What Is A Natural Disaster And What Can You Do To Prepare?

Natural disasters occur when natural events occurs and interact with humans. Generally, these natural events become disasters when people have not properly prepared and/or didn’t have proper management of the emergency and the result of the natural event is disastrous to those involved. The following are facts about various possible natural disasters and what you can do if you’re threatened with one of them:

Earthquakes. Believe it or not, there are many earthquakes each day, it’s just that many of them are not large enough to cause damage or even be noticed. Earthquakes that occur on the ocean floor can cause tsunamis.

In the event that you are in an earthquake, instead of crawling under something (which could collapse on top of you) curl up next to a large object such as a sofa. It will likely not collapse completely and will leave a space next to it. If you can, get as close to the exterior walls as possible.

Floods. Floods are often caused by large amounts of rainfall or quickly melting snow – especially if the ground is still frozen. According to USA Today, floods are the second largest natural disaster in North America. In fact, from 1994 – 2003 there was an average of 84 people killed each year due to flooding.

There are two kinds of floods. Flash floods are those that are the result of a broken dam or a heavy rain that cause a quick rise of a smaller, generally harmless stream or river. If you hear a flash flood warning for an area near you, the best thing to do is get away as soon as possible. You want to get to higher ground immediately.

If you are at home and you hear a flood watch, you need to stay alert and you might also want to start moving valuables and furniture to higher parts of the house.

If you are in your car and it stalls due to rising water, you should abandon the car and walk to climb away from the water.

Blizzards. Winter storms characterized by cold temperatures and strong wind and blowing snow are blizzards. Blizzards can last for days and the damage can last even longer. If you find yourself in the middle of a blizzard, you have some time to prepare. Better yet, make the preparations before a blizzard even hits.

First of all, make sure you have a supply of food and drinkable water on hand. If the blizzard is really bad it may be several days before you can get to a store. If you can, at the beginning of a blizzard, fill up all the containers you can with water in the event that you lose your water supply. You might want to also have an alternative heat source in case your electricity or natural gas supplies are disrupted. Finally, if you lose electricity you can store perishables in snow filled coolers so that you don’t have to toss spoiled foods.

Hurricanes. These are cyclonic storms that form over the oceans and move towards land. When a hurricane is coming towards your area you need to decide whether to evacuate or to stay home. You first should consider your home. If you live in a mobile home or other home that may not be able to withstand high winds, you should evacuate.

If you decide to stay, make sure that you have emergency supplies including fresh water and food in the event that you’re not able to get food or safe water for a few days. You’ll also want to prepare your house by boarding up the windows, but only if you have time. Plus, you should have the boards prepared ahead of time and set up a system to quickly attach them to the windows. If you are in an evacuation area, you’ll want to get out as soon as possible.

So, before you ever find yourself in a hurricane watch you should have your window boarding system in place, you should have a supply of water and food and you should have an emergency plan in place with your family including where you will evacuate to and how you will contact one another in the event of a hurricane evacuation.

Thunderstorms. Thunderstorms are neat to watch most of the time, but they can turn dangerous in a moments notice. Lightening, wind, hail and tornadoes can all develop as a result of a thunderstorm and can be extremely dangerous.

Generally thunderstorms, even the most severe, last less than a half an hour, but it is possible to have a long series of thunderstorms together that can last hours. If you find yourself in a thunderstorm remember these tips to stay safe. If you are at home, stay off the phone and away from windows. You should also stay out of the bath or shower in case your house gets struck by lightening.

If you are in your car when a thunderstorm strikes, slow down and pull off if the visibility is low. You should also avoid roads that are covered in water and avoid stopping near things that could fall onto your car.

If you are outside during a thunderstorm and cannot get indoors, stay away from tall objects, metal objects and water. Crouch down and cover your head with your hands.

Tornados. While some of these natural disasters are not common to all parts of the United States, tornados are common to all of the states. There are different codes that meteorologists use to warn people of the risk of tornadoes. When the characteristics that could lead to a tornado are present, they issue a tornado watch. When a tornado has been sighted either in person or on the radar they issue a tornado warning.

Since some tornados strike at night and come on quickly without much notice, it’s a good thing to own a weather radio, which will send out both a warning tone and message when there are severe weather warnings and watches.

If you are in an area with a tornado warning, the best thing to do is to get into a storm shelter or basement to wait out the storm. If you don’t have either of these, you should take shelter in an interior room or closet on the ground floor. If you can, take shelter under mattresses and take extra care to protect children’s heads and necks.

Top Five Tips for Building an Emergency Supply Kit (According to the American Red Cross):

o To keep a three-day supply of water in your home you need four quarts of water per day per person (two quarts for drinking and two quarts for food preparation and sanitation).

o Store foods that are ready to eat and that need no refrigeration or cooking. Look for canned fruits and veggies, high protein/high energy foods and food for infants if necessary. Also include in your stores some comfort foods.

o Have a first aid kit in your home and in each car including pain relievers, antacids, laxatives and anti-diarrhea medications.

o Tools such as tape, matches, containers, whistles, maps, flashlights, eating utensils and dishes, pliers and wrenches and flares are also important.

o A complete change of clothes and footwear for each person including extra diapers and blankets for infants and young children.