Extreme Weather Preparation

Here's some extreme weather advice from USA.gov.

Summertime can bring a range of weather challenges and potential dangers. Some of these threats can occur with little warning, so do what you can to prepare by assembling an emergency kit and forming a plan of action. Find out what you should do if faced with the following weather dangers:

Lightning: In the U.S., lightning kills more people each year than tornadoes and hurricanes. If you can hear thunder, you are within striking distance and should seek shelter in an enclosed building or vehicle. While indoors, don't use a corded phone, a computer or other electrical appliances; and avoid contact with plumbing (don't shower, wash hands, do laundry, etc.). Learn more about lightning safety and get tips on what to do if you're outdoors during a thunderstorm.

Floods: If you have time, move essential items to an upper floor. Do not touch electrical equipment if you are wet or standing in water. Do not walk through moving water that is six inches or higher. If floodwaters rise around your car, abandon the car and move to higher ground. Learn more about what to do before, during, and after a flood.

Hurricanes: If you can't evacuate, get inside and secure external and internal doors. Stay away from windows and doors and take refuge in a small interior room, closet, or hallway on the lowest level. Learn more about what to do before, during, and after a hurricane.

Tornadoes: Storm cellars and basements are the safest locations, but if they aren't available, go to an interior room, closet, or hallway on the lowest level. Stay away from windows, doors, outside walls, and corners. If you are in a trailer or mobile home, go to a sturdy, nearby building. Learn more about what to do before, during, and after a tornado.

Extreme Heat: Stay indoors as much as possible. Consider spending the hottest part of the day in an air-conditioned public building, such as a library or shopping mall. Never leave children or pets alone in vehicles. Learn more about what to do in extreme heat.

Wildfires: If your home is threatened by a wildfire, you must evacuate. If you have time, bring an emergency kit that includes copies of important documents. Learn more about what to do before, during, and after a wildfire.

Earthquakes: If you are indoors, stay away from windows, doors, and outside walls and get under a sturdy table or desk. If you are outside, keep away from buildings, streetlights, and utility wires. If you're in a moving vehicle, safely stop the vehicle in an open area and stay inside. Learn more about what to do before, during, and after an earthquake.

What is a Hurricane Watch?

What is a Hurricane Watch?

Familiarize yourself with the terms that are used to identify a hurricane or any storm event.

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. Before you are advised

15 more things to do before a hurricane

On top of yesterday's list, here are 15 more things to do before a hurricane.

16. Evacuate if you live in a high rise near the coast.  Hurricane Ike shook buildings 60+ miles inland.  You may be safe from rising water, but not from wind damage and flying objects.  

17. Pick up loose objects outside before the storm hits, so they don’t become projectiles. Put away lawn chairs, tables, door mats, hammocks, potted plants, rakes, etc.

18. Buy batteries.  Lots of them.  All sizes.  

19. Flashlights - Have plenty around and know where they are if you have to find them in the dark.  

20. And know where your tools are too!

21. Buy candles or Kerosene lanterns.  Just be careful not to start house fires.  It happens.  

22. Purchase a battery charged TV or radio so you’ll know what’s happening.  

23. Buy long extension cords.  Your house lines may be down but your neighbor is sitting pretty with A/C and full service of all things electronic.  

24. If you evacuate, unplug all electronics and turn off your lights in the event of water damage.  

25. Invest in an emergency tire inflator and make sure your spare tires are full.  

26. Know how to replace a flat tire.

27. Fill your bathtub with water in the event city water lines are cut off.  You may need this for bathing AND flushing.  Yes, flushing.  

28. If it’s yellow, let it mellow.  If it’s brown, flush it down.  Just keep the lid down.  

29. Playing cards, reading material, board games … there’s nothing worse than a bored child, except a bored child in a hurricane with no video games or DVDs or TV.

30.  Don’t forget your pets! They need food and water too.

15 things to do before a Hurricane

15 Things to do Before a Hurricane

1. Don’t rely on FEMA or the local, state and federal government: Remember Katrina.  

2. Protect legal documents like drivers licenses, ID cards, credit cards, passports, SSN cards, birth certificates, marriage certificates, insurance documents, etc. Place then in a waterproof container or at least two layers of ziploc bags.  Keep this high and dry and easy to reach if you must evacuate.  

3. GET CASH NOW.  Hurricanes hate electricity and ATMs.

4. Charge your cell phones, handheld gaming devices and any external batteries.

5. Write down all important telephone numbers in case your cellphone battery runs down. Put this piece of paper in your plastic bag for safety.  

6. Buy a cell phone recharger that works in your car..

7. Gas up all your cars and fill any gas tanks/cans you have as backup. Pumps won’t work if the power goes out.  

8. Treasured items – photos, mementos, baby shoes – keep them close and easy to put in a box if you need to get out fast.  

9. Stock up on bread, canned food items, bottled water, and any other non-perishable food items.  If your power is out for 10 days, like Houston after Hurricane Ike, peanut butter sandwiches get boring.  So think variety: saltines, crackers, nuts, candy, jelly, small cans of meat like Vienna sausages & tuna, cereal, pop-tarts, lunchables, cookies, etc.  

10. Purchase an ice chest and fill it.  Fill your freezer too.  You will use a LOT of ice if the power goes out.  

11.  First Aid kits.  Buy them for your house and for your car.  

12. Know how to disconnect your electric garage door opener so you can get your car out.  

13. Buy Sterno, charcoal or gas so you cook in your back yard with a BBQ grill. Do you have a grill???

14. Don’t forget matches or lighters.  

15. Refill medical Prescriptions.  Very Important!

How to Avoid Fraud after a Storm

“There is no recourse against hiring an unlicensed contractor. We're not saying anything about the good companies that come in to make a decent living, but unfortunately, there are the bad ones that try to come in and suck people's insurance checks and move on.”
- Larry Johnson

Last month FEMA published an alert about identify theft fraud after Tropical Storm Lee hit New York. Residents in Tioga County had encountered a potential fraudster canvassing neighborhoods claiming to be a “financial consultant” doing a survey for FEMA in a bid to obtain personal financial information.

