibility in coastal areas following earthquakes. Stay tuned to your local radio or NOAA station. Stay away from the beach until you are certain that it is safe.

• Stay off the roads except for emergency travel.

• Do not use the phone except in an emergency.

• Look out for downed electrical wires. If you see any, call your local power company or the police to alert them to it.

• Before entering your home, smell the air for the odor of gas. Also listen for the hiss of escaping gas. If you suspect a gas line has ruptured, turn off the main supply valve outside and notify the authorities. Do not call until you are well away from the house, as the use of any electrical appliance can cause a spark that could set off a flash fire.

• Do not drink from your tap until authorities assure you that the water has not been contaminated from broken sewer pipes.

• Be mindful of animals. Even familiar, normally docile animals can be aggressive after an earthquake.

TSUNAMIS

N
OT TOO LONG
ago, many people had never thought about the dangers of tsunamis, or tidal waves, a series of enormous waves created by an underwater event such as an earthquake, landslide, meteor strike, or volcanic eruption. Then tsunamis hit Indonesia, and our awareness changed. The death toll was staggering. Property damage was measured in the billions. The face of the landscape was forever altered.

Following an underwater earthquake, waves travel outward, like ripples in a pond. As the waves approach the shore, the water recedes, then rushes ashore, leaving many with no opportunity to escape.

All tsunamis are potentially dangerous. At greatest risk are those areas less than twenty-five feet above sea level and within a mile of the coast. The west coast of the United States has seen several tsunamis.

Aside from warnings through NOAA and local news and radio stations, you’ll have little foreknowledge of a tsunami. However, if the water on a shoreline recedes from the beach in a notable way, take heed. This is nature’s own early warning system. Seek higher ground immediately.

In all cases of tsunami watches or warnings, grab your evacuation pack and move to higher ground. Following a tsunami, stay away from flooded areas until officials advise you that it is safe to return. Debris in the water and the potential for disease may make it unsafe for some time.

SAFE RDDMS

Shelter will be your most important consideration in any crisis. A safe room is shelter within shelter. It is an area in your home designed to provide additional safety in dangerous situations such as a chemical or biological attack, a nuclear accident, or natural disaster when you do not have the time to evacuate. In effect, a safe room buys that time, allowing a situation to stabilize while you remain in a safe location. In Florida, some luxury condominiums are requiring safe rooms in the construction process. The more people who can safely remain home during a nonmandatory evacuation, the fewer cars clogging the highways and the fewer families requiring shelter space. A win-win for everybody.

Where you decide to locate your safe room will depend upon what disasters you consider most likely.

TDRNADD SAFE RDDMS

If You live in a tornado-prone area, your safest location will be in an underground area, either a storm cellar or your basement. The underground location will protect its occupants from strong winds and flying debris. This room should be equipped with a means of lighting, such as a kerosene, battery-operated, or hand cranked lantern, and a radio to keep you apprised of outside events. Bottled water, nonperishable snacks, and some seating will make you more comfortable. Make sure to keep a whistle and flashlight with you so you can signal for help if necessary.

If no underground space is available, the next best option is on a concrete slab floor such as a garage. The safe room must be properly anchored to the slab to resist the force of very strong, uplifting winds. An interior room on the ground floor of a permanent residence, not a mobile home, can also be used.

FEMA
publishes a manual on building tornado safe rooms:
Taking Shelter fromthe Storm: Building a Safe Room Inside Your Home.
It provides detailed construction information.

FLDDD SAFE RDDMS

If you live in a flood-prone area, you will want to utilize space on the highest level of your home. Unlike a tornado safe room, which may shelter you for only an hour or two, a flood safe room will need supplies to last for several days, along with a means of sanitation.

Supplies should include:

• Bottled water, juice boxes, and shelf-stable milk, as well as food that requires no cooking, such as nuts, dried fruit, energy bars, jerky, cereal, snack pudding, fruit cups, and canned meals. Be sure to include a nonelectric can opener.

• Radio

• Flashlight

• Lantern

• Leisure activities such as hand crafts, books, cards, and board games

• Toiletries

• Signaling device

• Hand tools that will allow you to cut through the roof, should escape through the roof become necessary

HURRICANE SAFE ROOMS

Hurricanes have both the high wind of tornadoes and the high water of floods. Therefore, a safe room should be on the ground floor of a residence that is located well away from the area of storm surge. It should also be in an interior room with as few windows and exterior walls as possible. If there are exterior windows, it is imperative that they be shuttered or boarded up. You should have on hand supplies for at least twenty-four hours for the immediate crisis, in addition to supplies to see you through a two- to three-week period without power or other services. These supplies should be stored in watertight containers.

