Resolve To Be Ready: 2013

 

 

# 6806

 

Despite some of the negative images that `doomsday survivalist’ type TV shows have fostered, Ready.gov, FEMA, the HHS, and the CDC all promote the idea that everyone should be prepared to deal with a variety of emergencies and disasters.

 

They know that every year tens of thousands of people across the nation are forced to deal with house fires, floods, severe storms, and medical emergencies. And the potential exists for even larger disasters like hurricanes, earthquakes, and even a pandemic. 

 

Being better prepared - as an individual, family, and community - can save lives and reduce misery.

 

With the start of a new year, many of us will be making New Year’s resolutions – which makes this the perfect time to join FEMA & Ready.gov’s  Resolve to Be Ready in 2013 campaign.

 

 

This year, with the rapid proliferation of `smart phones’ & tablets, the focus is on incorporating these technologies into preparedness.

 

Resolve to be Ready

Led by FEMA's Ready campaign in partnership with Citizen Corps and the Ad Council, this year's emphasis includes integrating technology into individuals, families and businesses preparedness plans. A 2012 Nielson report revealed that nearly 55 percent of mobile phone owners in the United States own smartphones. As a simple resolution, Ready is asking all smartphone owners to turn the technology in their purses and pockets into a life-saving tool during and after an emergency or disaster.

 

Below are additional ways the Ready campaign recommends implementing technology into your emergency plans:

• Learn how to send updates via text and internet from your mobile phone to your contacts and social channels in case voice communications are not available;
• Store your important documents such as personal and financial records in the cloud, in a secure and remote area, or on a flash or jump drive that you can keep readily available so they can be accessed from anywhere; and
• Create an Emergency Information Document by using Ready's Family Emergency Plan template in Google Docs (use Google Chrome to view) or by downloading the Ready Family Emergency Plan to record your emergency plans.
• Download the Resolve 2B Ready 2013 Toolkit for tips and actions you can take.

A good starting place is FEMA’s App – available for Android, Blackberry, & Apple - which they describe as:

Government disaster response at the touch of a button. Learn how to respond to disasters, keep your family safe, apply for assistance, and help others in case of floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, terrorism, or other disasters. We continue to add new relevant information, in both English and Spanish, working to ensure that Americans have easy access to the tools they need to prepare for and, when needed, recover from a disaster in their community. Future enhancements include the ability to check on the status of an application and update an existing application.

 

In October I highlighted some of the smart phone apps available from the American Red Cross (see Red Cross Apps). They include:

Wildfire App

First Aid App

Hurricane App

Shelter Finder App

Earthquake App

 

To become better prepared as an individual, family, business owner, or community requires more than just downloading an app, so I would invite you visit the following preparedness sites to learn the basics.

 

FEMA http://www.fema.gov/index.shtm

READY.GOV http://www.ready.gov/

AMERICAN RED CROSS http://www.redcross.org/

 

And finally, some of my own preparedness articles may be of interest:

 

When 72 Hours Isn’t Enough

In An Emergency, Who Has Your Back?

An Appropriate Level Of Preparedness

The Gift of Preparedness 2012

»» Read More

FEMA: Beware Of Post-Disaster Scam Artists

 

 

# 6728

 

While it isn’t unique to the post-Sandy disaster, scam artists are apparently plying their unsavory trade in parts of New York state, taking advantage of people already devastated by the storm.

 

FEMA, which has been dealing with inaccurate disaster assistance stories for weeks (see FEMA: Quashing Rumors), is now warning of a new `contractor scam’.

 

This from their Hurricane Sandy page.

 

Hurricane Sandy: Rumor Control

Main Content

There is a lot of misinformation circulating on social networks regarding the response and recovery effort for Hurricane Sandy. Rumors spread fast: please tell a friend, share this page and help us provide accurate information about the types of assistance available.

 

Check here often for an on-going list of rumors and their true or false status.

Contractors

There are reports that individuals claiming to be "City Assessment Contractors" assessing houses under the New York Rapid Repairs and Sheltering and Temporary Essential Power (STEP) program are telling residents throughout Staten Island in New York to provide payment for services provided immediately. These "contractors" are claiming that FEMA will reimburse survivors for assessment costs and guarantee additional cash payments of $10,000 to be used for rapid repairs to their homes. This is FALSE. (November 19)

STEP assessments are free of charge. They do not provide money to individuals. STEP is meant to provide temporary measures so storm survivors may shelter-in-place in their homes. Remember, all contractors providing assessments are coordinated through your city/county officials and must provide identification prior to viewing your home. Please contact your local officials for more information about the STEP program.

 

STEP assists State and local government in performing work and services essential to saving lives, protecting public health and safety, and protecting property. In particular, STEP helps restore power, heat and hot water by funding certain emergency measures to residences that could regain power through emergency repairs. STEP can help residents safely remain in their homes pending more permanent repairs.

 

If you live in the five boroughs of New York City, call 311 to access information about the program. If you live in Nassau County, call 1-888-684-4267. Your county or city will decide what elements of the STEP Program are available for your residence. You can contact them for more information.
Anyone who was impacted by Hurricane Sandy is urged to register for assistance through FEMA by calling 1-800-621-FEMA or going to www.disasterassistance.gov or m.fema.gov (on your mobile device).

Calling 1-800-621-FEMA

 

 

Yesterday FEMA also released the following advice for avoiding being ripped off by phony contractors.