FEMA notes that

Many legitimate persons -- insurance agents, FEMA Community Relations personnel, local inspectors and real contractors -- may have to visit a storm-damaged property. Survivors could, however, encounter people posing as inspectors, government officials or contractors in a bid to obtain personal information or collect payment for repair work. Your best strategy to protect yourself against fraud is to ask to see identification in all cases and to safeguard your personal financial information.

Be suspicious of anyone who:

• Has no proper identification (a shirt or jacket saying FEMA or some other org is NOT enough). Ask to see their photo laminated card.
• Wants your personal financial information
• Asks for cash to fill out a form or for an inspection.
• Demands cash or full payment up front for home repairs. Won't provide a contract.
• Is a contractor with no physical address on their card.
• Urges you to borrow to pay for repairs, then steers you to a specific lender or tries to act as an intermediary between you and a lender.
• Urges you to use a contractor they recommend
• Asks you to sign something you have not had time to review.

To avoid scams:

• Question strangers and demand to see identification
• Never give any personal financial information to an unfamiliar person
• Never sign any document without first reading it fully. Ask for an explanation of any terms or conditions you do not understand
• Do your own research before borrowing money for repairs. Compare quotes, repayment schedules and rates. If they differ significantly, ask why.

Bottom Line

For more information about avoiding charitable giving scams, visit the Federal Trade Commission’s website at http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2011/05/homerepair.shtm

Hurricane Stages

XKCD is a clever "webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language." The drawings are simple stick people but the ideas or puns can be quite intelligent. In the cartoon above the artist substitutes a Piaget Stage with a Hurricane Category 5.

Hurricanes are measured on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale of Categories 1 to 5:
ONE: Winds 74-95 mph: Damage primarily to unanchored mobile homes, shrubbery, and trees. Some coastal road flooding and minor pier damage.
TWO: Winds 96-110 mph: Some roofing material, door, and window damage to buildings. Considerable damage to vegetation, mobile homes, and piers. Small craft in unprotected anchorages break moorings.
THREE: Winds 111-130 mph: Some structural damage to small residences. Mobile homes are destroyed. Terrain may be flooded well inland.
FOUR: Winds 131-155 mph: Some complete roof structure failure on small residences. Major erosion of beach areas. Major damage to lower floors of structures near the shore by flooding.
FIVE: Winds greater than 155 mph: Complete roof failure on many residences and industrial buildings. Some complete building failures with small utility buildings blown over or away. Major damage to lower floors of all structures located near the shoreline. Massive evacuation of residential areas may be required.

The Piaget Scale measures child development in four stages:

1. Sensorimotor: (birth to about age 2) child learns about himself and his environment through motor and reflex actions. 
   
2. Preoperational: (begins about the time the child starts to talk to about age 7) child begins to use symbols to represent objects and learns to pretend.
   
3. Concrete: (about first grade to early adolescence) child develops an ability to think abstractly and to make rational judgements.
   
4. Formal Operations: (adolescence) Child is capable of hypothetical and deductive reasoning.. 

Wikipedia which mentions a stage 5, "The fifth stage occurs from 12 months old to 18 months old. During this stage infants explore new possibilities of objects; they try different things to get different results", but this is a sub-stage of the Sensorimotor stage. I wonder how Piaget adherents distinguish between the 4 primary stages and the 6 sub-stages of infants.

Bottom Line
To learn more about hurricanes see the excellent booklet by NOAA at http://hurricanes.noaa.gov/pdf/hurricanebook.pdf

P.S. Happy Anniversary to my wife. Twenty years married today.

Old Favorites

Home is a place you grow up wanting to leave, and grow old wanting to get back to.
~John Ed Pearce

Today I'll point you back to older blog posts that provide more details for Hurricane preparation.

Steps to take before a Hurricane arrives

includes
1. Food Safety
2. Food & Water
3. Lights
4. Stay Informed
5. Evacuation Preparation
6. Health
7. Important Papers
8. Peace of Mind
9. Prepare your Home

See also creating a Family Communication Plan

Bottom Line

Don't just read. Make the plan, build the kits.

Hurricane Go-Kit

“There isn't much wrong with most of those summerhouses that a really good hurricane wouldn't cure [and] when it comes it may do for the Hamptons what Mrs O'Leary's cow did for Chicago.”
- Peter Blake

One way to prepare for Hurricane Season is to make or update your go-kits. This is a 3-day supply of food, water, clothing and more that you can grab as you leave the house and flee a disaster.

Here’s a short list of basic recommended items for a go-kit:

• Contact information; and important documents http://www.ready.gov/america/_downloads/familyemergencyplan.pdf
• Water--at least one gallon per person per day for at least three days.
• Food--at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food.
• Can-opener.
• Cash--ATMs and credit card readers might be out. Have small bills to make change.
• Prescription medications and glasses.
• Radio: battery-powered or hand crank.
• Flashlight: battery-powered or hand crank.
• Extra batteries.
• First aid kit
• Charged cell phone with chargers, inverter or solar charger.
• Moist towelettes, toothbrush for hygeine
• Garbage/ziploc bags personal sanitation.
• Local maps.

Bottom Line

Here are some recommended sites for go-kits

http://www.fema.gov/areyouready/assemble_disaster_supplies_kit.shtm

http://www.redcross.org/portal/site/en/menuitem.53fabf6cc033f17a2b1ecfbf43181aa0/?vgnextoid=537b218c37752210VgnVCM10000089f0870aRCRD&currPage=e507d7aada352210VgnVCM10000089f0870aRCRD

http://www.redcrossstore.org/Shopper/Product.aspx?UniqueItemId=36

http://www.co.colfax.nm.us/download/fire/PREPARING%20A%2072%20HOUR.pdf

Hurricane Season

“It was like being in the eye of a hurricane. You'd wake up in a concert and think, Wow, how did I get here?”
-John Lennon

August 1 denotes the start of peak Hurricane season. Here are some hurricane factoids.

