10 Vital Do's and Dont's For the Most Common Natural Disasters
When disaster strikes, you don’t have time to read a book on how to survive that disaster or watch a bunch of YouTube videos. You must act now. Print out this guide and place it in a waterproof container, so you have easy access to the top ten crucial dos and don’ts for how to survive any natural disaster.
Hurricane
- Do NOT go outside until after the storm has passed.
- Evacuate if your property is at risk for storm surge.
- Evacuate if you live in a mobile home.
- Evacuate if you live in a flood zone.
- The Eye of the hurricane is calm while it passes over you. STAY inside.
- Tornadoes can be spawned by a hurricane. STAY inside.
- If sheltering at home, nail plywood, coated with primer, on all windows.
- Do not throw a hurricane party and get drunk.
- Have a generator BEFORE the storm. They will be impossible to get later.
- Do not step into, swim in, or bathe in any body of water, as it may be electrically charged.
Tornados
- Seek cover indoors as quickly as possible! Avoid garden sheds, outbuildings, and pole barns.
- Do NOT stay in a mobile home. Get out of the mobile home and seek shelter elsewhere.
- Get low. Go to the lowest floor, and get as low to the ground as you can.
- Shelter underneath something heavy, like a dining room table.
- Stay away from windows! Shelter in the center of a room with as few windows as possible.
- A tornado watch means there could be a tornado. A tornado warning means take cover NOW.
- Know your geography. Warnings are issued for counties, communities, and roads.
- Have a tornado kit that includes: flashlights, a whistle, boots, a first aid kit, meds, etc.
- If you have a radio, turn it on, and tune into the weather channel.
- Grab pillows, blankets, mattresses, anything that could protect you from flying debris.
Earthquakes
- Drop! Once an earthquake begins, drop to the floor, and get as low to the ground as you can.
- Cover! Try to maneuver your body so that it is underneath something, like a sturdy table.
- Hold on! Earthquakes can throw one about, so hold on to something solid!
- Don’t rely on doorways for protection. Get underneath something stable and sturdy.
- An inside corner of a building is one of the safest places to be during an earthquake.
- If outside, get away from buildings and other large objects which may collapse.
- If out in a rural area, seek shelter in an open field where there are no trees or power lines.
- Don’t get into an elevator after an earthquake. Take the stairs.
- If driving, pull over in a large, open area, not under trees or power lines.
- Expect aftershocks! Earthquakes often come in waves.
Tsunamis
- Get to high ground as soon as possible.
- Get as far inland as soon as possible.
- Be alert to the signs of a tsunami, such as a sudden rise (or draining) of ocean waters.
- Listen for emergency information and alerts.
- Do NOT take shelter. Do NOT wait. Leave as soon as you hear warnings or see natural signs.
- If you are in a boat, go out to sea. Don’t move towards land.
- Tsunamis and earthquakes can occur in tandem. During a quake, drop, cover, and hold on!
- If outside a tsunami disaster zone, do NOT approach the zone until it has been cleared as safe.
- If in the water, grab on to something that floats, such as a tree, door, raft, or large piece of wood.
- If in a car, drive as far away from the shore as possible. If stuck in traffic, get out and run.
Wildfires
- Protect your airways. The smoke may cause you to pass out and die.
- Cover your nose and mouth with a mask or cloth while
- Stay low to the ground if you must evacuate on foot.
- Use the wind! If the wind is blowing past you and toward the fire, then run into the wind.
- If the wind is behind the fire and blowing toward you, run perpendicular to the fire.
- Go for nonflammable terrain like water, parking lots, barren ground, or already burned areas.
- Avoid terrain with a lot of vegetation and other combustible material.
- If trapped, hunker down in a non-combustible area. If not trapped, flee!
- Seek safety in or near water. Get in the water, or put the water between you and the fire.
- If you must hunker down, cover your body with wet rags, clothes, or even mud or dirt.
Floods
- Do NOT drive or walk through flooding water. As the motto goes, “Turn around, don’t drown!”
- Move to higher ground. Don’t go through the flood to do this unless it’s necessary.
- Don’t camp or park along streams and rivers during heavy rainfall.
- Do not return to your home until authorities say it is safe to do so.
- Never attempt to swim or wade through a flooding body of water.
- Know your flood risk. If you live in an area prone to flooding, have an emergency plan in place.
- Pay attention to phone alerts, TV, or radio for weather updates.
- Floods can bring down power lines and electrocute the water. Stay out of the water.
- A flood watch means a flood is possible. A flood warning means flooding is occurring. Evacuate!
- Secure your home if you have time. Turn off utilities at the main switches and valves.
Nuclear Crisis
- Get inside the nearest building to avoid radiation/fallout.
- If outside during a blast, get inside and remove radiation-contaminated clothing.
- Wipe off or wash unprotected skin with clean water. Do not use disinfectant wipes.
- Go to the basement or middle of the building.
- Stay inside for at least 24 hours or until local authorities provide further instructions.
- Do NOT go outside during or after a nuclear explosion.
- Do NOT reunite with family until at least 24 hours after the explosion.
- Tune into cell phone emergency alerts, radio, or TV to get official information on the blast.
- Stay away from windows. This will help protect you from the blast, heat, and radiation.
- If you are outdoors during the blast, take cover behind anything that might provide protection.
Pandemic
- Avoid airports and public transportation.
- Stay away from heavily crowded areas, such as malls, schools, churches, city centers, etc.
- Get into the right protective gear, including coveralls, face masks, gloves, eye protection, etc.
- Procure and use antibacterial products. Keeping the hands clean during a pandemic is essential.
- Clean your environment frequently. Regular disinfection helps prevent contamination.
- If you begin to feel ill, seek medical help immediately. Don’t put it off.
- Do NOT visit family and friends during a pandemic.
- Keep to yourself and your immediate family bubble as much as possible. Avoid contact.
- Stock up on essential supplies. The less you have to go out and be around people, the better.
- Isolate, Isolate, isolate. Stay indoors as much as possible and away from your neighbors.
Heatwave/Deep Freeze
- Drink plenty of water during a heatwave! Drink before you feel thirsty.
- Balance water intake during a heatwave with salt, potassium, and other electrolytes.
- If you don’t have salt or potassium tablets on hand, eat bananas or raisins.
- Heat can KILL. Get out of the sun, seek shaded areas, and get cool.
- Apply ice packs to the neck, wrists, ankles, groin, and armpits. Get into cold water if possible.
- For a deep freeze, wear layers on top of layers on top of layers! The more warm clothes, the better.
- Get indoors if possible. Even if the power is out, the building’s walls will provide some shelter.
- Cover as much bare, exposed skin as possible to prevent frostbite.
- If sheltering in place with multiple people, huddle together to conserve body heat.
- If stuck outside during a deep freeze, keep moving, and do your best to seek shelter.
Volcanic Eruption
- Decide between sheltering in place or evacuating.
- Ash storm = Shelter in place.
- Lava flow = Evacuate immediately.
- Close all windows, doors, vents, and fireplace dampers. This keeps volcanic ash out.
- Turn off all fans and air conditions systems. Try to prevent outside air from coming inside.
- Bring necessities inside with you, and do not venture outside unless necessary.
- If a lava flow is headed your way, evacuate immediately.
- Do not approach or return to a lava flow area until authorities say it is safe to do so.
- If sheltering in place, stay inside until you hear it is safe to come out.