 

NEW YORKERS WARNED TO WATCH OUT FOR POST-DISASTER SCAM ARTISTS

Release date:  November 19, 2012

Release Number: NR-037

NEW YORK – As many New Yorkers work to recover from Hurricane Sandy, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) officials are warning of another danger: Phony building contractors and other scam artists often appear in communities struggling to recover from a disaster.

 

“In times of crisis, New Yorkers pull together,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Michael F. Byrne. “However, some people will try to take advantage of vulnerable survivors. We strongly recommend that folks take a few simple steps to make sure they’re dealing with an honest person.”

 

Here are a few of the most common post-disaster fraud practices:

Phony housing inspectors: If home damage is visible from the street, an owner/applicant may be especially vulnerable to the phony housing inspector who claims to represent FEMA or the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). An applicant should ALWAYS:

• Ask to see the inspector’s identification badge if he or she does not offer to show it. A FEMA or SBA shirt or jacket is not proof of someone’s affiliation with the government. All federal employees and contractors carry official, laminated photo identification.
• Do not give bank account numbers to an inspector claiming to be affiliated with the federal government. FEMA inspectors never require banking information.

It is important to note that FEMA housing inspectors verify damage, but do not hire or endorse specific contractors to fix homes or recommend repairs.  They do not determine your eligibility for assistance.

 

Fraudulent building contractors: Damage visible from the street also can bring out fraudulent contractors who visit an applicant’s home offering to begin work immediately. When hiring a contractor: 

• Use licensed local contractors backed by reliable references, get a written estimate from at least three contractors, including the cost of labor and materials, and read the fine print.
• Demand that contractors carry general liability insurance and workers’ compensation. If he or she is not insured, you may be liable for accidents that occur on your property.

Bogus pleas for post-disaster donations: Unscrupulous solicitors may play on the sympathy for disaster survivors. They know that many people want to help others in need. Disaster aid solicitations may arrive by phone, email, letter or face-to-face visits.  Verify legitimate solicitation:

• Ask for the charity’s exact name, street address, phone number, and web address, then phone the charity directly and confirm that the person asking for funds is an employee or volunteer.
• Don’t pay with cash — instead, pay by check made out to the charity in case funds must be stopped later.•Request a receipt with the charity’s name, street address, phone number and web address (if applicable). Legitimate nonprofit agencies routinely provide receipts for tax purposes.

Fake offers of state or federal aid: Beware if anyone claiming to be from FEMA or the state visits, calls or emails asking for an applicant’s Social Security number, bank account number or other sensitive information. Beware — that information may be sold to identity thieves or used to defraud. A twist on this scam is the phone or in-person solicitor who promises to speed up the insurance, disaster assistance or building-permit process. Then there are scam artists who promise a disaster grant and ask for large cash deposits or advance payments in full. Here’s what to do:

• Know that federal and state workers do not solicit or accept money. FEMA and SBA staff never charge applicants for disaster assistance, inspections or help in filling out applications. If in doubt, do not give out information, and report people claiming to be government workers to local police.
• Provide your Social Security number and banking information only when registering for FEMA assistance, either by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362), TTY 1-800-462-7585, or going online at www.disasterassistance.gov or via a web-enabled phone at m.fema.gov. If you use 711-Relay or Video Relay Services, call 1-800-621-3362.

If you suspect someone is perpetrating fraud, call the FEMA Disaster Fraud Hotline at 1-866-720-5721. Complaints may also be made to local law enforcement agencies and to the New York State Attorney General’s office in New York at 212-416-8300 or go to their web site at: www.ag.ny.gov.

Disaster survivors who have any questions can call FEMA’s toll-free helpline at 1-800-621-3362.
For more information on New York’s disaster recovery, click www.fema.gov/disaster/40805.

More information about common of forms fraud watch our video: FEMA Media Library: Avoiding Frauds And Scams.  You can follow FEMA on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FEMA  . Also visit our blog at www.fema.gov/blog.

 

»» Read More

FEMA: Quashing Rumors

 

 

# 6697

 

Yesterday in Caveat Twitter, I wrote about some of the false stories and rumors circulating – often on social media sites – surrounding the recovery effort with Hurricane/Hybrid Sandy.

 

Today, FEMA has posted several new rumors on their FEMA BLOG that need to be dispelled.

 

Rumor Control

There is a lot of misinformation circulating on social networks. Check here for an on-going list of rumors and their true or false status.

• November 5: There was an inaccurate report on a radio station discussing a tent city for sheltering at Monmouth Park race track in New Jersey.  This is FALSE.  There are tents set up at Monmouth Park for first responders and utility and construction workers as a place to rest, take a break and receive food and water.  If you are in need of shelter, visit the American Red Cross FIND OPEN SHELTERS by visiting, www.redcross.org/find-help/shelter.
• November 5: There are message boards and traffic on social media sites related to FEMA distributing cash cards to individuals affected by Hurricane Sandy.  This is FALSE.  Individuals in declared counties affected by Sandy should register for assistance by visiting www.disasterassistance.gov or calling 1-800-621-FEMA.
• November 5: There are reports that FEMA is paying $1,000 to go to New York and New Jersey to clean up debris.  This is FALSE.  For information on how to volunteer and assist with Hurricane Sandy recovery efforts, visit: www.serve.gov/sandy/

 

 

I would urge everyone to visit FEMA’s #rumors page before re-tweeting, or posting, any recovery information that comes from an unofficial source, or that sounds the least bit dodgy. 