• While the overall hurricane season is June-November, the greatest activity is during August/September. 
• A hurricane Watch means a hurricane is possible within the next 3 to 4 days. Be watchful and listen to TV/Radio/Internet/etc for updates.
• A hurricane Warning means a hurricane is expected within 2 to 3 days. Find out if you are in the hurricane path and what action is required: i.e. board up the house or evacuate. Keep a radio/TV on at all times because hurricanes can change path and suddenly you're in the danger zone.
• There are 5 categories of hurricanes, based on the Saffir-Simpson Wind Scale—http://www.ready.gov/america/beinformed/hurricanes.html. Category 1 is the weakest. Fortunately Category 5 is rare.
• No matter what category, all hurricanes are dangerous. A storm is not called a hurricane unless wind speeds are at least 75 mph.
• And remember it’s more than just wind. Storm surge (flooding) is the major cause of death and damage in coastal areas.

Bottom Line

Each Hurricane is different. Some include tornados, others heavy rain. Just becuase the last one you went through was a snoozer does not mean every hurricane will be so gentle. Treat every hurricane with the respect it deserves.

Experiencing a Hurricane

I loved this story, Lessons Learned from Hurricane Ike, by John in Texas, from SurvivalBlog.com. I do not usually copy an entire blog post but this one is so excellent I hate to cut any of it out...

I really appreciate the people who share their lessons learned on SurvivalBlog.com, so I thought I would share my experiences and lessons learned from Hurricane Ike.


Hurricane Ike hit Houston on Friday night September 13, 2008. The hurricane was classified as a strong category 2 with maximum sustained winds of 110 MPH. What was unusual about this hurricane was the large size of the storm. Hurricane force winds extended 120 miles from the center.


Gas stations in our area ran out of gas the day before the storm (Thursday). I waited in a very long line of cars only to find out that the station had run out of Regular gas. I was happy to pay extra to fill up with Premium. The gas station was a zoo with everyone in panic mode. It was all the owner could do to maintain order with people complaining about credit card issues, the station running out of Regular, and how people were taking too long to buy gas. I will never again wait until the last minute to buy gas. Grocery stores were also crazy. The grocery stores we visited had all run out of bottled water and batteries. People were buying canned goods and ice in large quantities.


On Friday morning I finished installing our plywood storm shutters on our most vulnerable windows and bringing everything inside that could be damaged by the high winds. In the afternoon we continued with our preparations inside. We charged all of our batteries, filled up our camping water storage bags, and got all of our battery lamps ready. I also setup inverters and car batteries in the house for backup power.

Our home is about 70 miles north of the coast. The high winds and rain started to hit around 9 PM on Friday night. We went to bed early to try to get some sleep before the strongest winds of the storm hit. Around 1 AM the wind was making so much noise that I was no longer able to sleep. The house was making a lot of strange noises due to the high winds. It was at that point that my panic started to build. What made me feel uneasy was the fact that my family and I were completely on our own. If we had any kind of emergency, I would not be able to call anyone for help. What helped me to calm down was keeping busy reviewing all of my preparations and walking around the house checking for problems.


Our power was intermittent most of the night and finally went out around 2 AM. The television weatherman said that when your electricity goes out, that is when you know the strong winds are approaching. That is exactly what happened in our case. I continued watching the news with a battery powered television. A television is very helpful to track the movement of the storm. Since television stations in our area no longer broadcast analog television signals, I will have to find another solution to receive digital television with backup power for future storms.


As I watched the eye of the storm pass near our home to the East on television, I thought the worst was over. To my surprise, the strongest winds hit our house on the back side of the storm. During the peak winds, I heard a loud crash and our entire house shook. I ran upstairs and found a tree had hit our house. I was amazed at the damage. The roof framing, roof decking, shingles, sheet-rock, insulation, and tree branches had fallen into my son’s bedroom. The larger tree branches had come through the roof like spears. Fortunately, I had insisted that everyone sleep down stairs during the storm. As the hurricane force winds raged outside, we rushed around in the dark trying to find something to catch the water. We needed a lot of bins and buckets to catch the water falling from such a large area of the roof. This kept us very busy for the rest of the night as we were constantly bailing the water out of all of the bins. We were able to catch enough of the water that the sheetrock downstairs was not damaged.


As the sun came up, we were able to see the damage outside. Most of the large pine trees near our home had been blown down. The tree that hit our house was a large pine in our neighbor’s yard. The tree had broken at mid-height and the top part of the tree was still connected to the bottom half. A second tree in my neighbor’s yard has snapped (clean break) and the top half landed in my back yard. A third tree had landed on the roof of the house behind ours and the top part was in our yard. We also had a mature queen palm that had blown over. The trees all fell in different directions. I do not think it was a tornado from the hurricane that blew down the trees since the damage was so widespread in our neighborhood. The funny thing was that I had cut down all of the tall pine trees in my yard after I realized how dangerous they could be if they fell on the house. All the pine trees that hit my house and landed in my yard were all from my neighbors and all of the cleanup efforts and repairs were my responsibility. My neighbors paid none of the cost to remove the trees or repair the damage to my home and yard.


The day after the hurricane hit, I called insurance company and told I was on my own and I could not make any major repairs before the Insurance Adjuster arrived. We started the cleanup process by removing all shingles, roof decking, tree branches, sheet rock, and insulation that was in the room. The contractor (thick plastic) garbage bags we had worked great for this cleanup. I highly recommend everyone keep a few boxes of these contractor bags for emergencies. We then pulled up the carpet and removed the wet pad. We used fans to circulate the air and help dry the room out. We learned from a previous flooding that if the house is not dried out quickly, a strong musty odor will develop. Since we could not put a tarp on the roof due to the tree, we hung a tarp inside the room to catch all the water and funnel it into a large bucket. The tree company we hired to remove the trees in our yard used a 100-ton crane to remove the tree on our house.


We started running our generator the first day using gas. The only gas I had was two years old with Sta-Bil gas stabilizer added. I was amazed the generator ran well on two year old gas. I now rotate my gas yearly and put it on my calendar so I won’t forget. Our generator has a natural gas conversion kit installed. After the rain stopped, we moved the generator to our back yard and connected it to natural gas. The generator ran flawlessly for 13 hours per day on natural gas. I remember praying that our generator would keep running since we were totally dependent on it for all of our power. I strongly recommend a good quality generator and maintain it well for best reliability. My natural gas bill went up $100 and my electricity bill went down $200, so I actually saved money running the generator.


