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From March to May of every year, the southern states are occasionally plagued by a disastrous weather phenomenon known as tornadoes. For northern states, the risk comes during spring to the onset of summer.

Tornadoes are considered as storms. And you know that no storm is not violent. The dangers caused by tornadoes are not due to the gustiness of the winds but by a sudden and unanticipated occurrence.

Unlike hurricanes, which are comparatively more powerful, the onset of a tornado cannot be easily tracked. Satellite weather systems cannot easily spot them because of their sudden development and their relatively smaller scale.

Thus, people can only tell that there is a tornado when they actually see one. Tornadoes are a massive and destructive mass of air accumulating rapidly is a circular manner. The wind is so strong that almost everything that comes to the way of the tornado is easily flown into it.

How to tell if a tornado is approaching

Before any safety measure, it is imperative that you be knowledgeable about the appearance and the indicators of the presence of the violent weather phenomenon.

Take note that before a tornado hits an area, the wind may not be destructive minutes before the tornado hits the place. Often, before a tornado is observed, the wind may be very still. There may or may not be the presence of rain.

Usually, tornadoes occur at the trailing end of a thunderstorm. Thus, if there is a strong thunderstorm, be prepared on the possibility that a tornado may come anytime during or before the thunderstorm ends.

Because tornadoes are made up basically of strong and whirling winds, one can not easily see them. Often, reported cases indicate that the tornado appears like a cloud-like structure.

Tornadoes can be seen due to the debris and dust they have accumulated while tracking their courses. You may see the debris rotating in the air in circular, whirling motion.

Before a tornado hits an area, you can also hear a loud roaring sound that is almost similar to an approaching freight train. The wind will also become turbulent and destructive.

Safety measures before a tornado

One indicator that a tornado will possibly hit an area is dark and often violet to greenish sky, which is prevalent during destructive thunderstorms.

When you see and feel the indications of an approaching tornado, find a safe shelter right away. Remember, tornadoes are destructive and fatal not merely because of the strong winds but because of the debris they have accumulated.

This debris varies from the roof to large rocks, to large chunks of trees. When people are hit by such debris, that is the time the tornado becomes fatal. So make sure the shelter you find would protect you from any such debris.

Safety measures during a tornado

Homes located in areas that are often hit by tornadoes almost always have basements. Basements offer reliable protection to people during tornadoes, so find one during an attack of a tornado.

If you are in your car, just get out and find a safe shelter. Or simply lie down on a sturdy structure. Lie flat and cover the head with hands. Be alert and look out for falling debris coming from the tornado.

After the tornado, make sure any structure in your home is not significantly damaged. Otherwise, seek professional help all at once to ensure your safety.

Tornadoes are phenomenal that one can not prevent it from occurring. However, if you know the how-to’s of being safe during such weather disturbances, you would avoid being one of the many casualties arising from such weather turbulence.

There are certain things you can learn and do that will help you get ready for, and cope with, almost any type of natural disaster.

Perhaps the most basic thing to remember is to keep calm. This may mean the difference between life and death. In many disasters, people have been killed or injured needlessly because they took thoughtless actions when they should have done something else–or done nothing at all just then.

In a time of emergency, taking proper action may save your life. Take time to think, and then take the considered action that the situation calls for. Usually, this will be the action you have planned in advance or the action you are instructed to take by responsible authorities.

Here is another guidance that applies to most types of natural disasters.
WARNING

LEARN YOUR COMMUNITY’S WARNING SIGNALS.

In most communities having outdoor warning systems, the Attack Warning Signal is a wavering sound on the sirens, or a series of short blasts on whistles, horns, or other devices. This signal will be used only to warn of an attack against the United States.

Many communities also are using an Attention or Alert Signal, usually a 3- to 5-minute steady blast to get the attention of their people in a time of threatened or impending peacetime emergency. In most places, the Attention or Alert Signal means that people should turn on their radio or television sets to hear important emergency information being broadcast.

You should find out now, before any emergency occurs, what warning signals are being used in your community, what they sound like, what they mean, and what actions you should take when you hear them.

Also, whenever a major storm or other peacetime disaster threatens, keep your radio or television set turned on to hear Weather Bureau reports and forecasts (issued by the Environmental Science Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce), as well as other information and advice that may be broadcast by your local government.

When you are warned of an emergency, get your information on the radio or television. Use your telephone only to report important events (such as fires, flash floods, or tornado sightings) to the local authorities. If you tie up the telephone lines simply to get information, you may prevent emergency calls from being completed.