»» Read More

Caveat Twitter

 

 

 

# 6693

 

 

As if the job facing local, state, and Federal emergency officials dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane/Hybrid Sandy were not enough of a challenge, FEMA is reporting that some people are spreading misinformation on social media platforms like Twitter, and Facebook.

 

This from last night’s FEMA BLOG.

 

Rumor Control

There is a lot of misinformation circulating on social networks. Check here for an on-going list of rumors and their true or false status.

• November 3: There have been recent blog posts and social media traffic expressing that FEMA is out of bottled water.  This is FALSE.  We are providing water to our state partners for distribution.
  For New York locations and times of food and water distribution centers and daytime warming centers, visit www.nyc.gov.
• November 3: There have been calls and posts from citizens related to the failure of the Old Bridge Township water system in Old Bridge, New Jersey. This is FALSE. The Old Bridge Municipal Utilities Authority (OBMUA) has reported that the water system is stable and safe and that there are no usage restrictions currently in place.
• November 3: Food stamps being given out to residents of New York and New Jersey as a part of FEMA assistance. This is FALSE. For information on the types of assistance available to those impacted by Sandy, call 1-800-621-FEMA.
• November 2: There is a spike of traffic related to FEMA hiring cleanup crews in both New York and New Jersey. This is FALSE. For information on how you can volunteer in these communities visit Serve.gov/sandy

 

The fault here doesn’t lie with the medium, but with the messenger. Why anyone would deliberately mislead people already suffering from a disaster is beyond my understanding, but some extremely small number of people out there do.

 

Most experts agree that Twitter, Facebook, and other social media platforms have provided excellent service during this, and other, crises.

 

As I wrote, more than three years ago in It Depends who you follow, being selective about who you follow on twitter – or `friend’ on Facebook – is your best defense against inane, annoying, or misleading messages.

 

During a crisis, like last week’s storm, many of us opened up our feeds using  hashtags like #SANDY or #Frankenstorm to try to gather as much information as we could from multiple sources. 

 

While useful, it is important to remember that this temporarily invites strangers into our feed, removing the filter of `trusted friends’ we normally maintain in our social media lives. 

 

All of which means that Caveat Lector – or in this case - Caveat Twitter, must be our guide. 

 

I’m a huge fan of twitter, and I used it every day.

 

But to avoid compounding a felony, I always think twice before re-tweeting a message from someone I don’t know well enough to trust. 

»» Read More

Unreasonable Expectations

  

Breezy Point and Rockaway, NY - Credit FEMA

 

# 6692

 

A couple of headlines from the local/regional section of the New York Times tell the tale.

 

Hardship Strains Emotions in New York

By JAMES BARRON and KEN BELSON

The region approached a breaking point on Friday as the collective spirit that prevailed in the first few days after Hurricane Sandy gave way to angry complaints of neglect and unequal treatment.

Anger Grows at Response by Red Cross

By DAVID M. HALBFINGER

The American Red Cross struggled on Friday to reassure beleaguered New York City residents that its disaster-relief efforts were at last getting up to speed.

 

 

These are difficult times for many victims of Sandy, and millions are cold, hungry, and miserable. With a winter storm forecast for the middle of next week and millions still without power, patience is understandably in short supply.  

 

Despite years of warnings, I’m sure many never really believed this could happen in New York City.

 

But it can, and it will again.  If not in New York, in another major American city. it’s really only a matter of time.

 

For years the American Red Cross, FEMA, Ready.gov, and just about everyone else in emergency services has urged that individuals and families be prepared to deal for at least 72 hours after a major disaster. 

 

The operative words being, `at least’.  And with good reason. 

 

The logistics of delivering emergency assistance to millions of people - while hampered by bad weather, crippled communications, damaged infrastructure, and stressed supply chains - all within the first three days of a major disaster, are daunting, and in some cases impossible.

 

With hurricanes and storms, agencies usually know several days in advance and are able to  pre-position equipment, personnel, and supplies.

 

Some disasters, like earthquakes, come without warning. And so response times may be even longer.

 

Federal officials know that it would be better if every individual and family had 5 days - or even a week’s worth - of food & water and other essentials in their home.  

 

But so few follow the advice to prepare for 72 hours, asking for more is thought to be unlikely to do much good.

 

Since I’m not on the ground in New York or New Jersey, I can’t speak to the criticisms being lodged against relief workers there.  Some of these complaints may be valid.

 

I suspect some stem from the public’s unreasonable expectations of what can actually be done in the hours and days immediately following a disaster.

 

Having worked in emergency services, I’m confident that the vast majority of responders are doing the best they can, under extraordinarily stressful circumstances, with the resources they have available.

 

Many of these relief worker’s homes and families have been impacted by this storm, and yet they are devoting their time and energy to helping others. 

 

It’s their job, I’m sure some will argue.  And that’s true.  But many of these people are volunteers.

 

The lesson here is that large scale disasters are messy, complicated affairs. The government possesses no magic wand that can erase the damage and eliminate the suffering overnight.

 

To expect that to happen, and to expect it will all to go flawlessly in a chaotic environment, is more than just unreasonable. It’s a fantasy.  Some problems can’t be fixed immediately, no matter how much money, and how many resources, you throw at it.

 

 
Knowing that, and knowing – despite the best efforts of the combined agencies responding – that it may be 3, 5, or even 7 days before emergency aid can get fully deployed, the best option is to be ready to deal with the first week after a disaster.

