tips for preparing homes for emergencies

1. Home Emergency Preparedness
Natural and man-made disasterscanstrike atanytime.Have your ownemergencyresponse planswhen
you're at work,at home,onvacation,or onthe road.In 2018 inthe UnitedStatesalone,there were
around60,000 weather-relatedeventsthatresultedinalmost600 deathsand 4,300 injuries.Flash
floods,tropical storms,andheatwavesresultedinthe mostdeathsthatyear,according toInjuryFacts.
Agencieslikethe National Oceanicand AtmosphericAdministration,the Officeof DisasterPreparedness
and Management(ODPM),CaribbeanDisasterEmergencyManagementAgency(CDEMA) andthe
CentersforDisease Control andPreventionare valuable resourcesforemergencypreparedness.
Whenyou face a natural or man-made emergency,trytostayinformedthroughthe radio,TV,or
Internet.Insome cases,communicationbecomesnearlyimpossiblewhencable,electric,andcell phone
servicesare disabled.Thisweek,we willshare withyoudaybyday fire,chemical,andweather
preparednessinthe home andthe kindsof emergencysuppliesyoushouldkeeponhand.Byfocusingon
one issue perdayit will helpyouprepare yourhome andfamilytobetterrespondtoemergencies.
Monday – Fire Emergencies
If a fire startsin yourhome,getout immediatelyandcall forhelp.Nevergobackinside foranyone or
anything.Lookforpeople andpetsoutside.
• MinimizingRisks:
Cookingandheatingare the leadingcausesof home fires.
• Be alert!If youare sleepyorintoxicated,donotuse the ovenorstovetop.
• Do notleave foodalone whileitiscooking.
• Keepall flammablesawayfromthe stove,fireplace,andspace heaters.
• Neverleave the stove,fireplace,orportable heater unattendedif theyare on.
• Whenlookingfora space heater,considerone thatautomaticallyshutsoff if itfallsover.
• WorkingSmoke Alarms Are a Must:
• Install smoke alarmsoneverylevel of yourhome andineachbedroom.
• Keepsmoke alarmsat least10 feetfromthe stove toreduce false alarms.
• Use special alarmswithstrobe lightsandbedshakersforpeople whoare hardof hearingor
deaf.
• Replace batteriesinsmoke andCOdetectorsevery
• Escape Plans:
• Plantwowaysto escape from each roomand make sure all doorsand windowsopeneasily.
• Practice gettingoutwithyoureyesclosed,crawlinglow tothe floor,andkeepingyourmouth
covered.Remember“stop,drop,androll”incase yourclothescatch fire.
• Teachchildrennevertohide duringafire.Remindthemof the escape routesandensure they
are familiarwiththem.Youcanhave funpracticingfire escape drillsand“stop,drop,androll”.
Tuesday – Chemical Release Emergencies
Chemical agentsare poisonousvapors,aerosols,liquids,andsolidsthatare toxicto people,animals,or
plants.Insome cases,chemical agentscanresultinseriousillnessordeath.A chemical release could
come withoutwarning,especiallyif youlive withinamile of highwayswhere atruckmay crash,or
factoriesandplantsthat use or processchemicals.The effectsof chemicalsonpeopleinclude difficulty