TDXIC-THREAT SAFE ROOMS

Beyond natural disasters, a safe room can provide you with a secure location to hole up in during a time when exposure to the outside air would be hazardous. Only you can determine how vulnerable you are to a chemical or biological threat. If you live in an isolated, rural location, you might justifiably assume your risk is minimal. If you live downwind of a chemical plant, you might feel the expense and inconvenience of equipping such a space is worth while.

First, determine a location. As with all safe rooms, the less exposure to the exterior walls and windows, the better. A bedroom with adjoining bath is ideal, as it takes care of both running water (if the water remains potable) and sanitary facilities. A phone line and television are good additions. Have I- to 6-mil plastic sheeting precut to fit every opening, including doors, windows, and all air vents. Also have a roll of weather stripping, duct tape, and scissors stored inside the room. If you get any notification to take shelter in your safe room, grab your evacuation packs and move to that space without delay. Close doors and windows and shut off heating or air-conditioning units. Seal door and window frames with weather stripping. Finish sealing room openings with plastic sheeting and duct tape.

In a well-sealed room providing ten square feet of floor space per person, carbon dioxide will begin to build up in less than five hours. However, after two to three hours, contaminated air from the outside will begin to leak in. At that point, you will need to evacuate. Here’s where having a radio is imperative; listen to local stations for information on appropriate steps to take.

A HEPA (high emission particulate) furnace return duct filter will remove particles in the 0.3 to 10 micron range, which includes most bacteria. If you are worried about biological threats, such a filter could be useful, but it will not filter out chemical agents. If you don’t have a central heating and air-conditioning system, a stand-alone unit can be purchased.

If you are concerned about sheltering from nuclear fallout, you’ll need not a safe room but a shelter with dense shielding. This shielding is rated according to its PF (protective factor). The minimum suggested PF is forty, which means that one fortieth of radiation with get through, although many experts feel more comfortable with a PF of one thousand. Getting this level of protection requires two feet of concrete and three feet of dirt. This is not something to undertake without some planning and expertise. If you are interested in learning more on this subject, I would suggest reading Jack A. Spigarelli’s excellent book,
Surviving Terrorism. Nuclear War Survival Skills
by Cresson Kearny is another good book, but it is very hard to find.

SAFE ROOM KITS

It is possible to construct a safe room from a kit. The price will run between $5,000 and $15,000. The smallest is four feet square, which is only large enough for one or two people and has very little space to store anything, to a roomy ten-foot by twelve-foot model. These rooms have ventilation systems, plumbing, and electricity. The interiors can be finished to the owner’s specifications. Some are even bulletproof.

CAUTION

Do not let a well-designed, well-equipped safe room lull you into complacency. Tornadoes, floods, and hurricanes can all be killers. If you have any doubt about your safety, evacuate. You can always return home, but if you stay, you may soon reach a point when leaving is no longer an option.

CHAPTER 13 TOXIC HAZARDS

The preceding chapter addressed natural disasters, but here we’re going to talk about manmade disasters, specifically those resulting from chemical or nuclear accidents. Of course, given the state of the world today, our concern must address not just accidents but also attacks on chemical and nuclear plants, transportation mechanisms, and so on, and attacks with chemical and nuclear weapons. Though I hope none of us will ever need this information, I also hope that, should the time come that you do need it, you’ll feel some measure of confidence in knowing what to do and what to expect.

CHEMICAL HAZARDS

C
HEMICALS SURRDUND US
. They fertilize our crops, treat our water supply, and fuel our transportation system. Chemicals abound in our hospitals, schools, farms, and homes. Traces of toxins turn up in playground sand and mother’s milk. It is nearly impossible to avoid all exposure.

Because of their abundance, I fear we have become a bit cavalier about them. In fact, chemical hazards pose a threat to our safety every day as they are transported across the country on our road and rail systems. Aging and hidden toxic waste dumps have been discovered around the world. In most homes, deadly poisons abound, even in places we don’t expect them to be. Even something as seemingly benign as toothpaste can be toxic if ingested by a child. It is prudent to take steps to protect yourself and to know what to do if a family member is exposed to a toxin.

Preparation for a chemical emergency should begin at both the home and the community level. Check with your local emergency management office to see what hazards your community might be especially vulnerable to. In a small town, it could be your local fire department who has this information. Ask if your community has a local emergency planning committee. This committee has the responsibility for collecting information about potential risks and developing a plan to deal with them. If your community has no committee, consider forming one. Check with your child’s school. Do they have a plan to shelter in place in the event of a chemical accident? If not, ask your school committee to develop one.