EMERGENCY SUPPLIES

A major disaster of almost any kind may interfere with your normal supplies of water, food, heat, and other day-to-day necessities. You should keep on hand, in or around your home, a stock of emergency supplies sufficient to meet your needs for a few days or preferably for a week.

If you stayed at home during the disaster, these supplies would help you live through the period of emergency without hardship. If you had to evacuate your home and move temporarily to another location, your emergency supplies could be taken with you and used en route or after you arrived at the new location (where regular supplies might not be available). Even if you only had to move to an emergency shelter station set up by a local agency, these supplies might be helpful to you, or make your stay easier.

The most important items to keep on hand are water (preferably in plastic jugs or other stoppered containers); canned or sealed-package foods that do not require refrigeration or heat for cooking; medicines needed by family members, and a first aid kit; blankets or sleeping bags; flashlights or lanterns; a battery-powered radio; and perhaps a covered container to use as an emergency toilet. In addition, an automobile in good operating condition with an ample supply of gasoline may be necessary in case you have to leave your home.

In those parts of the country subject to hurricanes or floods, it is also wise to keep on hand certain emergency materials you may need to protect your home from wind and water–such as plywood sheeting or lumber to board up your windows and doors, and plastic sheeting or tarpaulins to protect furniture and appliances.

FIRE PROTECTION AND FIRE FIGHTING

Fires are a special hazard in a time of disaster. They may start more readily, and the help of the fire department may not be available quickly. Therefore, it is essential that you:

1. Follow the fire prevention rules and be especially careful not to start fires.

2. Know how to put out small fires yourself.

3. Have on hand simple tools and equipment needed for fire fighting.

AFTER A NATURAL DISASTER

Use extreme caution in entering or working in buildings that may have been damaged or weakened by the disaster, as they may collapse without warning. Also, there may be gas leaks or electrical short circuits.

Don’t bring lanterns, torches or lighted cigarettes into buildings that have been flooded or otherwise damaged by a natural disaster, since there may be leaking gas lines or flammable material present.

Stay away from fallen or damaged electric wires, which may still be dangerous.

Check for leaking gas pipes in your home. Do this by smell only– don’t use matches or candles. If you smell gas, do this: (1) Open all windows and doors, (2) Turn off the main gas valve at the meter, (3) Leave the house immediately, (4) Notify the gas company or the police or fire department, (5) Don’t re-enter the house until you are told it is
safe to do so.

If any of your electrical appliances are wet, first turn off the main power switch in your house, then unplug the wet appliance, dry it out, reconnect it, and finally, turn on the main power switch. (Caution: Don’t do any of these things while you are wet or standing in water.)
If fuses blow when the electric power is restored, turn off the main power switch again and then inspect for short circuits in your home wiring, appliances, and equipment.

Check your food and water supplies before using them. Foods that require refrigeration may be spoiled if electric power has been off for some time. Also, don’t eat food that has come in contact with flood waters. Be sure to follow the instructions of local authorities
concerning the use of food and water supplies.

If needed, get food, clothing, medical care or shelter at Red Cross stations or from local government authorities.

Stay away from disaster areas. Sightseeing could interfere with first aid or rescue work and may be dangerous as well.

Don’t drive unless necessary, and drive with caution. Watch for hazards to yourself and others, and report them to local authorities.

Write, telegraph or telephone your relatives, after the emergency is over, so they will know you are safe. Otherwise, local authorities may waste time locating you–or if you have evacuated to a safer location, they may not be able to find you. (However, do not tie up the phone lines if they are still needed for official emergency calls.)

Do not pass on rumors or exaggerated reports of damage.

Follow the advice and instructions of your local government on ways to help yourself and your community recover from the emergency.

Believe it or not, floods are natural disasters that are most common in Texas. According to statistics, more than a hundred people are killed by floods every year. Also, more than four billion dollars are the cost damages caused by floods. All this is according to the Red Cross of the United States.

The following are a few tips and advice you could do in order to prepare yourself for any flood inevitability.

Expect the expected

It is important that you clearly understand and that you are aware of any damages that a flood could cause. Some of these inevitabilities include boulders that are rolling, trees that are ripped right out from the ground, buildings that are destroyed as well as bridges, sliding debris.

Do not be afraid to ask

It is also vital that you ask around your local zoning and planning office as to whether the property you are on is below the level of the flood or above it. Also, it is always good to know if the area you are in has had a history of being flooded.

This knowledge helps a lot in the preparation of activities and tasks to do in case if a flood does hit.

Familiarize yourself

In your own community, it is best that you familiarize yourself in any or all of the warning signals or signs whenever a flood does occur.