Our generator is 7,500 Watts, so supporting the electrical load of the entire house had to be done carefully. We powered everything in the house except the central air-conditioning. The generator load monitor we had was very helpful. As long as we kept the load under 50%, we had no problems. When the load was at 70%, we sometimes had problems. At 90%, the generator circuit breakers would trip within a few seconds.


While working in our yard near the generator, I started to feel the effects on Carbon Monoxide poisoning (headache, nausea, and fatigue). I realized what was happening and went indoors to recover. I am now extra careful when working around a running generator. We also use Carbon Monoxide detectors in our house when running the generator.


All gas stations and stores in our area were closed after the storm since there was no electricity. Stores reopened slowly as emergency generators were brought in. When the grocery stores opened, they had none of the basic items (eggs, milk, orange juice, bread, hamburger, etc.). After the storm we lost electricity, cable/internet, and phone service. We had no problems with water, sewer, and natural gas service. Many of the nearby neighborhoods had no water and one had limited sewer service. I was surprised that phone service went down after 24 hours. After about a week, the phone company restored service with portable generators they connected to the phone system equipment in the neighborhood. We had no power for 10 days. Neighbors asked us to charge their cell phones, laptops, and DVD players. We setup a table in front room with power strips for them to use. The item most requested by my neighbors was ice. I made extra ice before the storm and filled many 1 gallon freezer bags. After two days, neighbors started to clear out their refrigerators and freezers. We had many offers to take their frozen food. Several of our neighbors had electric stoves and could not cook. They came over to our house and used our gas stove to cook dinner.


We decided to shut down our generator at night to keep a low profile and so we did not disturb the neighbors (too much). At night I used our inverters to power our refrigerators and freezers. I was disappointed that we were only getting 3-4 hours of run time from a standard car battery. On the third night, the inverter I was using for our large freezer stopped working. I took the inverter apart and found many of the internal components had been damaged. The operating power of the freezer was within the rated load of the inverter, but the surge current was not. I am now more careful about overloading inverters. I also purchased larger deep-cycle marine batteries to extend my run time. With our generator not running for 11 hours at night, I found the freezers were able to maintain a safe temperature, but the refrigerators were not. I solved this problem by adding blue-ice to the refrigerators at night.


Many of our neighbors and friends told us they were going to buy a generator and prepare for the next hurricane. None did. As soon as the power came back on, they forgot all about it.


My wife does not support my preparation efforts. She has always told me that our generator was a waste of money and a hurricane is never going to hit Houston. As our neighbors and friends told us how smart we were to buy a generator, I thought to myself I have finally won this argument. Unfortunately (for me), I was mistaken. She still says the generator was a waste of money and a hurricane is never going to hit us again.


We spent more time preparing than anyone else on our street and ended up with the most damage to our house and yard. Just because you are prepared, don’t assume everything will go well for you. This is my biggest lesson learned from the storm.


The entire process of filing an insurance claim, hiring contractors, completing all necessary repairs, and negotiating the final settlement with the insurance company took well over a year. Overall we were blessed that the damage was not worse, we did not have to move out of our home, we had a good test of our emergency preparations, and we learned a lot from the storm.

Bottom Line

I love the lines, "Many of our neighbors and friends told us they were going to buy a generator and prepare for the next hurricane. None did."  and "[my wife,] She still says the generator was a waste of money and a hurricane is never going to hit us again."  Note also that the damage to the house and yard was from the neighbor's trees.

Some people will never be convinced that preparation is useful. There are none so blind as those that refuse to see.

Steps to Take After a Hurricane

What to Do After a Hurricane

MAKE SURE THE STORM IS REALLY OVER

- Remain indoors until an official "all clear" is given.

SAFETY (see also Food Safety below)

- INITIALLY, USE PHONES ONLY FOR EMERGENCIES. Local lines will be jammed. Let those with life-threatening emergencies use the phones first.

- Give First Aid and assist in rescue efforts.

- Do not touch fallen or low-hanging wires of any kind under any circumstances. Stay away from puddles with wires in/near them. Do not touch trees or other objects in contact with power lines.

- Warn your children about broken glass, sharp metal, stray animals, and other outdoor dangers. Do NOT go barefoot or wade in puddles!

- Aggressively clean all cuts or scrapes – the risk of infection is high. Don’t clean anything with tap water – it may be polluted.

- Don’t attempt to drive for a few days. Roads will be a flooded, blocked, washed-out, undermined, or needed by emergency vehicles. If away from home, you might not be allowed to return. Police may erect road blocks and deny all access or require identification to enter a neighborhood.

- Don’t light candles or use anything with a flame. There may be gas leaks.

- Don’t turn on the electricity – you may short out appliances that are still wet and cause a fire.

- Expect an invasion of vermin (rats & snakes) and insects within a few days.

PLAN TO REUNITE AND SHARE STATUS

Implement your family plan on how to unite separated members. Suggestions:

- Leave messages with a designated person outside the emergency area.

- Have a secret place near your house to leave a written message (in a water proof bag). “Had to flee, will be at Uncle Joe’s, 914-555-5555”.

- Use email, Facebook, texting, and cell phones when power is available

- Notify the local police and Red Cross if you are separated so the family knows you are alive.

- Don’t forget to include grandparents and other concerned relatives in the plan. They will be worried about you and want to know where you are.

- Let your Bishopric know where you are located and your status. If you cannot reach them by phone, try email or create a news item on the Ward web site at www.lds.org. The news item will not go public; it is reviewed by the Ward Website Administrator first.

PLAN RESPONSIBILITIES & STAY INFORMED

- Make a plan with your family, friends, and neighbors assigning specific responsibilities to each person. Keep every person busy with something useful. Don’t forget to assign childcare to someone.

- Another important task is damage assessment. Take photos before you begin cleaning up to use in your insurance claim. Create an inventory of damages.

