Emergency Food / Supply Sources During A Panic

 

During an impending disaster or emergency, locating sources to acquire emergency supplies maybe difficult and chaotic or even dangerous DEPENDING on the SEVERITY of the threat . As items those deem valuable towards their survival dwindle off the store shelves, the desperation, aggressiveness and single-mindedness of those around you will increase dramatically.

This makes for a dangerous environment, especially if you get drawn in to a physical altercation. Under normal circumstances you can expect others to step in and stop the hostilities.  But, during times of impending danger, the normal person will attempt to get away from the area of the altercation or join in, potentially creating a deadly situation.  Fear has the ability to turn the most civil law-abiding citizen into a killer in short order.

Mob Violence is a result of anger and a sense that their actions will not be curbed by authority and is contagious to those who witness their acts. While most will experience fear during an emergency, some citizen's fear will turn to anger out of frustration and stress over the control of the situation. These individuals will destroy property, loot, rob and assault others to express or vent their angers. Steer clear of these groups if at all possible, do not attempt to stop or engage them singly.

During 'MOB PANIC', where a real or perceived threat excites one or more causing a contagious effect on those near-by, they will tend to follow these guidelines same as herd animals.

-Individuals attempt to move faster than normal.

-Interactions between individuals become physical.

-Exits become clogged.

-Escape is slowed by fallen individuals serving as obstacles.

-Individuals display a tendency towards mass or copied behavior.

-Alternative or less used exits are overlooked.

  During a panic, the dangers of a stampede and being crushed are real.  If you see a panic unfolding(usually a person or persons running while and/or screaming, moving away from the main body), a stampede is soon to happen. Remain calm, do not freeze in the path of the pack, move out of the way of exits or funneling points such as hallways. If possible duck into a doorway or behind an obstacle.

  If caught in a stampede of panicked people, move with the group and move slightly diagonal until you are able to get out of the way of the stampede or hug up against a wall or in a nook such as beside a vending machine in a recessed doorway or open bathroom entrance until the tide subsides. If outside, stay behind a parked vehicle, light pole or sign.

  If you get caught in a stampede and are knocked down, immediately curl up into the fetal position and cover your head with your hands, DO NOT...attempt to stand or lay flat, you WILL be crushed.  Next, rotate till your feet are facing the direction the stampede is coming from. This will help protect your spine and head. Either remain still if you are in a large open area or inch over to hug against a wall  THEN elongating your body. This is so you do not become a tripping obstacle potentially causing a pile up and others getting killed by the remaining stampeding panicked masses.

  When moving through dense crowds, wrap both your arms around any items you are carrying. If you drop something while in or near a moving pack, do not stop, or attempt to go against the direction of the pack.

  There are locations that can promote stampedes. To help mitigate your chances avoid the large common outlets that allow for high patron capacities. These are large groceries stores, and large outlet stores that have food. This is due to comfort, people are accustomed to going to these specific stores for their shopping needs.  So, during states of panic or urgency, they will go to these places due to familiarity.

Before a disaster strikes,  go to places less frequently used as people's primary source of food and supplies after a warning has been issued up till close to the time of calamity occurrence.  This becomes ever more the case the closer you get to the time of the calamity.  As the panic level increases and more and more run to the main food and shopping centers and supplies become less and less available, the more dangerous it will become.  The safest places, are generally the last to be bought out, stock up at places such as:

-Dollar Tree
-Dollar General
-Small Convenience Stores
-Small Mom&Pop Grocery Stores and Gas Stations(off of minor roads, avoid ones near Interstates, Highways or major roadways)

**NOTE**
If you absolutely MUST go to one of the larger food and shopping stores DURING the HEIGHT of the panic, follow these steps to get-in and get-out with what you came for.

-Move slowly and decisively to your destination without appearing too aggressive. Shoving or cutting people off will provoke flying elbows and people closing gaps you could slip through.

-Keep your eyes on those around and ahead of you so you can anticipate their movements.

-Maintain a calm demeanor as you close in on the target item. Avoid signaling your urgency as this might alert the crowd to the desirability of your target. Avoid stepping on toes or panicking other shoppers which might cause a stampede.

