Should I stay or should I go?

Well with the pending Hurricane Irene last week, we had many family accross the country calling us and emailing us saying that we should think about leaving the area for the storm. So what do you do?

We followed the news, and alerts in the area. We looked at the maps, the storm surge maps, we knew where the water is and have a good idea on where it may go for flooding. We followed the path of the storm and simply paid attention to what the officials in the area were saying. We said we would stay here at the house, due to the strength of the storm and where we are at. Now if there was a mandatory evacuation we would of left!

This is really, I mean really important! When there is a mandatory evacuation you need to heed the advice of the officials in the area and leave your home. They are not going to tell you to leave just because, that means it is not safe for you to stay where you are! By you choosing to stay in an area that has has a mandatory evacuation you not only put yourself but others in DANGER! 

So now that is is ok to stay in your home how do I prepare to be there and be safe. Of course this is when you are there. You may have to stay at work, the office, or school also. It all depends on the situation and what is going on. We are going to talk about sheltering at home for an emergency.


First of all you need to have a battery powered radio! Know what radio stations will be broadcasting the news about the situation. Some radio stations will only broadcast news when something big is happening. Some will simply stream the local news on the radio for those that have lost power and can not watch the news. Listen to the news, watch the news. Know what is going on and pay attention to any new alerts, issues and directions that your local officials may give out. I have said this before follow your local news stations on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media outlets that they use. I was able to follow and get all the updates I needed via Facebook form all 3 news stations in the area on my phone. Most news stations can send you an email or text for alerts of breaking news, just the weather, etc. Check out your local news websites and see what they have to offer.

You also need your 72 hour kit. There are lists everywhere for kit ideas and things you may need.

A few things you will need, water, food, light, hygiene, first aid, medications; these are the very basics, check out some lists and even on here in previous blog posts for ideas. Here is the link to the Red Cross website and they have all kinds of information and handouts you can print off.  http://www.redcross.org/ 

You also need items to keep warm in the cold weather and how to stay cool in warm weather.

You will need things to entertain everyone. This is harder when you have little kids, but with a little preparations you can have a box, bag, etc filled with things to do in an emergency only. Adults also get bored, so remember them also. 

Here is a list of info that was on the VA dept of emergency management page:

Whether you are at home, work or elsewhere, it might be best to stay where you are. Emergency officials will advise you about what to do.

• Stay indoors away from all windows. Take shelter in an interior room with no windows if possible.
• Stay in your shelter until local authorities say it is safe.
• Do not drive unless absolutely necessary.
• Keep the phone lines open for emergency calls.
• Keep your emergency supply kit with you.
• Listen to local television or radio stations for updates.
• You might be told to create a barrier between yourself and the air outside, a process known as "sealing the room.” Use available information to assess the situation. If you see large amounts of debris in the air, or if local authorities say the air is harmful, you can tape up windows, doors and air vents if you need to seal off a room from outside air. 

Sealing a room makes a temporary barrier between you and harmful air outside. Consider precutting and labeling materials. Anything you can do in advance will save time when it counts.

To Seal the Room:

• Bring your family and pets inside.
• Lock doors, close windows, air vents and fireplace dampers.
• Turn off fans, air conditioning and forced air heating systems.
• Take your emergency supply kit.
• Go into an interior room with as few windows as possible.
• Seal all windows, doors and air vents with plastic sheeting and duct tape.
• Be prepared to improvise and use what you have on hand to seal gaps so that you create a barrier between yourself and any contamination.
• Stay informed by watching TV, listening to the radio or checking the Internet often for official news and instructions as they become available.

Before you seal a room, if there is damage to your home or you are instructed to turn off your utilities:

• Locate the electric, gas and water shut-off valves.
• Keep necessary tools near gas and water shut-off valves.
• Teach family members how to turn off utilities.
• If you turn the gas off, a professional must turn it back on. Do not attempt to do this yourself.

 

*****Do remember that is for information only and you need to use it as that. You need
to do your own research and decide what you NEED to do. I have no personal
responsibility if you used anything from here and it did not turn out all that great.*****