- Listen to local radio stations for public announcements.

MENTAL HEALTH

- Stress, anxiety, panic, anger, sadness, and depression are all normal following an emergency. Get plenty of sleep and watch for signs of emotional breakdown in family members. Children and older adults are of special concern in the aftermath of disasters.

- Acknowledging feelings helps with recovery. Pray together and emphasize the positive. Count your blessings and utilize your strengths.

- Contact your church leader, voluntary agencies, or professional counselors for counseling. Additionally, FEMA and state and local governments of the affected area may provide crisis counseling assistance.

FOOD SAFETY
from http://www.fda.gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/ucm076993.htm

Hurricanes, especially if accompanied by a tidal surge or flooding, can contaminate the public water supply and anything the flood waters touched.

- Do not eat any food that may have come into contact with flood water. If in doubt, throw it out.

- Do not eat food packed in plastic, paper, cardboard, cloth, and similar containers that have been water damaged.

- Discard food and beverage containers with screw-caps, snap lids, crimped caps (soda bottles), twist caps, flip tops, and home canned foods, if they have come in contact with flood water. These containers cannot be disinfected.

- Undamaged foods in all-metal cans or retort pouches can be saved if you remove the labels, thoroughly wash the cans, rinse them, and then disinfect them with a sanitizing solution consisting of 1 tablespoon of bleach per gallon of potable water. Re-label containers with contents and expiration date with a marker.

WATER SAFETY

- If you don't have bottled water, then boil water to make it safe. If the water is cloudy, filter it through clean cloths or allow it to settle, and draw off the clear water for boiling. Boil the water for one minute, let it cool, and store it in clean containers with covers.

- If you can't boil water, disinfect it using household bleach. Filter if cloudy and then add 1/8 teaspoon (or 8 drops) of regular, unscented, liquid household bleach for each gallon of water. Stir it well and let it stand for 30 minutes before using.

- Do not use well water that has been flooded. Have the water tested before using.

CLEAN-UP

- Wear protective clothing, such as gloves and boots, to avoid skin contact with raw sewage and other contaminants.

- Open windows and doors to ventilate and dry your home.

- Shovel as much mud and debris as possible out of the building, then hose it down, inside and out. The walls, floors and any other parts of the building that have been flooded should be washed and disinfected.

- Drain the basement no more than one foot per day to minimize further damage. Groundwater outside creates enormous inward pressure on basement walls and floors.

- Throw away flooded items that cannot be washed and disinfected (such as mattresses, carpeting, carpet padding, rugs, upholstered furniture, cosmetics, stuffed animals, baby toys, pillows, foam-rubber items, books, wall coverings, drywall, insulation, and most paper products).

- Discard wooden cutting boards, wooden dishes and utensils, plastic utensils, baby bottle nipples, and pacifiers that have come into contact with flood water. These items cannot be safely cleaned.

- Thoroughly wash metal pans, ceramic dishes, and utensils (including can openers) with soap and water, using hot water if available. Rinse, and then sanitize them by boiling in clean water or immersing them for 15 min. in a solution of 1 tablespoon of unscented, liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of drinking water (or the cleanest, clearest water available).

- Thoroughly wash countertops and all surfaces with soap and water, using hot water if available. Rinse, and then sanitize by applying a solution of 1 tablespoon of unscented, liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of drinking water (or the cleanest, clearest water available). Allow to air dry.

- Carefully clean corners, cracks and crevices, door handles, and door seals, in rooms that have been affected by flood water.

- Discard refrigerators that have been submerged in flood water, or if enough moisture was present from liquefied food items to reach the insulation inside the equipment.

- Run your dishwasher, empty through three complete cycles to flush the water lines and assure that they are cleaned internally before washing equipment and utensils in it.

- Discard all ice in ice machines; clean and sanitize (1 tablespoon of bleach per gallon of potable water) the interior surfaces; run the ice through 3 cycles; and discard ice with each cycle.

- Replace all ice machine filters and beverage dispenser filters and flush all water lines for 10 to 15 minutes.

REFRIGERATOR
- Without power, a refrigerator will keep food cold for about 4 hours if it is unopened. A full freezer will keep the temperature for approximately 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full) if the door remains closed.

- Fifty pounds of dry ice should hold an 18-cubic foot fully-stocked freezer cold for two days.

- Once the power is restored, use a thermometer to check the freezer. If the freezer thermometer reads 40° F or below, the food is safe and may be refrozen. Otherwise check each frozen package of food - it’s safe if it still contains ice crystals. You can't rely on appearance or odor.

- Refrigerated food should be safe as long as the power was out for no more than 4 hours. Discard any perishable food (such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs or leftovers) that has been above 40° F for two hours or more. Perishable foods that are not kept adequately refrigerated or frozen may cause illness if consumed, even when they are thoroughly cooked.

Bottom Line

For more information see www.fema.gov/rebuild/

Steps to take before a Hurricane arrives

“You do not have to be a hurricane, to turn things around”

- Loesje (Dutch Fictional character)

As discussed yesterday, Hurricane Earl reminded me that hurricane season is upon us. Here is a not so simple list of things you should do before a storm hits.

1. Food Safety

• Set the freezer temperature at or below 0 °F. Set the refrigerator just below 40 °F.
  
    
• Fill many clean soda bottles with water and freeze them (don’t fill to the top, leave some room for ice expansion). The frozen water bottles can also be used in the refrigeration and coolers. When melted, you can drink the water. 
  
    
• Freeze refrigerated items such as leftovers, milk, and fresh meat that spoil easily. 
  
    
• A full freeze will stay cold longer.
  
    
• Have coolers on hand. After a hurricane, place refrigerated food you want to use in coolers and then leave the fridge and freeze closed.

2. Food & Water

• Stock up on drinking water – 1 gallon per person per day. Pets need water too. Tap water will NOT be safe to drink after a hurricane.
  
    
• Have enough ready to eat food on hand for family and pets for at least three days, preferably one week or more. You may need to feed yourself for a week with no working stove or microwave. 
  