 

Last year in When 72 Hours Isn’t Enough, I highlighted  a colorful, easy-to-follow, 100 page `survival guide’ released by Los Angeles County, that covers everything from earthquake and tsunami preparedness, to getting ready for a pandemic.

 

The guide may be downloaded here (6.5 Mbyte PDF).

While designed specifically for the nearly 10 million residents of Los Angeles County, this guide would be a valuable asset for anyone interested in preparing for a variety of hazards.

 

And in Los Angeles, the advice is to have emergency supplies (food, water, etc) to last up to 10 days. In my humble opinion, 2-weeks in an earthquake zone isn’t overkill.

 

And I can’t overstress the importance of having, and being, a Disaster Buddy.

 

True, help will begin to arrive within 48 to 72 hours of most disasters, but as we saw with Hurricane Katrina, and now Sandy, relief efforts can take time. Having extra supplies means you are in a better position to offer help to a friend, a neighbor, a relative, or your community.

 

And in the wake of a major disaster, you’ll find there are better things to be doing with your time than queuing up for hours waiting for water and food distributions.

 

While the standard advice to prepare for 3 days is a good start, if you are capable of doing more (and not everyone is), you really should.

 

During a crisis, relief agencies will have their hands full trying to help those who were unable to prepare, or who lost their preps due to the disaster.

 

By being better prepared, you take some of the burden off relief agencies, which will allow them to concentrate their efforts on helping those less able to help themselves.

 

And by being prepared, you are in a better position to help others.

 

And that’s a win-win situation.

 

For you, your family, and your community.

»» Read More

Preparing For After The Storm Passes

 

Minimum Preps : Emergency Weather Radio, First Aid Kit, Battery Lantern, Water storage

 

# 6664

 

 

Although still battering the Bahamas, Hurricane Sandy is looking increasingly like it will pose a threat to the United States Mid-Atlantic and New England regions over the next 3 or 4 days. 

 

Exactly how strong it will be, and what areas it will impact are unknown, although the following graphic from the National Hurricane Center’s 5am forecast gives us some pretty good ideas. 

 

 

As hurricanes move north they often expand in size, rather than strength. Even when they lose their tropical characteristics (become a post-tropical storm) their winds can remain very strong, but are less centralized.

 

In other words, whether Sandy remains a hurricane all the way to landfall is of little consequence.  This storm has the potential to cause a lot damage and disruption over a wide area.

 

Inland flooding, coastal flooding, and power outages are  likely threats, although substantial wind damage - and even tornadoes - are possible as well.

 

Those in the path of this storm who have extra food, water, provisions for emergency lighting, a first aid kit, an emergency weather radio, and a family emergency plan are likely to fare far better than those who fail to prepare.

 

The next 48 - 72 hours provides an excellent opportunity for those who have not already done so to put together their family emergency plan and to lay in any last minute provisions.

 

Often the real danger comes after the storm has passed - during the cleanup and recovery period - when utilities and other services may be out for days.

 

So with that in mind, a review this morning of food safety after the power goes out, storm cleanup and chainsaw safety, and the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning from generators.

 

Food safety after a power outage is often a concern after a storm, something I covered back in 2010 in USDA: Food Safety When The Power Goes Out.  

 

A few excerpts include:

 

The USDA maintains a Food Safety and Inspection website with a great deal of consumer information about how to protect your food supplies during an emergency, and how to tell when to discard food that may no longer be safe to consume.

 

First, an audio podcast (5 minutes).

Surviving a Power Outage: Don't Be in the Dark When it Comes to Food Safety (Jun 2, 2010; 4:45) | Script

FSIS Food Safety staff discusses tips on how to be food safe during a power outage.

 

The USDA also maintains a large repository of food safety information available to be read online, or downloaded as a pdf.

 

A Consumer's Guide to Food Safety: Severe Storms and Hurricanes

Note: This text-only version of the Guide has been optimized for accessibility. The illustrated PDF version (2.1MB) is recommended for printing.

 

 

Regarding post-storm cleanup, the the Peachtree City, Georgia NOAA weather page has some useful information, including dealing with repair contractors.

 

This is just an excerpt, follow the link for a lot more:

 

Safety After the Storm

Here are just a few safety tips...

• Be aware of hazards from exposed nails and broken glass.
• Do not touch downed power lines or objects in contact with downed lines. Report electrical hazards to the police and the utility company.
• If it is dark when you are inspecting your home, use a flashlight rather than a candle or torch to avoid the risk of fire or explosion in a damaged home.
• If you see frayed wiring or sparks, or if there is an odor of something burning, you should immediately shut off the electrical system at the main circuit breaker if you have not done so already.
• If you smell gas or suspect a leak, turn off the main gas valve, open all windows, and leave the house immediately. Notify the gas company, the police or fire departments, or State Fire Marshal's office, and do not turn on the lights, light matches, smoke, or do anything that could cause a spark. Do not return to your house until you are told it is safe to do so.
• For more information, visit the Centers for Disease and Prevention. They have a wealth of information about what to do in the aftermath of all sorts of events - like tornadoes, floods, hurricanes, and many more.

 

Chainsaw accidents are common after storms as people work under adverse conditions to clear debris.  The CDC maintains a chainsaw safety webpage.  Excerpts follow:

 

Preventing Chain Saw Injuries During Tree Removal After a Disaster

Be aware of the risk of chain saw injury during tree removal

Each year, approximately 36,000 people are treated in hospital emergency departments for injuries from using chain saws. The potential risk of injury increases after hurricanes and other natural disasters, when chain saws are widely used to remove fallen or partially fallen trees and tree branches.