-Smile

-Grab the item. Tuck it under your arm like a football to prevent it from being knocked or torn loose from your grasp.

-Proceed to the nearest cash register or exit. Continue to move with the crowd until you are able to slip down an aisle or toward an exit unnoticed. During panics, try and use little used alternate exits versus the main exits such as the floral or outdoors area exit or even the loading dock areas meant for the workers.

After a Disaster strikes, and your food reserves have gotten low. Go to even less frequented places for food. As survival is the goal, calories is the key. Though electricity may be out, these locations will have canned and/or dried foods or even high caloric drinks:

-Fast Food Restaurants
-All Other Major Restaurants
-Gas Stations
-Home Depot / Lowe's (usually have drinks both water and high sugar near the cash registers)
-Evacuated / Destroyed Homes
-Vending/Soda Machines(usually at rest stops, laundry-mats, hotels and other like places)

**NOTE**

After a disaster, when authority isn't able to maintain law & order, expect other survivors to be out and looting or, scavenging for food just as your are.  This is were many people's sense of morality will conflict with their situation. Taking what you do not need for survival is looting, while taking only what you need is scavenging.  Do not feel as though you are stealing from an individual, these stores are insured and will be compensated whether you take anything or not.  Keep a low profile, do not draw attention to your self. Do not advertise what you have, cover it with trash or a blanket.  Have a means to carry or transport what you gather.  Do not grab more then you can handle.  No point in surviving what ever calamity came your way just to injure your self attempting to transport too much.  Don't get greedy, only take what you and any others with you need for the next 72 hours at a time.

PLACES TO AVOID AFTER A DISASTER :
Stay clear of Mom & Pop privately owned stores, gas stations and restaurants after a disaster as these tend to be their livelihoods and very personal to the owners.  Because of such, you can expect the owners to be defending them with deadly force.

Car Flood Emergency

If you are on the road and come across flood you will need to make a judgement based on the likely depth of the water and the type of vehicle you are driving. Just remember that if you decide to attempt to cross a flood, you are making a life or death decision. A standard family sedan will not be capable of driving through water and you are likely to encounter a variety of problems if you do.

-The water may prove to be too deep. An average sedan may float in water about 2ft deep. Be aware that it is often difficult to judge the depth of water in a flood.

-Water may enter the exhaust pipe (especially if the engine stalls)

-Water may be sucked into the engine air intake, which is often located close to the ground at the front of the car.

-Water may cause a catalytic converter to crack. This will be expensive to replace.

-Water may adversely affect the braking system. Brakes should be tested after emerging from a flood plain.

-Water inside the vehicle may cause short-circuits and set off the air bags.

If the decision has been made to drive through a flood, engage the vehicle in 1st gear and drive at a steady rate, without causing too much of a bow wave at the front of the vehicle.

If you attempt to drive at speed through standing water, even if it is relatively shallow, the car is likely to hydroplane and steering control will be lost.

Do not drive through a flooded area where there is fast-moving water

If the car is caught in a serious flood or driven into a river, lake or the sea, depending on the depth of the water you can:

-Abandon the vehicle and wade to safety.

-Climb on to the roof of the vehicle, exiting via an open window and signal for help.

-Make an emergency exit as detailed below.

If the car is totally immersed in water, the pressure inside and outside the vehicle will be uneven until the car interior has filled with water.

In this case it will be difficult to open a car door until the pressure has equalized. Also, any attempt to open a window will result in a heavy in-rush of water, which may prove severely disorientating and not give you time to catch your breath once submerged.

As the car is filling up with water, unfasten any restraints on yourself and any infants or children. You will need to get them out of car seats and into your lap or in the grasp of another adult. This will allow you to pull them from the vehicle as soon as exiting is possible. Before the car fills up with water, take a few deep breaths of air to fill your lungs and also to help reduce any possible inclination to panic. Take a final breath before your head is immersed and instruct any passengers to do the same. Infants and toddlers will naturally hold their breaths but only for very short periods. Expect to have to give mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to infants and toddlers when you exit the water. Remember to use cheek fulls of air for infants and mouth fulls for toddlers and not lung fulls as too much air will rupture their small lungs and kill them.