Learn, learn, learn

Know what are your community’s plan for evacuation. This helps you prepare yourself as well as your family and friends as on what to do as well as the step by step drill.

Have an insurance

It helps if you have insurance that is tailored particularly when a flood occurs. Believe it or not, the insurance usually associated with homeowners will really not be able to reimburse any damages you may have that are caused by floods.

Keep all vital documents

These documents include any policies for insurance, passports, birth certificates, etc.
All these papers should – as much as possible – be kept in a box that is waterproof and one which could be accessed easily.

Move, move, move

If in case your fireplace, furnace, electrical panel or water heater is in the basement or 1st floor of your house, you could consider moving it up the attic.

In that way, it will be a lot less probable for these to be damaged by raging floodwaters.

Plug it all

Plugging all trap sewers you have in your house using check valves actually prevent any floodwater from going into the drains of your house. During emergencies, using large stoppers or corks is also a good idea to plug tubs and sinks.

Check and build

Checking with the local codes of buildings is a good idea as this will let you know whether it is okay to build walls for floods and to be used as barriers around your own house in order to prevent any floodwater from getting in your premises.

Waterproof it all

In order to protect walls of basements, seal them using waterproof compounds so that floodwaters would be unable to get in through any cracks.

Have a radio and some supplies

As much as possible, keep a radio that is operated by batteries if in case the power goes off.

Having supplies such as canned goods is a must as well as first aid kits. Do not forget a can opener of course.

All in all, preparation is always the best defense against floods.

First things first, the fact of the matter is that there are great benefits to be had when there is guidance and ample preparation in cases of an emergency.

Planning and preparation help industries and corporation discover any hazardous problems or conditions that could be unrecognized and if not paid attention to could possibly aggravate a situation.

When there is preparation, deficiencies are immediately brought to light.

Some of these deficiencies could include resource-lack (e.g. lack of personnel that is adequately trained, lack of supplies, lack of equipment, to name a few). Knowing these details beforehand helps correct any lack in the soonest possible time.

It also prevents major losses and casualties as well as financial organizational collapse.

Another advantage of preparing for an industrial emergency is that it helps promote appropriate safety and awareness among the workers as well as present a company that is concerned with the welfare of all its staff.

The following are some of the needed steps designed to assist industrial plants as well as businesses in preparing for any type of emergency.

Establish a team

As much as possible, set-up a good planning team. A leader, as well as staff, must be chosen as based on their appropriate capabilities and skills.

Particular tasks should also be assigned to teams or individuals.

Analyze hazards and capabilities

It is also important to assess the preparations of the industrial plant or the organization currently has against risks such as power failure, damage in structures, among others.

In an emergency such as flooding, contacting the manager of the local floodplain as well as other flood officials helps organization and industries learn the risks involved.

Using building materials that are flood-resistant, erecting a physical barrier as well as anchoring structures and tanks is one of the ways to prepare in advance for flood emergencies.

Meanwhile, preparing against high winds is by reinforcing the roof as well as the side panels. Covering windows is also important, covering the doors and removing any objects that are loose from the industrial plant’s site is a must.

Have a backup

As much as possible, have a backup emergency power such as battery storage, power, and heat system combined. It is also vital that contact utility info is obtained in case of a power outage.

The plan should be developed

It is important that there is a plan developed during, before as well as after a particular emergency. Protocols should be established for the welfare of the employees, especially their safety and similarly the readiness of the site.

Emergency power should also be updated as well as the options for power supply. Communication emergency systems must also be established.

Responsibilities for each staff with regards to the recovery, shutdown and restart procedure should be outlined.

An evacuation plan should also be developed including employee support. Procedures on shutting down the utility and the safe processing of operations is a necessity.

Methods in protecting records, inventory and materials must also be developed.

Plan implementation

Staying in touch with the operations emergency center on your own state is important.

In this stage, the appropriate preparation, shutdown, emergency backup and evacuation should be started.

All in all, the final stage is the recovery process and the assessment of the damages brought by the emergency as well as in prioritizing needed repairs. Hopefully, the procedures above helps in the adequate preparation of industries and organization.

Emergency preparedness and disaster preparedness are often second thoughts to our everyday living. Many times we do not understand what goes into disaster planning or having the emergency preparedness necessary to ensure that we minimize our health and safety risks. Disaster preparedness is increasingly important as we experience natural and man-made disasters at a growing rate. Our national security risks have also contributed to why we need to plan for emergency and disaster situations.

Strong tropical storms and hurricanes often cause flooding, even in areas that are not prone to such an event. With the extreme weather conditions that we are facing today, everybody should be prepared for anything, particularly flooding.