 

Gasoline generators, along with improvised cooking and heating facilities, can put people at risk of Carbon Monoxide poisoning. Each year, hundreds of Americans die from exposure to this odorless and colorless gas.

 

With chilly temperatures forecast after the storm - and the possibility of widespread  power outages - the potential for this sort of preventable tragedy in the post-storm period can’t be ignored.

 

In Carbon Monoxide: A Stealthy Killer I wrote in depth on the issue, but a few tips from the CDC include:

 

Prevention Guidelines

You Can Prevent Carbon Monoxide Exposure

• Do have your heating system, water heater and any other gas, oil, or coal burning appliances serviced by a qualified technician every year.
• Do install a battery-operated CO detector in your home and check or replace the battery when you change the time on your clocks each spring and fall. If the detector sounds leave your home immediately and call 911.
• Do seek prompt medical attention if you suspect CO poisoning and are feeling dizzy, light-headed, or nauseous.
• Don't use a generator, charcoal grill, camp stove, or other gasoline or charcoal-burning device inside your home, basement, or garage or near a window.
• Don't run a car or truck inside a garage attached to your house, even if you leave the door open.
• Don't burn anything in a stove or fireplace that isn't vented.
• Don't heat your house with a gas oven.

 

 

And as a last stop on our preparedness tour, a visit to the CDC’s Emergency Preparedness and Response  website, which provides advice on a variety of post-storm topics including electrical and fire hazards, mosquitoes, mold, unstable buildings and structures, and the dangers posed by wild and stray animals.

 

 

Prevent and Treat Other Illnesses and Injuries After a Hurricane or Flood

 

 

 

While many believe the worst will be over once the storm has passed, in truth, often the biggest challenges are found during the days and weeks that follow.

 

For more preparedness information I would invite you to visit:

 

FEMA http://www.fema.gov/index.shtm

READY.GOV http://www.ready.gov/

AMERICAN RED CROSS http://www.redcross.org/

»» Read More

NPM12: Because We Don’t Know What Tomorrow Will Bring

 

Note: Today marks  the final day of National Preparedness Month, but that in no way signals the end of your need to prepare. Preparedness is a year-round job. 

 

 

Over the past 30 days I’ve posted more than a dozen preparedness blogs, so today I thought I’d explain how I became a `prepper’.

 

Follow this year’s campaign on Twitter by searching for the #NPM or #NPM12 hash tag.

 

 

# 6597

 

 

I confess that I didn’t really start to think seriously about preparedness until 1984, when I bought my first sailboat and began to outfit it for extended coastal cruising.

 

I knew there would be times when my wife and I would be absolutely on our own – often miles from shore or in some remote region of the Ten Thousands Islands - well beyond the puny range of our VHF radio.

 

Suddenly, I was faced with playing the `What if?’ game.

 

• What if one of us got hurt?
• What if we were dismasted or driven hard aground?
• What if the outboard motor or radio died?
• What if we sank!

 

What if . . . what if . . . what if . . .  the possibilities for disaster were endless and daunting, and then there were the less emergent considerations. 

 

How much food and water could we carry?  How much fuel?   How would we generate electricity for anchor, navigation, and interior lights . . . and for the radio?

 

As the only thing smaller than our 23-foot Grampian sailboat was the budget we had for outfitting her, it took nearly a year to get her ready for the cruise. Twelve months, and $7,500 dollars later (and that included the price of the 12 year old boat!), we headed south.

 

Cheryl at the Helm of Halcyon

 

I’m happy to report that while we did see our share of storms, gear failures, minor injuries, and accidental groundings we managed to enjoy the better part of a year cruising without any major mishaps.

 

But it wouldn’t have had a happy ending without proper planning.

 

During the mid-1990’s I moved from the water to the land, and tried my hand at taming 24 acres of Missouri backwoods. Once again, living miles from the nearest town and occasionally cut off for a week or more by snow and ice storms, made preparedness and self-sufficiency paramount.

 

The view from our 4000sf garden

 

I confess - I’m not really much of a backwoodsman - and while I learned many skills during that time, I finally was able to return to Florida in 2005 (the statute of limitations had expired).

 

So you see, I come by my preparedness streak honestly.

 

Even though I no longer live aboard a boat, or in the backwoods, I still believe in being prepared. 

 

Not for the end of the world - as seems to be the popular perception of preppers - but for the very real and all-to-common disasters and emergencies that happen all the time.

 

Thirty days ago, on the first day of National Preparedness Month, I highlighted a very effective graphic from  Ready.gov that shows the `day before disaster’ for all 50 states.

 

The date when it was still not too late to prepare.

Click through to the interactive map, to see each state’s date with destiny.

 

If you click on California, for example, you’ll get:

 

You get the idea. 

 

The takeaway point is, you never know whether today is the day before your disaster . . .

 

The thing that keeps emergency planners up at night is the knowledge that during a disaster, far too many people will be unprepared to fend for themselves until emergency help can arrive.

 

Which is why the Federal government wants all of us to be prepared for emergencies, as they know that during a `normal’ disaster (of which dozens occur every year) citizens may be on their own for up to 72 hours. 

 

In an extreme disaster (like we saw with Katrina in 2005), some people may end up having to fend for themselves for a week or longer.

 

 

Based on the  events in Japan (or after Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, or the earthquake in Haiti) 3 days of supplies many not be enough for a truly worst case scenario.