2. breathing,eye irritation,lossof coordination,nausea,orburninginthe nose,throatand lungs.The
presence of manydeadinsectsorbirdsmay indicate achemical agentrelease before youcansmell or
see anything.
Protectingagainstachemical emergencyincludes:
• Makinga familyemergencyplantoShelterInPlace andturn off air conditioning.
• BuildinganEmergencySupplyKitthatconsistsof scissors,ducttape,andplastictocover
doors,windows,andvents.
Wednesday –WeatherPreparedness - Tornados
Notone state inthe continental U.S.hasescapedthe wrathof tornadoes.While tornadostypicallyoccur
withinthe springandsummermonths inthe US, theycan strike at any time of the year in the Caribbean.
Duringthis hurricane season,strongtropical stormsandlocalizedweather have producedsmalleryet
destructive tornados.
If a tornadois spotted (since Caribbean tornadosoccursofast a warningcannotbe issuedintime):
• Seekshelterimmediately.Thisincludesbasements, groundfloorconcrete structures, tunnels,interior
corridors,and undergroundparkinglotsor ditches.
• Avoidauditoriums,upperfloorsof buildingsandhouses,andparkedvehicles.Stayawayfromall
windows.
• If you are outside,lie flatinaditchor otherlow-lyingareaandprotectyourhead.Stay awayfrom
polesoroverheadlines.
• If you are driving, drive atrightanglestothe tornado'spath.If youcan't escape it,getout of the
vehicle andseekalow-lyingarea.
• If you are at home,headforthe lowerlevel orbasementandtake coverundera heavytable or
workbench.If youdon'thave a basement,gointoawindowlessroominthe centerof the house.Cover
yourself witharug or mattressforprotectionagainstglassanddebris.
Thursday – Weather Preparedness - Hurricanes
Unlike tornadoesandearthquakes,hurricanesandtropical stormsare forecastaheadof landfall,giving
residentstime totake precautions.Hurricaneshave windspeedsmore than75 mphand produce
damage like tornadoes.Butinadditiontothe wind,evensmall tropical stormscanproduce multiplefeet
of raininlessthan a day,causingcatastrophicflashfloodinginareasthatnormallydonot flood.
If you are inthe path of a hurricane:
• Board upwindowsandsecure loose outdoorfurniture.
• Knowwhere togo inthe eventof an evacuationandhow to getthere.Establishan assemblypointfor
familymemberstomeetif separated,andchoose one personeveryone cancontactwiththeir
whereaboutsandstatus.
• If you are drivinginheavyrain,try to safelyexitthe road,stayin the vehicle,andturnonemergency
flashers.Neverdrive intofloodedareas.Don’tdrown,turnaround.
• Electrocutionisareal hazard instorm damagedareas.Avoidcontactbetweenelectrical equipment,
cords,metal,and water.
• Stayindoorsuntil authoritiestell youit’ssafe togooutside.
• Hurricanescan spawntornadoeswithstrongerwinds.

3. Friday – Emergency Supplies Home Supplies
Everyhome shouldhave anemergencysupplykitlocatedinanaccessible storage area.It'sbestif you
store the itemsinplasticcontainersthatare easyto grab andcarry. Checkthese kitsevery6months.
Make sure everythingisuptodate and expireditemsare replaced.
Home emergencysupplykits shouldinclude:
• One gallonof waterperpersonperday for at leastthree days(that’s12 gallonsfora familyof 4).
• Enoughnonperishable foodforatleastthree daysanda can opener.Keepprotein-packedfoodslike
tuna,peanutbutter,andgranola bars.Don’t forgetaboutfoodforyour pets!
• Flashlightsandhandor batterypoweredradios.Remembertoinclude extrabatteries.
• Firstaidkit withgauze,tape,bandages,antibioticointment,painrelievers,non-latexgloves,scissors,
thermometer,tweezers,handsanitizer,andinstantcoldcompress.
• Tool kitwithbasictools,incase youneedto shutoff utilities.
Car supplies
Everyvehicle shouldhave anemergencysupplykitlocatedinthe trunk.Checkthese kitsevery6
months.Make sure everythingisupto date and expireditemsare replaced.Vehicle emergencysupply
kitsshouldinclude:
• A properlyinflatedspare tire,wheel wrench,andtripodjack.
• Jumpercablesanda multipurposeutilitytool.
• Flashlightwithextrabatteriesandreflectivetrianglesorbrightlycoloredclothesforvisibility.Consider
addinga reflectivevestaswell andaponchoin case you needto get outin the rainfor help.
• Firstaidkit (similartothe home kitdescribedabove).
• Drinkingwaterandnonperishable,high-energyfoods,suchasunsaltednuts,driedfruitsandhard
candy.
• Car charger foryour cell phone.It'salsoa goodidea to keepfamilyandemergencyphone numbers,
includingyourautoinsurance provideranda towingcompany,inyourphone.
Discussion:
Has anyone here foundthemselvesinthe middleof anatural disaster?Whatdidyou do?What would
youdo differentlynow thatyouhave thisinformation?
Share the knowledge wealth.