Here are the things you need to do to safeguard your home for flash floods:

Prevent water from entering your home

If you are expecting heavy rains or storms to hit your locality, particularly if you live in a flood-prone area, you should cover your doors, or even windows, with metal sheets, sandbags, or plywood. You can also use silicone sealant to ensure that water will not enter your home.

Shut off your utilities

You should remember to turn off all your utilities, such as gas, electricity and even water, at the mains. You should also remember to unplug all your electrical appliances and store them at high places, on the second floor, if possible.

Be mindful of your appliances and furniture

You need to ensure that your furniture and appliances are kept on high areas or upstairs. If you do not have a second floor, you can just raise such items on blocks or bricks. Be sure to remove carpets, curtains and even internal doors. Store them all in high places to ensure that they are protected from water.

Important papers, pictures and other personal items should also be placed on higher grounds, particularly on the second floor of your house. If not, you should put important papers on sealed bags to ensure that they are protected from floods.

Make sure that all objects outside your house, such as rakes, are kept in a safe place. Floodwater can easily float these items, which can pose danger to others.

Here are important things you need to do once you a flood warning has been issued:

• Information is crucial during situations like these. Thus, you need to always listen to the radio for announcements and updates.
• Be sure to cooperate fully with local authorities and emergency services. If they require you to evacuate, follow them and do not dillydally.
• Since electricity will almost certainly be unavailable, you must ensure that you do all the things you need to do during the day. It is much more difficult and unsafe to do things in the dark.
• Share the information with your neighbors, particularly the old people, so that they can also prepare themselves.
• Be sure to stay inside your house. Floodwater can kill, especially when it is raging, so do not attempt to go out. It is important to note that rapid flowing water that is six inches high could make you fall, while two feet of water could make your car float.
• Ensure that your pets and cars are in a safe location. Once you heard of flood warning, you should stay on the second floor of your house.
• There may be objects floating in the water, so do not attempt to swim through a raging flood. You can either be swept away or be knocked over by objects that are in the water.
• Floodwater may be dirty and contaminated with sewage, so you should avoid contact if possible. It would be a shame that you survived the flooding but fell ill because of contaminated water.
• River bridges, sea defenses, and riverbanks are very dangerous places to be in during floods, so be sure to steer away from them if possible. There have been many cases wherein floodwater have destroyed or collapsed bridges and defenses.

A fire can occur at any school even if there are systems in place such as smoke alarms and water sprinklers. Should this happen in the school where the person is working in, it will be a good idea to review the emergency preparation plans.

The fire emergency preparation plan involves two things. These are namely information and delegation. The first thing the individual should do is read the manual and note where are the nearest exits. This is usually posted in each classroom with lighted signage’s showing the way.

This matter should also be discussed with fellow faculty and staff if certain improvements can be suggested. It is only after a well thought of plan is made that this should be explained to the students.

The sad part is there will be some people who will not take the matter seriously. This should be firmly stressed because this could mean a matter of life or death to everyone when this happens. .

There may be fire drills conducted once a year but these are not done on a regular basis. This means that many will panic when the real thing happens so preparedness is something that should not be taken lightly.

Delegation depends on who first noticed the fire until the evacuation has been done. If there is smoke coming out of one room, the individual should not open the door because oxygen will just make the fire stronger causing a backdraft and a possible explosion.

The individual should immediately call 911 and pull the fire switch so that the teachers and the students are alerted of the danger. Some classes may order everyone to form a line in the back then proceed out slowly to safety by moving to the nearest fire exit.

There are fire extinguishers usually situated along the hallways or in the classrooms. These can be used to handle small fires but should not be used to handle bigger ones because there is not enough to kill the blaze. The person should not try to be a hero but rather help get other people out.

There will usually be a lot of smoke making it difficult to see what is in front. To avoid suffocating, it will be a good idea to put something to cover the face and then use the sense of touch to get the feel of what is in front.

Elevators should never been used in the event of a fire. The power could short out keeping the person trapped inside and even cause death due to smoke inhalation. All personnel should use the stairs since this is the fastest way to get out.

Should someone be caught on fire, the individual should help by putting a heavy blanket to put out the flames. If this should happen to the person, the right thing to do would be to stop, drop and roll.

The last part of any fire preparation plan is the assembly point where everyone in the class should meet so everyone can be accounted for. Everyone should stay put until someone with higher authority issues the order that it is safe to go back inside.

Everyone should be well aware of the fire emergency preparation plan since this is the only way to get out of a dangerous situation.
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