Next, energetically force open a door and signal to or grab (if visibility is limited)any others to exit that way. Once outside the vehicle swim to the surface, having checked that all other occupants are out.

If in high current waters, swim towards the shoreline or towards any solid objects such as trees by barrel rolling with the current going from front stroke to back stroke to front stroke, doing so will allow for a less exhausting swim.

If you are able to grab a hold of something that can be used as a flotation device do so, then wade through the water by kicking your feet. If capable, wrap your arms around the flotation device and hold-on till to come to a secure anchor such as a tree or some other structure.

If you are wearing a belt or still have your shoes on which have laces, you can attempt to secure yourself to your anchor if you are feeling weak or have been stuck there for some time. This will help ensure your arms or legs don't give out plunging you into the water. This will also allow you to sleep if need be. If so, you will be entering the possibility of immersion foot unless you are able to exit the water completely. Just be sure it can be adjusted for rising waters if you are not able to exit the waters.

**NOTE**

As a rule of thumb, when ever traveling near a large body of water, crack open your window. As soon as you hit the water, open your window. This is your best chance of escape, because opening the door will be nearly impossible given the outside water pressure. Opening the windows allows water to come in and equalize the pressure. If you are unable to do so, remain calm and wait for the pressure to equalize.
Vehicles with engines in the front will sink at a steep angle. If the water is 15 feet or deeper, the vehicle may end up on its roof, upside down. For this reason, you must get out as soon as possible, while the car is still afloat. Depending on the vehicle, floating time will range from a few seconds to a few minutes. The more airtight the car, the longer it floats. Air in the car will quickly be forced through the trunk and cab, and an air bubble is unlikely to remain once the car hits the bottom. So, get out as early as possible.

How to Fortify Your Home

Several situations may arise where fortifying your home or place of residence is desirable. Whether due to a hurricane or some other natural disaster or as a precaution from looters should you need to evacuate.

There are several things to consider:

-Doors (exterior/interior)

-Windows (basement/1st floor/2nd floor+)

-Flood potential

-Sheltering in-place/evacuation

-Severe winds potential

-Looters/armed invasion

Most suggestions here are meant to be as least damaging structurally and cosmetically as possible to your dwelling and there fore are not very extreme. These are simple, quick and on the cheap using as little material as possible without degrading its effectiveness. Feel free to elaborate on these suggestions.

Bracing Doors

In the event of strong winds, close all interior doors unless they are being used as bracing else where.
Treat sliding glass doors as large windows and refer to bracing windows section of the article.
Exterior doors to dwellings tend to be metal while the door frames are wood. Beyond the normal locks already in place, wedges can be used effectively for these doors as can braces. Most homes in the U.S. are constructed with the doors opening inwards. This allows for doors to be easily forced open but also allows for them to be easily braced.

-Use a screwdriver, thick eating utensil, wedge made of plastic, wood, stone or metal. Hammer the wedging item between the door and the door frame on the non-hinged side of the door frame on the interior of the home. Place multiple wedges, place them near the top and bottom of the door but not near the door's installed locking mechanism as it will pry it from the frame and potentially render the lock ineffective. The pressure and force of the wedges produces a lot of friction between the door and the door frame making it very hard to open especially incorporated with the door's dead bolt locking mechanism.

-To brace the door which is intended to stop a stronger force just place something between the exterior door and an interior wall. Depending on the distance between the door and the interior wall directly in front of the door's opening will determine what can be used or if a chain of items will be needed to bridge the distance between the two. Ensure that the bracing material is either on another solid object that is at least 18-24 inches long, the brace is resting against the floor trim molding to the wall, or against a structural beam behind the drywalling. Placing the brace directly on the drywall between the wall struts will just put a hole in your wall should your door be forced open.