• Pack your food and water so you can quickly move to your car if you must evacuate.

3. Lights

• With no power the night is really dark. Stock up on flashlights, batteries, lanterns, etc. The Red Cross discourages candles - too many house fires from candle accidents. Encourage going to bed when the sun sets or you’ll run out of lighting real fast.

4. Stay Informed

• Get a battery-powered or hand-crank radio. Store extra batteries if needed.
  
• Cell phones are great but how will you keep it charged? Consider hand crank rechargers and rechargers that plug into the car cigarette lighter. There are also solar power rechargers.  

5. Evacuation Preparation

• Create a portable evacuation kit for each family member and each pet.
  
• Select an evacuation location – where will you go? A hotel out of the emergency region? A friend or relative’s house far away? An emergency shelter? A camp ground?
  
• If camping, you’ll need to pack camping gear like a tent and sleeping bags or blankets.
  
• Maps and/or GPS – how will you get out of town? Some roads may be closed as traffic is forced along official evacuation routes.
  
• Communication Plan – how can you be contacted after evacuating? Share your cell phone and email with friends, family and religious leader(s).
  
• Family Reunion Plan – if your family is separated by work, school, etc, how will you locate each other afterwards? Details will follow in another email.
  
• Pet Plan – Red Cross shelters and many hotels will not accept pets. Or the friend you’re going to stay with is allergic to cats. Will you take your pet with you?
  
• Keep at least a 1/2 tank of gas in your car. Don't expect to find gas if an evacuation is ordered.

6. Health

• Make a list of all medications used by family members (and pets). Record the dosage and frequency. You may need this if someone is hospitalized or forgets to pack a medication.
  
• Make or buy First Aid Kits. Keep one in the house and another in each car. Clean any and all wounds – infection is a serious problem after floods and hurricanes. 
  
• With no water pressure, your toilet won’t flush. Have a toilet plan be it buckets and bags, grey water for flushing, a pit in the backyard, etc. Do you have a week’s supply of toilet paper?
  
• Fill the bathtub and other large containers with water beforehand. Use the water for sponge baths and then use the soapy water for toilet flushing.
  
• Pack feminine supplies and personal hygiene items. Stress does funny things to bodies.

7. Important Papers

• Make copies of important documents: driver's license, Social Security card, proof of residence, insurance policies, wills, deeds, birth and marriage certificates, tax records, etc. Take these with you if you evacuate.
  
• Write down the name and phone number for insurance policies, bank accounts, family physicians, etc. Who might you need to call after the emergency and away from home?
  
• Have a photograph of each family member and pet. You may need this if they become lost or separated.
  
• Make copies of irreplaceable family photos.
  
• Take a video or photographs of your house BEFORE the hurricane to show an insurance agent when you make claims. This way you can prove that big hole was not in the roof beforehand.
  
• Pack cash and credit/debit cards. During the Katrina evacuation some cash stations refused cash because they feared being robbed. In areas without power, you’ll need cash or barter items.

8. Peace of Mind

• Emergencies are stressful, especially for young children who don’t understand. Have comfort food and comfort items on hand and ready to go. Include favorite books and toys. Include a Book of Mormon and song books.
  
• Keep children busy with tasks or coloring books. Ask older siblings to entertain younger ones.
  
• Pack plenty of aspirin or equivalent for headaches and pain. (Aspirin can be dangerous for young children).
  
•  Don’t forget diaper rash ointment, teething gels, and other items to ease a crying infant.
  
• Sleep is essential to maintain strength. Pack a favorite pillow or anything else that will help you sleep.

9. Prepare your Home

• Cover all of your windows with pre-cut ply wood or hurricane shutters to protect your windows from high winds. No plywood? Crisscross the windows with duct tape.
• Bring in all outdoor furniture, decorations, garbage cans and anything else not tied down.
• Trim trees and shrubs to make them wind resistant.
• Turn off propane tanks and gas lines.
• Store your boat if you have one.

Hurricane Earl

“To describe my mother would be to write about a hurricane in its perfect power.”
- Maya Angelou



With Hurricane Earl threatening the Eastern US coast, this is a good time to review hurricane preparedness. Would you be ready if a hurricane hit your neighborhood? Yesterday I examined many websites for advice but the best site for getting started is http://www.ready.gov/america/beinformed/hurricanes.html 
which provides simple checklists for the three preparation stages:


                 Get a Kit,        Make a Plan,         Be Informed.

This site is also available in Spanish at http://www.listo.gov/america/beinformed/hurricanes.html

Bottom Line

I'll provide more details in the days to follow. But as my wife was reminding me last night, KISS, or Keep it Simple Stupid. The ready.gov site is the perfect starting point - very useful instructions but not too long as to be overwhelming.

Hurricane Katrina - 5 years later

Last week was the 5th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and there have been many retrospectives of the good and bad that occurred. I particularly liked this one from Instapundit of lessons learned two weeks after the event.

1. Don’t build your city below sea level: Sooner or later it will flood.

2. Order evacuations early: even 48 hours advance notice is too late if you want to get everyone out.

3. Have — and use — a plan for evacuating people who can’t get out on their own: New Orleans apparently had a plan, but didn’t use it.

4. Have an emergency relocation plan: designated places far enough away to be safe, but close enough to evacuate people to.

5. Make critical infrastructure survivable: one of the key failures of Katrina was the collapse of the New Orleans Police Department’s radio system - they could not communicate after the hurricane.

6. Stock supplies and prepare facilities: The Superdome didn’t have adequate food, water, and toilet facilities, even though everybody knew it was going to be a shelter of last resort.

7. Be realistic: In the event of a major disaster, streets may be impassable and public services could be interrupted or taxed beyond their limits. Therefore, everyone must know how to provide for their own needs for an extended period of time.

8. Put somebody in charge: Right now it’s mostly state governors, but this needs to be made inescapably plain to everyone.

The webpage has more details and wonderful comments from readers.

Bottom Line

The media (and Democrats) love to blame Bush for the failures after Katrina. But look at the list above. None of these topics are Federal in scope. They are failures at the city, regional, and state level. That is where preparedness begins and where it will succeed or fail.

