Mother Nature can cause many disasters. Whilst a disaster can happen anywhere, some areas are more prone to a particular type of disaster than others.
This article provides a list of the more common disasters that happen in most places and how you can cope with them.
Floods:
Characterized by increasingly rising water levels because of heavy storm activity. Floods can happen just about anywhere in the world.
Listen to Emergency News
If you feel a flood is likely to occur where you are living, ensure you stay up to date on the current situation by monitoring news reports on the television or radio.
Move Up
If you must venture out during a severe storm, be aware that a flash flood may occur. Flash floods are characterized by large amounts of water that appear almost instantaneously (i.e., an instant flood with no warning). If a flash flood occurs, move to high ground immediately.
Tie Down Outdoor Items
If a flood becomes excessive, you may be required to evacuate your home.
If you have the time, try to bring indoor and outdoor furniture or possessions, and place furniture at the highest point in the house (ideally this would be upstairs in a two-story house). Unplug all electrical equipment from the wall.
Walking Through Floods
If you are walking through a flood, ensure you do not walk through any flowing water, regardless of how shallow it is.
If you are driving, do not drive into or through flooded areas. If you find that flood waters rise around your car, abandon the car and make your way to higher ground.
Don’t Get Swept Away by Mother Nature
Areas in which flood waters are rising are extremely dangerous. There are many instances in which people have been swept away and consequently drowned.
If you see a person in danger of being swept away, help to the best of your ability without jeopardizing your own safety. Try to help them out of the water by holding out a long rod or stick.
Should you pull a person out of flood waters, the following first aid procedure may just help in saving their life.
- Lay the person on their back and apply pressure to the stomach in order to force any water out. Alternatively, the person may lie on their stomach and pressure could apply to the back.
- If a person is unconscious, mouth to mouth resuscitation may be necessary.
- Warm the person up by any means necessary, whether this involves a blanket or sharing body heat.
- Alert emergency services.
Hurricanes:
A hurricane is an extreme type of storm or cyclone that forms in the tropics. Hurricanes are accompanied by intense, windy storms, and often result in the production of tornadoes or storm surges.
Similar to a tidal wave, a storm surge is a dome of water that is forced onto the shore because of intense winds and result in heavy damage because of extensive rainfall and consequent floods.
Listen to Emergency Broadcasts
If the area in which you live is experiencing a hurricane, ensure you listen for up to the minute updates provided on the television or radio.
Secure Outdoor Objects
Because of the intense winds generated by a hurricane, it would be advisable to tie down any loose objects outside, or to store them indoors until the wind subsides.
Evacuation
Sometimes, a hurricane may become so extreme that authorities will request you to evacuate your home. If this is the case, ensure you follow all instructions.
If you find yourself unable to evacuate your home, ensure you remain indoors at all times and away from any windows or doors. Close all internal doors, and find a means of bracing all external doors.
Unable to Evacuate
Depending on the severity of the hurricane, you may have to shelter in a small internal room or closet at the lowest level of a house. If you are in a room, lie flat on the floor and take shelter under a sturdy object- such as a table.
Thunderstorms:
Thunderstorms are a common occurrence, and for this reason, people often forget that they have the potential to be extremely dangerous.
Every thunderstorm produces lightning and has the possibility of generating tornados, extreme winds, rain and consequent flooding.
Stay Indoors
If a thunderstorm occurs in the area you live in, remain indoors and not go outside. If you cannot enter a building of some sort, wait the storm out by sitting in a vehicle.
Secure Items
If you receive warning that a storm is coming, attempt to secure any loose items outside, or store them inside until the storm has subsided.
The generation of high winds can often cause displacement of outdoor items, causing damage to surrounding structures.
No Showers
Avoid showering during a storm, as plumbing fixtures can conduct electricity. Though the chances of them being hit by lightning are minimal, it is not a risk you should be taking.
Don’t Use Landline Phone
If your home phone has a cord, only use this in an emergency, as this may also conduct electricity. Cordless and mobile phones are safe to use as they do not conduct electricity.
Unplug Appliances
If lightning strikes a house, the resultant power surge can often cause serious damage to any electrical appliances still plugged into their sockets. To prevent this from happening, it is always a good idea to unplug electric appliances during a storm.
Earthquakes:
Earthquakes are characterized by a series of vibrations of the ground that can often lead to serious damage to surrounding buildings.
If you find yourself amid an earthquake:
Take Cover
If you are indoors, take cover under a sturdy piece of furniture or crouch in a corner and cover your face and head with your arms.
Ensure you stay away from all doors and windows and anything that could fall. Remain inside until all the shaking has subsided.
If you are outdoors, move away from any buildings or structures likely to fall.
Once vibrations have subsided, be aware that further vibration or shock waves may occur. Though these further vibrations are not as severe as the initial vibrations, they may serve to further weaken structures already affected by the earthquake. Ensure you stay well clear of such damaged areas.
In Coastal Areas
If you are living in a coastal area, earthquakes can cause the formation of a tsunami (also known as a tidal wave). If a tsunami is likely to occur, move inland immediately to higher ground.
Stay Clear of Flooded Areas
After a tsunami has subsided, stay away from flooded areas until authorities have declared it is safe to return.
Fire:
Whether this disaster is an individualized event or on a large scale, fire escalates quickly and is extremely dangerous. The heat and smoke resulting from fire are also extremely dangerous.
Replace Smoke Detectors
There are some precautions that may be taken to protect you from falling victim to a fire in your home. These include installing smoke alarms on each level of your residence and regularly checking these alarms to ensure they are working correctly.
Ensure smoke alarms are replaced every ten years.
Doors and Windows Proper Access
To aid in evacuation procedures during a fire, ensure windows and doors are not nailed shut and that there are appropriate fire ladders if you live in a multistory building.
Escape Routes
If a fire were to occur in your home, it is important to have a predetermined escape route from each room in the family home.
Stay Low Low Low
Remain low to the ground during your evacuation, to minimize inhalation of smoke and other toxic gases caused by the fire. Before opening any doors, check for heat by using the back of your hand to feel the top of the door.
If the door is hot, do not open it; find another means of exiting the building.
If the door is not hot, open it carefully and ensure the escape route is clear before exiting the room. If the escape route is clear, exit the room and close the door behind you.
Stop, Drop and Roll
If your clothes catch fire during your evacuation, drop to the ground in order to extinguish the fire. Do not run as this will speed up the burning. Ensure all family members are familiar with the stop, drop and roll method.
First Aid
If you or a member of your family becomes burned, the following first aid tips may be helpful:
For minor burns or burns no larger than two to three inches in diameter:
- Cool the burn as soon as possible by rinsing in cold water or applying a cold pack.
- Cover the burn with gauze.
For major burns or large burns:
- Seek medical treatment immediately.
- Do not remove clothing or to put burns under water. Instead, cover the burns with a cool, moist bandage.
- If the individual has stopped breathing, begin resuscitation.
In Conclusion
No matter what Mother Nature throws at you, remain calm and refer to this article if necessary.
Having a plan and an emergency supply kit, you can go through these disasters with ease of mind.