-Likewise plank wood and beams can be used as bracing instead of furniture. The beauty of using a wood beam with a wood plank on each end is that it can be cut to very accurate lengths, the wood planks protect both the wall and the door's interior from damage allowing the wood beam to be hammered in place between the two wood planks placing a lot of pressure on the door. Also the wood beam can be secured to the wood planks with small nails to prevent the beam from moving under repeated entry attempts which is ideal against hurricane winds should you have to evacuate and against forced entry.

-In a pinch you can use furniture as a brace such as a sofa, a table that is at least 18 inches wide or chair laid down with the chair back on the floor. Take note that tables and such will most likely punch holes in your wall should an attempt to open the door is made. To help prevent this, place something between the brace and the wall such as a table turned on it's side where it's top is against the wall and the brace is against the table's underside.


-Placing household appliances such as the refrigerator, range, dishwasher or washer and dryer between the door and the wall or stairs can be used as the bracing material. Using such appliances either singly or as a chain either upright or on their sides in order to bridge the distance offers a large base to absorb the pressure from repeated entry attempts either by others or by high winds and the structural metal is stronger then furniture or wood beams. Also because of their weight they are less likely to move as easily out of the path of the opening door as furniture is.

-If there is no wall but stairs instead, simply use the base of the stairs or a step or two up as your base. If there is no wall or stairs within a reasonable distance but a hallway instead, either use furniture or wood beams or such to act as a bridge across the hall from opening to opening or to closet door frame to become your base for your door brace. In the picture above a dining room table is being used as the bridge across the hallway using the hallway door frames as its support with a wood beam as a brace from the door to the back of the table.

-If the space between your door and the wall or stairs is too short for furniture or you just don't wish to use such household items, then you can use a single plank of wood. A plank of wood is usually 6 inches wide and an inch thick, don't confuse plank with a wood beam like a 2x4 or 4x4. Cut a 1-3 inch by 3 inch section out of one end of the plank to accomadate your door knob. Measure from the base of the wall or stairs diagonally to the door knob base on your door. Cut the plank to these dimensions, place the notched end of the plank around the base of the door knob from a sideways angle. Now rotate the other end of the plank down to the base of the wall or stairs, you will probably have to hammer the bottom end of the plank into position. If no stairs are present then furniture can be used as a spacer to the wall such as a table turned upside down.  Another option is to use a plank of wood as the spacer to the wall or one nailed or screwed directly to the floor as the plank's pressure base.  This type of brace directs the force applied to the door from the outside to the top of the door wedging it against its own door frame.  The notch prevents the plank from sliding away from the door knob from forcefull blows.

-Another simple but damaging method is just nail or screw beams, planks or plywood across the door securing it into the interior or exterior door frame but this also prevents the use and there fore the exit from this door.

-Interior doors can be removed and used as a brace between the exterior door and the wall or stairs or even nailed or screwed to the door frame as a brace but is very ineffective and weak as such bracing material as they tend to be made of compressed cardboard and not solid wood. Vintage homes tend to have solid hardwood interior doors and exterior doors making their exterior doors weaker then modern homes.

Bracing Windows

There are multiple considerations concerning windows. Is the window small, large, sliding glass door, basement window(flooding concern), 1st floor, 2nd floor and above.

-All windows should be boarded up

-Basement windows may not be able to be easily boarded up securely against forced entry as their surrounding support is usually brick unless you drill holes and place plastic spacers in the holes to hold the screws via pressure. In the event of a storm however, a piece of plywood placed against the window and held in place by sandbags or piled dirt should suffice. If there is a flood potential, sandbags need to be either piled up high against the windows or placed in a semi-circle wall around the window with the space between the two filled with sand.