Hurricane Season

"It is better to meet danger than to wait for it. He that is on a lee shore, and foresees a hurricane, stands out to sea and encounters a storm to avoid a shipwreck."-Charles Caleb Colton

Today I'll let someone else do all the talking. Check out Hurricane Readiness at SurvivalBlog.com. It covers what to do before, during and after a hurricane and ends with a supply list.

Bottom Line

A hurricane is not something you can prepare for last minute. Check out the article and prepare now if you live in a hurricane zone.

Emergency Response Politics

"It was chaos. There was nobody there, nobody in charge. And there was nobody giving even water. The children . . . they're all just in tears. There are sick people. We saw . . . people who are dying in front of you."
- CNN producer Kim Segal, describing the New Orleans Convention Center the day after Hurricane Katrina

[Note: the Convention Center was NOT an official shelter like the Superdome. Thousands of people just showed up and expected to be taken care of in a city that was official abandoned. The media handled this very poorly- looking for blame instead of helping evacuate the people to real shelters or notifying officials. TV anchor, Ted Koppel, would accuse FEMA of negligence for NOT learning about the crisis at the convention center from TV news reports.]

A reader of the SurvivalBlog.com objects to Firefighter Charles disaster scenario that I quoted in yesterday's post.

"Firefighter Charles's statement about FEMA's response times shows a lack of understanding of how the process works. In the event of another Hurricane Katrina type natural disaster, the following things have to happen, in the following order:

1. Disaster strikes
2. Local officials setup an incident command
3. Local Emergency Operation Centers (EOCs) are activated. The local emergency operations plan (EOP) is put into action.
4. Mutual aid agreements are activated. If the disaster goes beyond this, then...
5. State EOCs are activated. State EOPs are put into action.
6. The state activates it's mutual aid agreements.
7. If the situation is not contained, the Governor declares a State Emergency. He can then.....
8. Appeal to the President to declare the event a federal disaster - whether it is a Stafford Act event or not.
9. FEMA is then activated and ordered to head the rescue/relief efforts. The FBI is the lead investigative agency for any criminal acts, while the BATFE is the lead law enforcement agency for anything law enforcement related such as security, etc."

Now there are some good points here but I think the responder protests too much. The process above makes Firefighter Charles's point even stronger. Before super-slow FEMA can respond, one has to wait for local bureaucracy and then state bureaucracy to run its course. This rarely happens quickly and you can still expect 72-hrs or more to pass before resources like food and mass shelter are available.

In the case of Katrina the emergency response process was stalled by politics. The mayor of New Orleans ordered everyone to abandon his city with just 19 hours notice. The New Orleans official evacuation plan was not activated; school buses sat unused that could have helped evacuate residents. Those who could not leave were ordered to go to shelter of "last resort" without any provisions for food, water, security, or sanitary conditions. The Louisiana Superdome was designed to handle 800 as a shelter but 30,000 arrived.

Immediately after the hurricane had passed on Aug 30, 2005, Michael Chertoff, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA's boss, tried to take over the federal, state, and local operations, citing the National Response Plan. This was refused by Governor Blanco of Louisiana who indicated that her National Guard could manage. President Bush, a former governor of Texas, would not overrule a governor acting within her constitutional rights of state leadership.

Still it is wrong to say the Federal Government did nothing. Naval ships were moved to the Gulf before the hurricane hit and Coast Guard helicopters rescued 35,000 individuals from flood waters. Approximately 58,000 National Guard personnel were activated to deal with the storm's aftermath, with troops coming from all 50 states. The Department of Defense also activated volunteer members of the Civil Air Patrol.

700,000 people applied to FEMA for temporary housing. Tens of thousands of trailers were used but in some parishes the local council refused the trailers (not wanting to create a permanent squatters camp perhaps?). Also FEMA would only deploy trailers to regions with working utilities. (Think of the sewage problems that would result otherwise). For those without trailers, FEMA paid for hotel rooms. Five years after the disaster, there are still 260 families in hotels being paid by FEMA.

A Congressional investigation after Katrina found that FEMA and the Red Cross "did not have a logistics capacity sophisticated enough to fully support the massive number of Gulf coast victims." It placed responsibility for the disaster on all three levels of government.

Bottom Line

The National Incident Management System (NIMS) always puts the onus for response on local governments. However local responders NEVER have the resources for a major emergency. In Westchester county with a population of almost 1 million, the local Red Cross and CERT teams have cots for only 30,000 people. If there were mass evacuation from an accident at Indian Point Nuclear power plant, we'd have to rely on neighboring counties and neighboring states for shelter. That requires lots of high-level politics and lots of time.

The worst part of this is that many townships in Westchester, NY refuse to stockpile supplies and designate shelters. Once a town has a shelter plan, they are responsible to maintain it. For towns without a shelter plan, the responsibility goes upon Westchester county.

http://perpetualpreparedness.blogspot.com/2008/09/waiting-for-cavalry.html
http://perpetualpreparedness.blogspot.com/2008/08/hurrican-ready.html

Get Out Of Dodge

“The evacuation of major cities - we have a problem with that. We've never done that before.” ~ Henry Renteria, Director of the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services

About a year ago I wrote about the acronym TEOTWAWKI. Just this morning I came across another acronym G.O.O.D. that ties nicely into an article at NewScientist.com, Asteroid attack: Putting Earth's defences to the test. GOOD stands for “Get Out Of Dodge” and refers to emergency evacuation planning. When a hurricane is bearing down or an asteroid is about to strike your town, you won’t be the only one trying to escape. I recommend the movie, Deep Impact, which has a scene near the end of a crowded highway, no one’s moving, the asteroid is coming, so naturally people start panicking and driving on the grass, getting into accidents and getting into fights. Every man for himself!

The best solution to GOOD is getting out quickly, before the rest of the public jams the roads. If your go-kits are packed and ready you can get a head start on the crowd. Do not delay. Do not think you can escape “last minute”. You might also want to fill a gas can immediately because stations along the escape routes will quickly sell out.

