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 

1. Do NOT go outside until after the storm has passed.
2. Evacuate if your property is at risk for storm surge.
3. Evacuate if you live in a mobile home.
4. Evacuate if you live in a flood zone.
5. The Eye of the hurricane is calm while it passes over you. STAY inside.
6. Tornadoes can be spawned by a hurricane. STAY inside.
7. If sheltering at home, nail plywood, coated with primer, on all windows.
8. Do not throw a hurricane party and get drunk.
9. Have a generator BEFORE the storm. They will be impossible to get later.
10. Do not step into, swim in, or bathe in any body of water, as it may be electrically charged.

Tornados

1. Seek cover indoors as quickly as possible! Avoid garden sheds, outbuildings, and pole barns.
2. Do NOT stay in a mobile home. Get out of the mobile home and seek shelter elsewhere.
3. Get low. Go to the lowest floor, and get as low to the ground as you can.
4. Shelter underneath something heavy, like a dining room table.
5. Stay away from windows! Shelter in the center of a room with as few windows as possible.
6. A tornado watch means there could be a tornado. A tornado warning means take cover NOW.
7. Know your geography. Warnings are issued for counties, communities, and roads.
8. Have a tornado kit that includes: flashlights, a whistle, boots, a first aid kit, meds, etc.
9. If you have a radio, turn it on, and tune into the weather channel.
10. Grab pillows, blankets, mattresses, anything that could protect you from flying debris.

Earthquakes

1. Drop! Once an earthquake begins, drop to the floor, and get as low to the ground as you can.
2. Cover! Try to maneuver your body so that it is underneath something, like a sturdy table.
3. Hold on! Earthquakes can throw one about, so hold on to something solid!
4. Don’t rely on doorways for protection. Get underneath something stable and sturdy.
5. An inside corner of a building is one of the safest places to be during an earthquake.
6. If outside, get away from buildings and other large objects which may collapse.
7. If out in a rural area, seek shelter in an open field where there are no trees or power lines.
8. Don’t get into an elevator after an earthquake. Take the stairs.
9. If driving, pull over in a large, open area, not under trees or power lines.
10. Expect aftershocks! Earthquakes often come in waves.

Tsunamis

1. Get to high ground as soon as possible.
2. Get as far inland as soon as possible.
3. Be alert to the signs of a tsunami, such as a sudden rise (or draining) of ocean waters.
4. Listen for emergency information and alerts.
5. Do NOT take shelter. Do NOT wait. Leave as soon as you hear warnings or see natural signs.
6. If you are in a boat, go out to sea. Don’t move towards land.
7. Tsunamis and earthquakes can occur in tandem. During a quake, drop, cover, and hold on!
8. If outside a tsunami disaster zone, do NOT approach the zone until it has been cleared as safe.
9. If in the water, grab on to something that floats, such as a tree, door, raft, or large piece of wood.
10. If in a car, drive as far away from the shore as possible. If stuck in traffic, get out and run.

Wildfires

1. Protect your airways. The smoke may cause you to pass out and die.
2. Cover your nose and mouth with a mask or cloth while
3. Stay low to the ground if you must evacuate on foot.
4. Use the wind! If the wind is blowing past you and toward the fire, then run into the wind.
5. If the wind is behind the fire and blowing toward you, run perpendicular to the fire.
6. Go for nonflammable terrain like water, parking lots, barren ground, or already burned areas.
7. Avoid terrain with a lot of vegetation and other combustible material.
8. If trapped, hunker down in a non-combustible area. If not trapped, flee!
9. Seek safety in or near water. Get in the water, or put the water between you and the fire.
10. If you must hunker down, cover your body with wet rags, clothes, or even mud or dirt.

Floods

1. Do NOT drive or walk through flooding water. As the motto goes, “Turn around, don’t drown!”
2. Move to higher ground. Don’t go through the flood to do this unless it’s necessary.
3. Don’t camp or park along streams and rivers during heavy rainfall.
4. Do not return to your home until authorities say it is safe to do so.
5. Never attempt to swim or wade through a flooding body of water.
6. Know your flood risk. If you live in an area prone to flooding, have an emergency plan in place.
7. Pay attention to phone alerts, TV, or radio for weather updates.
8. Floods can bring down power lines and electrocute the water. Stay out of the water.
9. A flood watch means a flood is possible. A flood warning means flooding is occurring. Evacuate!
10. Secure your home if you have time. Turn off utilities at the main switches and valves.

Nuclear Crisis

1. Get inside the nearest building to avoid radiation/fallout.
2. If outside during a blast, get inside and remove radiation-contaminated clothing.
3. Wipe off or wash unprotected skin with clean water. Do not use disinfectant wipes.
4. Go to the basement or middle of the building.
5. Stay inside for at least 24 hours or until local authorities provide further instructions.
6. Do NOT go outside during or after a nuclear explosion.
7. Do NOT reunite with family until at least 24 hours after the explosion.
8. Tune into cell phone emergency alerts, radio, or TV to get official information on the blast.
9. Stay away from windows. This will help protect you from the blast, heat, and radiation.
10. If you are outdoors during the blast, take cover behind anything that might provide protection.

Pandemic

1. Avoid airports and public transportation.
2. Stay away from heavily crowded areas, such as malls, schools, churches, city centers, etc.
3. Get into the right protective gear, including coveralls, face masks, gloves, eye protection, etc.
4. Procure and use antibacterial products. Keeping the hands clean during a pandemic is essential.
5. Clean your environment frequently. Regular disinfection helps prevent contamination.
6. If you begin to feel ill, seek medical help immediately. Don’t put it off.
7. Do NOT visit family and friends during a pandemic.
8. Keep to yourself and your immediate family bubble as much as possible. Avoid contact.
9. Stock up on essential supplies. The less you have to go out and be around people, the better.
10. Isolate, Isolate, isolate. Stay indoors as much as possible and away from your neighbors.

Heatwave/Deep Freeze

1. Drink plenty of water during a heatwave! Drink before you feel thirsty.
2. Balance water intake during a heatwave with salt, potassium, and other electrolytes.
3. If you don’t have salt or potassium tablets on hand, eat bananas or raisins.
4. Heat can KILL. Get out of the sun, seek shaded areas, and get cool.
5. Apply ice packs to the neck, wrists, ankles, groin, and armpits. Get into cold water if possible.
6. For a deep freeze, wear layers on top of layers on top of layers! The more warm clothes, the better.
7. Get indoors if possible. Even if the power is out, the building’s walls will provide some shelter.
8. Cover as much bare, exposed skin as possible to prevent frostbite.
9. If sheltering in place with multiple people, huddle together to conserve body heat.
10. If stuck outside during a deep freeze, keep moving, and do your best to seek shelter.

Volcanic Eruption

1. Decide between sheltering in place or evacuating.
2. Ash storm = Shelter in place.
3. Lava flow = Evacuate immediately.
4. Close all windows, doors, vents, and fireplace dampers. This keeps volcanic ash out.
5. Turn off all fans and air conditions systems. Try to prevent outside air from coming inside.
6. Bring necessities inside with you, and do not venture outside unless necessary.
7. If a lava flow is headed your way, evacuate immediately.
8. Do not approach or return to a lava flow area until authorities say it is safe to do so.
9. If sheltering in place, stay inside until you hear it is safe to come out.