-1st floor windows can be secured by closing storm shutters or by placing plywood (to help prevent storm damage) and planks or even wooden or plastic pallets placed vertically(for storms and forced entry) on the outside and holding them in place via screws or nails. Nails though can be worked out by repeated force from winds and are harder to remove afterwards but if that is all you have then it will do, just use around 8 nails per window. Screws are harder to embed but easier to remove latter and would prevent repeated force from working the screws out of the windows wood frame. Solid wood furniture can be used instead of plywood or planks. Do not use particle board, compressed wood chip or sawdust as exterior window bracing for anything longer then a night or two especially under storm conditions as they will swell and disintegrate from exposure to water. Do not use the flimsy interior doors as exterior window bracing against forced entry. For storms, if possible, tape an "X" across the windows and close the curtains and shades.  You can also place a 2x4 beam on the inside and outside, drill a hole through all three, raise your window and remove the screen.  Then place a bolt through the holes with the head of the bolt on the outside, put a washer at both ends and secure the lug nut on the inside.  This will help secure the window from forced entry while the bolted 2x4s help ensure the plywood plank isn't removed.  You must have one on each side and with washers to ensure that a well placed hit from a sledge hammer doesn't knock the bolt through the plywood rendering the window's plywood unsecured and unbolted.

                                                                            

-2nd floor and above windows can be secured just as the first floor except that interior doors can be used as bracing against forced entry as long as there is no access to the windows. Interior doors composed of compressed cardboard will deteriorate in short order from the elements as they will swell and weaken greatly from moisture.

*NOTE*
Do not neglect garage windows as strong storm winds entering your garage can create pressures that will do significant damage to your dwelling. It would also allow trespassers to gain entry to what ever you have in your garage and to another door to gain entry into your home which are usually placed in an area harder to brace or might even be a hollow interior door.

Brace your garage door by simply locking or latching it from the inside. If unable to, simply place a 2x4 on at least one side of the interior of the garage door wedged between one of the rollers in it's track and one of the securing bolts that holds the track on to the wall. Another way is to place any thing such as a 10 penny nail, wrench or broom handle between the roller track bolted to the wall and the holes in the frame of the garage door or the door rollers. In the picture above place anything that will fit in the area inside the blue circle to stop the door from being raised. Go to your garage door and experiment with securing it until you find the easiest and best way for you and your garage door.

Do not place brace material from the garage door to the non load bearing bridging beams or the metal cradle the automatic garage door opener sits in as it is not very strong and will bend and break.

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning After a Disaster

Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless, colorless gas that can cause sudden illness and death if inhaled.

When power outages occur during emergencies such as hurricanes or winter storms, the use of fuel burning sources as an alternative for electricity, heating, cooling, or cooking can cause CO to build up in a home, garage, camper or tent. People and animals in these spaces can be poisoned and can die from breathing CO.

Every year, more than 400 people die in the U. S. from accidental CO poisoning.
CO is found in combustion fumes, such as those produced by small gasoline engines, stoves, generators, lanterns, and gas ranges, or by burning charcoal and wood.

-Every home should have at least one working carbon monoxide detector.

-The detector’s batteries should be checked at least twice annually at the same time smoke detector batteries are checked.

How to Recognize CO Poisoning

The clinical presentation of CO poisoning is the result of its underlying systemic toxicity. Its effects are caused not only by impaired oxygen delivery but also by disrupting oxygen utilization and respiration at the cellular level, particularly in high-oxygen demand organs (i.e., heart and brain).

Exposure to CO can cause loss of consciousness and death. The most common symptoms of CO poisoning are headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion. People who are sleeping or who have been drinking alcohol can die from CO poisoning before ever having symptoms.

Symptoms of severe CO poisoning include malaise, shortness of breath, headache, nausea, chest pain, irritability, ataxia, altered mental status, loss of consciousness, coma, and death.

Important CO Poisoning Prevention Tips

-Never use a home or portable gas range or oven to heat a home.

-Never leave the motor running in a vehicle parked in an enclosed or partially enclosed space, such as a garage.

-Never run a motor vehicle, generator, pressure washer, or any gasoline-powered engine outside an open window, door, or vent where exhaust can vent into an enclosed area.

-Never run a generator, pressure washer, or any gasoline-powered engine inside a basement, garage, or other enclosed structure, even if the doors or windows are open, unless the equipment is professionally installed and vented. Keep vents and flues free of debris, especially if winds are high. Flying debris can block ventilation lines.

-Never use a charcoal grill, hibachi, lantern, or portable camping stove inside a home, tent, or camper.

