In August the East Coast experienced an earthquake and a hurricane—and more hurricanes are developing. While billions of dollars in damage has been done and lives have been lost, there are some things the average person can do to mitigate their own exposure in the event of a disaster.
Earthquakes: During an earthquake, the proper thing to do is to drop, cover and hold on. Experts now encourage people to get under a heavy item of furniture and hold on—do not stand in a doorway; do not go outside. This will protect you from falling objects. And while outside may seem to be a safer place to be, trees, power lines and building parts do fall. Before an earthquake ever occurs, do an assessment: How securely are items fastened to the walls? Is the bookcase a little top heavy? It'll certainly fall once the ground starts shaking. And while it may not seem important now in areas not prone to earthquakes, a little bit of preventative action never hurts. After an earthquake, beware of any damaged interiors and be on the lookout for leaking gas lines. There are often fires after an earthquake because of such ruptured lines.
Hurricanes: With hurricanes the practical thing is to have flood insurance long before hurricane season, as there is a 30-day waiting period before coverage takes effect. However, with the threat of an approaching hurricane, a homeowner can at least remove damageable items from the floor and get them out of harm's way. It doesn't take much effort to lift the curtains or move the throw rug and end tables to higher ground. Anything done in advance helps the insured from having more soggy items to clean up after the fact. And NEVER drive into standing water. Water weighs roughly ten pounds a gallon, and when it accumulates and starts moving it doesn't take much to sweep a car and its occupants away.
In the event of an evacuation: Evacuation plans are important as well. When the government says to evacuate, where do you intend to go? It's prudent to plan a location to evacuate to in advance, and if you own pets, make sure that location will accept them.
More information: There are plenty of websites that have information on how to prepare for and react to such disasters:
- The CDC has an emergency website.
- FEMA has information on building an emergency kit as well as numerous safety tips.
- As more and more people are connected via social networks and technology, there's a site with instructions on how to stay connected.
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