When evacuating millions of people, I suspect every option is a lose-lose scenario. The highways will jam. Secondary roads can become closed with a single accident. If you have an AWD vehicle you could try off-road driving but have to cope with fences, ditches, streams, etc. In all cases a GPS unit can help provide alternative routes if you get stuck.

Bottom Line

Because of the hazards of evacuation, sheltering at home is often a better choice if you’re well stocked and prepared. But sometimes (killer hurricane or asteroid) you must get out of town, no choice. What will you do?

A long time without power

"Do you realize if it weren't for Edison we'd be watching TV by candlelight?" - Al Boliska

In Louisiana Hurricane Ike knocked out power to 99% of the Entergy Corp customers. Eight days after the storm, CenterPoint Energy of Texas reports that 819,000 customers, or 36%, were still without power in its service area. "Most" of metro Houston should have power in another 4 days, nearly two weeks after the hurricane.

Disasters like this go way beyond the 3-day (72 hour) go-kits that most agencies recommend. Could you live without power for two weeks? In earlier blogs I've covered Food Safety During Power Outages and Living without power. Today I'd like to offer some additional practical advice that we use in our home.

1. Build a long term food store. One month is good, 3 months better.
2. Include in your food store items that do not require cooking like peanut butter, crackers, canned fruit (do you have a manual can opener???), cereal, instant milk, canned tuna and other meats, etc.
3. Have a camping stove and extra fuel. I like the butane mini-stoves sold everywhere as an alternative to hot plates. When cooking with gas, either cook outdoors or have LOTS of air ventilation. Never use charcoal indoors. Also be aware that some cities and apartments/condos have regulations restricting the storage of fuel and gas cylinders.
4. Stock up on easy meals that just require boiling water (which you'll make with your portable stove). We store MRE's and boxes of pasta with canned/jar sauce. Ramon noodles are also convenient.
5. Store water. We use several 7 gallon containers. Anything larger would be too heavy for us to move.
6. Have means to purify water. If your water storage runs out or is old you'll need to purify water before use. We keep on hand iodine tablets, water filters, and the stove for boiling.
7. Have something for light. Flashlights and batteries will run out fast - unless you have a hand crank flashlight. We have a large store of candles (fire risk!), a multi-fuel gas lantern, and a solar powered lantern.

BOTTOM LINE
When you consider the emergency supplies we have at home you may be thinking either

1. we're nuts to have so much stuff
2. we're rich to have so much stuff

Neither is true. We shop for bargains, keeping an eye out for sales, closeouts, etc. JC Penny's once sold hand crank radios for 70% off just before Christmas. We bought several for ourselves and as gifts to friends.

You don't have to build the ultimate emergency bunker overnight. Each year buy one new item like a portable stove or high-end water filter as a present for yourself and family. Within just a few years you too will be prepared to handle emergencies.

UPDATE Oct 7

"Some parts of Houston are projected to be without power until early October. Meanwhile the aftermath of Hurricane Ike remains with fallen trees, contaminated water, long food lines, a serious gas shortage, fights at gas stations and total damages that could exceed $18 billion.
More than 300,000 evacuees are in shelters and the Federal Emergency Management Agency plans to pay for some victims whose homes are unlivable to stay in hotels or motels until Oct. 14."
- FinalCall.com

Russian Ruollete?

"Russian roulette is a potentially lethal game of chance" - Wikipedia

Despite orders to evacuate, as many as 140,000 people stayed in their Texas homes when hurricane Ike hit. Here is a collection of news items describing the aftermath of a Category 2 storm:

"Flooding, debris left by Hurricane Ike slowing rescue efforts" - CBS News, "the devastation is extensive"... "Waist-deep water and downed trees kept many rescuers from reaching people in Galveston." ... "a couple of barges had broken loose and smashed into homes" ...Some homes were "pancaked."

"In Hackberry, La. ... workers moved a large shrimp boat out of the highway with a bulldozer, but the team had to stop because of strong currents in the flood waters and difficulty in seeing the roadway." - AP

As the hurricane hit Friday night thousands of residents who stayed behind called 911. "What's really frustrating is that we can't get to them, [during the storm]" Galveston police officer Tommie Mafrei said. "They are naive about it, thinking it's not going to be that bad." - the Australian/AP

"A 4-year-old Houston boy died of carbon monoxide poisoning caused by his family's generator, which was inside his home." - ABC News/AP

Bottom Line
Don't play chicken with a Hurricane. Don't risk your life or the life of your family. When ordered to evacuate - leave!

Hurricane Hype?

"Those who would try and characterize the government and NHC actions of the last
few days as overreactions, are the same ones who’d crucify them if they under reacted. - Ragman in comments on Weather Nerd

The blog Weather Nerd has an interesting article called Apocalypse-Not about media and public reaction to hurricane Gustav. After mandatory evacuation for "the mother of all storms", it landed west of New Orleans as a category 2 with minor damage. "Live TV reports suggest little if any serious wind damage ... although there are reports of some water coming over the Industrial Canal."

With regard to the statement that Gustav is “turning out to be far less than what was previously forecast,” that’s not really fair ... There were plausible alternative scenarios whereby Gustav would be a calamity. The contemporaneous plausibility of these calamitous scenarios is not retroactively invalidated by the fact that, thankfully, a different scenario has occurred. - Weather Nerd

It is crucial that blogospheric and journalistic snark not take hold here... There are, and will continue to be, plentiful examples of ridiculous media over hype, and those are deeply unfortunate ... What matters, though, is this: the forecasts were not “hype,” and the evacuations were not “hype.” Gustav had the legitimate potential to be far worse than this, and decisions had to be made at a time when we could not depend on the more favorable scenario that has instead occurred. - Weather Nerd

In the story "The Boy who Cried Wolf", the farmers got tired of the false alarms and stopped paying attention to the cries of "Wolf!". When a wolf did appear, no one heeded the warning. Likewise with Hurricanes, people ignore official warnings because last the officials got it wrong. Then when the "big one" does occur, residents are taken by surprise and sometimes die in their homes.

Bottom Line
Always treat every hurricane with respect and prepare for the worst. Nature is fickle.