-If conditions are too hot or too cold, seek shelter with friends or at a community shelter.

-If CO poisoning is suspected, consult a health care professional right away.

Sources of CO Poisoning

-Gas-powered generators

-Charcoal grills, propane stoves, and charcoal briquettes for both cooking and heating indoors

-Motor vehicles

-Fire (to include candles in an unventilated space)

-Boats

-Power washers and other gas powered tools.

-Lanterns(oil, kerosene, natural gas, propane)

At-risk Populations include:

•Babies and infants
•The elderly
•People with chronic heart disease, anemia or respiratory illness.

HURRICANE PREPARATION AND SURVIVAL

Hurricanes are severe tropical storms that form in the southern Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico and in the eastern Pacific Ocean. People who live in hurricane prone communities should know their vulnerability, and what actions should be taken to reduce the effects of these devastating storms. The information on this page can be used to save lives at work, home, or while on the road.

Steps you can take to protect your family, property or business

Step 1: Build A Kit / "To-Go Bag"

Get an Emergency Supply Kit, which includes items like non-perishable food, water, a battery-powered or hand-crank radio, element sheltering material such as a jacket, rain poncho, mylar blanket, tarp or trash bags. You will need to prepare a portable kit and keep it in your car in case you are told to evacuate. Refer to article "Get Out of Dodge Bags on a Budget".

Step 2: Make a Plan

Make a Family Emergency Plan. Your family may not be together when disaster strikes, so it is important to know how you will contact one another, how you will get back together and what you will do in case of an emergency. Refer to article "Family Disaster Planning" and "Survival Geocaching".

Plan to Protect Property


Hurricanes cause heavy rains that can cause extensive flood damage in coastal and inland areas to include flash flooding. Everyone is at risk and should consider flood insurance protection. Flood insurance is the only way to financially protect your property or business from flood damage. To learn more about your flooding risk and how to protect yourself and your business, visit the NFIP Web site, www.floodsmart.gov or call 1-800-427-2419. Refer to article "Car Flood Emergency" "Keeping Food Safe to Eat in an Emergency" and "Flood Survival".

In addition to insurance, you can also:

-Cover all of your home's windows with pre-cut ply wood or hurricane shutters to protect your windows from high winds, only taping your windows does not prevent them from breaking or becoming flying debris.

-Plan to bring in all outdoor furniture, decorations, garbage cans and anything else that is not tied down.

-Keep all trees and shrubs well trimmed so they are more wind resistant.

-Turn off utilities as instructed. Otherwise, turn the refrigerator thermostat to its coldest setting and keep its doors closed.

-Turn off propane tanks.

-Install a generator for emergencies. Please be aware of the hazards of carbon monoxide poisoning.(IE...don't place the generators in an enclosed space such as your garage, or where the exhaust can enter inhabited areas via open windows or air conditioning units) Refer to article "Carbon Monoxide Poisoning After A Disaster"

-Reinforce your garage doors; if wind enters a garage, it can cause dangerous and expensive structural damage.

-Ensure a supply of water for sanitary purposes such as cleaning and flushing toilets and for drinking as well. Fill the bathtub and other large containers with water. Refer to article "Long Term Water Storage" "The SODIS Water Disinfection Method" "Water Filtration" "Water Distilation Methods" and "Locating Water Sources in Your Home"

-Find out how to keep food safe during and after and emergency by visiting www.FoodSafety.gov or refer to article "KEEPING FOOD SAFE TO EAT IN AN EMERGENCY".

Step 3: Be Informed

Hurricane hazards come in many forms: lightning, tornadoes, flooding, storm surge, high winds, even landslides or mudslides can be triggered in mountainous regions.

Look carefully at the safety actions associated with each type of hurricane hazard and prepare your family disaster plan accordingly. But remember this is only a guide. The first and most important thing anyone should do when facing a hurricane threat is to use common sense.

Familiarize yourself with the terms that are used to identify a hurricane.

A hurricane watch means a hurricane is possible in your area. Be prepared to evacuate. Monitor local radio and television news outlets or listen to NOAA Weather Radio for the latest developments.