 

The County of Los Angeles Emergency Survival Guide calls for having 3 to 10 days worth of food and water.

 

Personally, I believe that 2-weeks of supplies isn’t an unreasonable goal, particularly if you live in earthquake or hurricane country.

 

The L.A. guide may be downloaded here (6.5 Mbyte PDF).

 

 

The bottom line is everyone should have a disaster plan. Everyone should have a good first aid kit, a `bug-out bag’, and sufficient emergency supplies to last a bare minimum of 72 hours.

 

For more on  disaster preparedness, I would invite you to visit:

 

NPM12: Disaster Buddies

When 72 Hours Isn’t Enough

NPM12: The Gift Of Preparedness

An Appropriate Level Of Preparedness

»» Read More

NPM12: Preparedness For Kids

Note: This is day 8 of National Preparedness Month.  Follow this year’s campaign on Twitter by searching for the #NPM or #NPM12 hash tag.

 

This month, as part of NPM12, I’ll be rerunning some updated  preparedness essays (like this one) , along with some new ones.

 

 

# 6543

 

As any Boy or Girl Scout will tell you, emergency preparedness isn’t just for adults. And the Federal government obviously agrees since they maintain a website called Ready Kids as part of the Ready.gov program.

 

 

Here – with your guides Flat Stella & Flat Stanley- you’ll find a fun, interactive way to introduce young children to the concept of preparedness. You’ll also find an assortment of  Fun & Games, all with an emergency preparedness theme.

 

Comic Strip 

Crossword Puzzle

Pack It Up Matching Game

Hidden Treasures Activity

Word Search Game

Coloring Pages

 

For a somewhat older crowd (teenagers and young adults, mostly), in May of 2011 the CDC unleashed their  highly successful Zombie Preparedness blog - cleverly written by Rear Admiral Ali S. Khan - who told us (with tongue firmly implanted in cheek) that if we are prepared for a Zombie Apocalypse . . . we’re pretty much prepared for anything.

 

Photo Credit CDC

 

Once the news of a `zombie’ blog appearing on the CDC site went viral on Twitter, the number of visitors to the Public Health Matters Blog  temporarily overwhelmed their server.

 

Heartened by the huge response, six months later the CDC released a sequel to this highly effective campaign, with a 2-part Graphic Novel preaching preparedness, and a number of tie-in posters and even T-Shirts that you can purchase.

 

All are designed to drive home the importance of Getting a kit, Making a plan, and Being prepared

To learn how, go to the CDC’s  THE ZOMBIE PREPAREDNESS PAGE

 

 

Even with the addition of a mock zombie apocalypse, today’s preparedness messages are far kinder and gentler than the ones many of us were exposed to growing up during the height of the cold war.

 

My generation grew up indoctrinated by Bert the Turtle civil defense cartoons, incessant CONELRAD testing on the radio and TV, and the never-ending threat of nuclear annihilation. 

 

 

 

"This was a test. Had this been a real emergency, you'd have been instructed to turn to your local CONELRAD broadcaster for more information. This was only a test".

 

During the Cuban Missile crisis, at the age of 8, I got the short course in radiation sickness, fallout shelters, `duck & cover’ drills, and emergency evacuations from my local elementary school. 

 

I recounted some of those experiences in a blog called NPM11: Creating A Family Communications Plan.

 

I certainly don’t advocate that preparedness lessons be taught to kids today in such a stark, disturbing, and traumatic fashion today

 

But the Ready Kids site shows that the subject can be approached in a child-friendly non-threatening manner.

 

When a disaster threatens, it threatens all of us – regardless of our age. Helping kids to understand more about emergency preparedness will undoubtedly help them cope (and perhaps, even help) in the event they, or their community, are caught up in a disaster.

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NPM12: Everyday Preppers

 

Note: This is day 6 of National Preparedness Month.  Follow this year’s campaign on Twitter by searching for the #NPM or #NPM12 hash tag.

 

This month, as part of NPM12, I’ll be rerunning some updated  preparedness essays (like this one) , along with some new ones.

 

# 6538

 

After watching Doomsday Preppers on the National Geographic Channel and Doomsday Bunkers on the Discovery Channel many people may come away thinking that all preppers are crazed fanatics gearing up for the impending apocalypse. 

 

Which apocalypse you ask? 

 

Why, take your pick.  There appear to be scores of improbable nightmare scenarios fueling an `end of days’ fever these days, ranging from an all-out nuclear war to an asteroid strike to the fulfillment of the so-called `Mayan Prophesies’.

 

But for the vast majority of us who embrace the preparedness lifestyle - it is the far more common localized disaster that spurs us on:

 

. .. hurricanes, tornadoes, ice storms, blizzards, earthquakes, floods . . . along with even more limited emergencies like house fires, car accidents, or personal accident and injury.

 

Of course, if you want decent cable TV ratings, you don’t profile those who maintain a 14 day supply of necessities in their pantry, volunteer for CERT, have a well thought out family emergency plan, or take pride in keeping a well stocked first aid kit.

 

No . . .  you focus on families with elaborate secret underground bunkers, a 20 year supply of freeze-dried foods, weapons capable of taking down Godzilla with one well-placed shot, and a firm belief that the end is nigh.

 

It is TV, after all.

 

While we collectively wait for doomsday (and I’m perfectly content to wait a long, long time for mine) we are nonetheless faced with an ongoing parade of lesser - but no less burdensome to those affected – localized disasters.