A hurricane warning is when a hurricane is expected in your area. If local authorities advise you to evacuate, leave immediately.

Hurricanes are classified into five categories based on their wind speed, central pressure, and damage potential. Category Three and higher hurricanes are considered major hurricanes, though Categories One and Two are still extremely dangerous and warrant your full attention.

Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale Scale Number (Category) Sustained Winds (MPH) Damage

CAT1
(74-95MPH) Very dangerous winds will produce some damage

Minor damage to exterior of homes
Toppled tree branches, uprooting of smaller trees
Extensive damage to power lines, power outages

CAT2
(96-110MPH) Extremely dangerous winds will cause extensive damage

Major damage to exterior of homes
Uprooting of small trees and many roads blocked
Guaranteed power outages for long periods of time – days to weeks

CAT3
(111-130MPH) Devastating damage will occur

Extensive damage to exterior of homes
Many trees uprooted and many roads blocked
Extremely limited availability of water and electricity

CAT4
(131-155MPH) Catastrophic damage will occur

Loss of roof structure and/or some exterior walls
Most trees uprooted and most power lines down
Isolated residential due to debris pile up
Power outages lasting for weeks to months

CAT5
(More than 155MPH) Catastrophic damage will occur

A high percentage of homes will be destroyed
Fallen trees and power lines isolate residential areas
Power outages lasting for weeks to months
Most areas will be uninhabitable

During a Hurricane

If a hurricane is likely in your area, you should:

-Listen to the radio or TV for information.

-Secure your home, close storm shutters, and secure outdoor objects or bring them indoors.

-Turn off utilities if instructed to do so. Otherwise, turn the refrigerator thermostat to its coldest setting and keep its doors closed.

-Turn off propane tanks.· Avoid using the phone, except for serious emergencies.

-Moor your boat if you have one and time permits.

-Ensure a supply of water for sanitary purposes such as cleaning and flushing toilets. Fill the bathtub and other large containers with water.

You should evacuate under the following conditions:


**DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE TO EVACUATE**

-If you are directed by local authorities to do so. Be sure to follow their instructions.

-If you live in a mobile home or temporary structure—such shelters are particularly hazardous during hurricanes no matter how well fastened to the ground.

-If you live in a high-rise building—hurricane winds are stronger at higher elevations.

-If you live on the coast, on a floodplain, near a river, or on an inland waterway.

-If you feel you are in danger.If you are unable to evacuate, go to your safe room.

If you do not have one, follow these guidelines:

-Shelter in the cellar or somewhere away from windows or the roof. A hurricane can rip off the roof. If you live in an apartment complex with a lower roofline then the surrounding buildings or is only several stories tall: move into the hallways as long as they are not open to the outside and go no higher then one story off of the ground and no closer then one whole floor from the roof and lay against the wall in case of falling debris if you choose to stay.

-Stay indoors during the hurricane and away from windows and glass doors.

-Close all interior doors—secure and brace external doors. Refer to article "How to Fortify Your Home"

-Keep curtains and blinds closed. Do not be fooled if there is a lull; it could be the eye of the storm - winds will pick up again striking in the opposite direction.

-Take refuge in a small interior room, closet, or hallway on the lowest level but be wary of potential flooding and that you may have to move to a higher area if neccessary but stay away from attic space or the roof until the storm has subsided. If the storm seems to die down suddenly, you are in the eye of the storm, do not leave safety for the storm is not over with yet.

-Lie on the floor under a table or another sturdy object or against the wall.

If you are outside and caught in the hurricane;

-Find a cave, ditch or rocky outcrop to shelter in or under, be wary of tunnels under highways for storm drainage for other then dire emergency temporary shelters as they can flood and you could become trapped due to debris, water currents or metal bars.

-Be prepred to adjust your position when the eye of the storm has passed over and the direction of the storm's winds change.

-Do not attempt to drive anywhere in a car in a hurricane.

-Take care near bridges as they may be washed away.

-Stay clear of trees, billboards, highway and buisness signs as they can become falling hazards or projectiles.