 

They happen with surprising regularity - and unlike an abrupt 30 degree shift of the earth’s crust or the eruption of the Yellowstone Super Volcano - are something being prepared for is actually likely to help.

 

A severe storm can knock out electrical power and phone service for days, sometimes weeks. Public services (including 911) can be severely disrupted, and something as routine as obtaining food and potable water for your family may be difficult for several days.

 

There are many legitimate disaster threats out there, which is why FEMA, READY.GOV, and many other agencies actively promote personal, family, and business preparedness.

 

To that end the Federal government has produced copious toolkits, brochures, pamphlets, and even mobile apps designed to help citizens prepare . . . for just about anything.

 

One such toolkit is FEMA’s Are You Ready? An In-depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness (IS-22) – which, at 204 pages – ranks as one of the most comprehensive guides to public preparedness available.

 

FEMA describes this guide as:

 

An In-depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness

Are You Ready? An In-depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness (IS-22) is FEMA’s most comprehensive source on individual, family and community preparedness. The guide has been revised, updated and enhanced in August 2004 to provide the public with the most current and up-to-date disaster preparedness information available.

 

Are You Ready? provides a step-by-step approach to disaster preparedness by walking the reader through how to get informed about local emergency plans, how to identify hazards that affect their local area and how to develop and maintain an emergency communications plan and disaster supplies kit. Other topics covered include evacuation, emergency public shelters, animals in disaster and information specific to people with access and functional needs.

 

Are You Ready? also provides in-depth information on specific hazards including what to do before, during and after each hazard type. The following hazards are covered: Floods, Tornadoes, Hurricanes, Thunderstorms and Lightning, Winter Storms and Extreme Cold, Extreme Heat, Earthquakes, Volcanoes, Landslide and Debris Flows (Mudslide), Tsunamis, Fires, Wildfires, Hazardous Materials Incidents, Household Chemical Emergencies, Nuclear Power Plant and Terrorism (including Explosion, Biological, Chemical, Nuclear and Radiological hazards).

(Continue . . . )

 

 

Disasters happen.

 

And while they don’t often occur on a national or international scale (an assumption with which residents of Haiti, Pakistan, and Japan might just take exception), they can be devastating to large segments of our population.

 

Admittedly, a lot of the preparations highlighted by these `survivalist’ genre TV shows seem to be more than a little screwy, even to this lifelong prepper . . .

 

But having no plan . . . well that’s just plain nuts.

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NPM12: Surviving Disaster – Texas Style

 

 

# 6532

 

September is National Preparedness Month, and along with thousands of others across the country, AFD blog is part of this year’s NPM coalition. All this month, in addition to my regular infectious disease blogging, I’ll be running preparedness articles as well. 

 

Some will be new, like today’s entry, and some will be reposts (often updated) of earlier preparedness essays.

 

Today, from Texasprepares.org (part of the Texas Department of State Health Services) we’ve a series of preparedness videos (available in both English and En Español) that highlight how Texans – who are hardly strangers to natural disasters – prepare for and cope with emergencies.

 

The 7 videos are:

 

Introduction from Dr. David Lakey, Commissioner – 1:20

Surviving Hurricanes: Grab it and Go – 9:50

A Community Rebuilds: Recovering from Wildfires – 9:46

Back to Business: Planning for Disasters – 7:35

Ready for Anything: Preparing for the Next Flood – 8:02

Winds of Destruction: A County's Lessons – 8:45

Facing Disasters: A Plan for Work and Home – 8:17

 

You can click the image below to watch the videos, or follow the link below it to the download page, where you can access, and download, all of their videos.

 

 

Surviving Disaster: How Texans Prepare - Download and Accessible Videos

 

Beyond the videos, you’ll find plenty of emergency preparedness resources on the Texasprepares.org page, including:

 

 

You needn’t be one of the 25 million residents of Texas to find these videos, and resources useful. But you can also find emergency preparedness resources at the FEMA and Ready.gov websites.

 

Regardless of where you go, today would be an excellent day to to take a hard look at your family’s emergency plans, and begin taking steps to improve them.

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Making The Most Of The Day Before Tomorrow

Credit FEMA/READY.GOV 

 

# 6531

 

 

A week ago, soon-to-be Hurricane Isaac was threatening peninsular Florida as it emerged off the Cuban coast and ambled north towards an eventual landfall along the Mississippi/Louisiana coast. 

 

And like millions of others within the `forecast cone’, I was considering what I would do if the storm turned my way over the next 24-48 hours.

 

Luckily, I already had an emergency plan, a pre-arranged place to go, and an emergency kit (see Inside My New Bug Out Bag) packed and ready to go.

My Bug-out-bag, Canteen, & Toiletry kit

 

Earlier this summer, my home emergency preparedness and supplies proved useful when a large tree limb came crashing down across my roof (see At The End Of My Rope) in the middle of the night.

 

Over the years, my emergency medical training and my well stocked first-aid kit have been called upon more times than I can remember.

 

And the single most important thing that has kept me from being a bystander – or worse, a victim – during an emergency has been my ongoing efforts in being prepared.

 

Blame it on early scout training, my decade working as a EMT/Paramedic, or (more likely) my 12 years living aboard a sailboat – but emergency preparedness has been an integral part of my life for nearly a half century.

 

Before anyone asks . . .

 

No, I’m not preparing for `doomsday’ like the folks you see profiled on cable TV. I’m an Everyday Prepper, who believes in preparing for more likely disasters I might actually have a chance to survive.

 

You know . . . earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, pandemics, wildfires . . . things that actually happen with some regularity around the world.

 

Which is why every September I join in with FEMA and Ready.gov to promote National Preparedness Month  (NPM12), by running preparedness essays in this blog.

 

Kicking off NPM this year, Ready.gov has a very effective graphic showing a `day before disaster’ for all 50 states. 

 

The date when it was still not too late to prepare.

 

Click through to the interactive map, to see each state’s date with destiny.

 

 

If you click on Florida, for example, you’ll get:

While Missouri yields:

 

You get the idea. 

 

One day the sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and all seems well.  The next day, quite abruptly, the bottom falls out and life for some people changes forever.

 

The Federal government wants all of us to be prepared for emergencies, as they know that during a `normal’ disaster (of which dozens occur every year) citizens may be on their own for up to 72 hours. 

 

In an extreme disaster (like we saw with Katrina in 2005), some people may end up having to fend for themselves for a week or longer.

 

With the kickoff of NMP12, Ready.gov urges all of us to:

 

 

And to do it today . . .while the sun is still shining.

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Because It Can Happen Here

 

 

# 6469

 

While we wait for the next flu to drop in the H3N2v swine flu story, a brief side trip this morning as we look at our nation’s resilience – or lack thereof – to disasters.

 

As most of you know, earlier this week India saw a 2-day blackout of their electrical grid that affected nearly 10% of the world’s population. While unprecedented in size, large scale electrical blackouts like this have occurred in many parts of the world before.

 

This week’s event inspired the CDC’s Public Health Matters Blog to publish a post called India in the Dark: A Call For Preparedness that asks:

 

What if the United States experienced a power outage all the way from Anchorage, Alaska to the sandy shores of South Beach, Florida?  Even if it’s not to that extent, minor power outages are enough to inconvenience people and cause distress.  And it doesn’t take much for a power outage to occur.  Thunderstorms, snow storms, earthquakes, technical glitches or man-made disasters can all cause them.

 

It’s a serious question.

 

Here in Florida, it isn’t unusual to go a week, or even two, after a major hurricane without electrical power.  Parts of New Orleans were still without electricity a month after Katrina.

While a prolonged national grid failure may seem an unlikely event, there are scenarios where it could happen. 

 

In 2009 the National Academy of Sciences produced a 134 page report on the potential damage that a major solar flare could cause in Severe Space Weather Events—Understanding Societal and Economic Impacts.

You can download the PDF for free from the National Academies Press at the above link.

 

In early 2010  FEMA  held a major table-top exercise in anticipation of the upcoming solar maximum (expected in 2013), and they now include a solar weather update in their daily briefings.

 

A 30 page PDF file is available for download from the FEMA library on this exercise which envisioned a `near worst-case scenario’.

Managing Critical Disasters in the Transatlantic Domain - The Case of a Geomagnetic Storm

 

Their `near-worst-case’ scenario envisions much of North America without electrical power for weeks or even months following a severe geomagnetic storm.

 

But it doesn’t take anything as exotic and rare as a massive Coronal Mass Ejection from the sun to take down large parts of the electrical grid.

 

Natural disasters, like earthquakes and severe storms, can wreak havoc on the power grid, and prolonged heat waves and droughts can tax their capacity to the breaking point.

 

Add in terrorist attacks (including cyber attacks) and an ageing power delivery infrastructure, and the potential for seeing a major power disruption becomes more than trivial.

 

Despite concerted efforts by FEMA, Ready.gov, and other agencies to encourage individual and community preparedness, recent polls indicate that at least half of us are unprepared for even a small disaster.

 

In recent CDC Blog called Startling Facts You Should Know About Disaster Preparedness, out of 1,000  respondents to a national poll by Adelphi University Center for Health Innovation, 48% lacked even the basic emergency supplies they would need in the event of a disaster (flashlights, emergency radio, non-perishable food, water, first aid kit, etc.).

 

More than half did not have a designated rendezvous place for family members, nor had they made and safely stored copies of their important documents.

 

While emergency officials plan on a community, state, and national level to deal with disasters, what keeps many of them up at night is knowing how unprepared most individuals are to deal with a major disaster.

 

They know that after an earthquake, hurricane, or similar disaster that the 911 system may be down, emergency crews will be swamped, and many people will have to fend for themselves during the first few days.

 

In a truly epic disaster . . .  even weeks.

 

Which is why every year September is designated National Preparedness Month, to encourage people to take disaster preparedness seriously.  But no one should be waiting till then to prepare. Preparedness is a year-round endeavor, and the time to start is now.

 

If a disaster struck your region today, and the power went out, stores closed their doors, and water stopped flowing from your kitchen tap for the next 7 days  . . .  do you have:

 

• A battery operated NWS Emergency Radio to find out what was going on, and to get vital instructions from emergency officials?
• A decent first-aid kit, so that you can treat injuries?
• Enough non-perishable food and water on hand to feed and hydrate your family (including pets) for the duration?
• A way to provide light (and in cold climates, heat) for your family without electricity?   And a way to cook?  And to do this safely?
• An emergency plan, including meeting places, emergency out-of-state contact numbers, and in case you must evacuate, a bug-out bag?
• Spare supply of essential prescription medicines that you or your family may need?

 

If the answer to any of these questions is `no’, then you have a lot of work to do.  A good place to get started is by visiting Ready.gov.

 

Because, whether you are ready or not. 

 

Disasters can happen here.

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