After the recent swarm of devastating tornadoes, residents in Arkansas, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and Missouri must prepare for the continuing prediction of storms. The latest tornado to hit the U.S. left 117 known victims in its wake; it is the deadliest tornado in over 60 years. MSNBC reports that about 1,500 are still missing after the recent storm.
Preparing for a Storm
Experts cannot predict the exact time a tornado will hit. Therefore, it is important for you, your family and business to have an emergency plan that you can implement at a moment’s notice. When creating your emergency disaster plan, include the following:
Know what to do if your family is not together when a storm hits. Include a meet-up spot and instructions for different scenarios. For example, think about what you should do if the kids are at school, a friend’s house or the mall, if you are at work or are out running errands. Each family member should have a list of important phone numbers written down that each person keeps in a wallet or backpack.
Know the safest location in your house in the event of a tornado warning. Keep a battery-operated radio, flashlight, whistles, safety goggles, first aid kit and your emergency disaster kit near this location. You should have enough whistles for each family member to use to call for help if any get caught under debris.
Make an emergency disaster kit that includes water, food, medications, important documents, phone numbers, batteries, blankets, disposable camera, first aid kit, cash and pet supplies (if needed). Use this kit in the event that you cannot live in your home after a storm or you need to evacuate.
If you are a business owner, create a tornado emergency plan and make sure your employees know what to do in the event of a storm. Designate an area of your business as a “safe” area for employees to wait-out a storm and include a battery-operated radio, flashlight, whistles, safety goggles, first aid kit, emergency contact numbers, important documents and the company emergency procedures manual at this location.
Create a plan to recover. Worry about your possessions well before a storm hits or after, but do not risk your life to protect your belongings during a tornado warning. Keep photo negatives and copies of important documents in a safe location away from your home or business, like a bank’s safety deposit box. If you have not done this and a storm hits, remember that you can restore wet documents and damaged photographs with the help of a disaster recovery company.
If you own a business, you know the importance of preparedness. You prepare for client meetings, taxes, presentations and so on. One of the hardest things to prepare for, however, is a disaster. It is easy to put disaster preparedness at the back of your mind, especially if a disaster is not happening presently. According to a survey the Red Cross conducted in 2009, 89 percent of those surveyed felt it is necessary to be prepared for a disaster, but only 12 percent had an emergency disaster plan in place. Just as your prepare a budget and ways to save money, preparing for a disaster can save your business thousands of dollars and assist with business continuity.
The Ready Rating™ Program from the American Red Cross is a free, online program that can help you prepare for different disasters scenarios that can affect your business, from floods to fires to illnesses. When you sign up for the program, you learn about how prepared your business truly is to handle any emergency. After completing the readiness survey, you receive feedback regarding how to improve your business disaster planning efforts. Even if you have created a business disaster plan, you can still benefit from the Rating Ready™ Program because you may learn of ways to better prepare your employees or learn about consideration you did not think about when you made your plan.
Memphis police officers were in full force as they knocked on the doors of about 1,000 homes today to instruct Tennessee residents to evacuate. The reason: the Mississippi River and its tributaries are expected to inundate area homes and businesses with near-record flooding. The predicted floods are likely to affect the states of Missouri, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas, where White River-area residents also received evacuation orders.
According to MSNBC, emergency workers in Tenn. handed out bilingual fliers to residents that say, “Evacuate!!! Your property is in danger right now.” While experts state that this round of flooding will not cause as much devastation as the flooding disasters of the 1930s, they are starting early on the evacuation procedures. MSNBC reports that the river will crest on Wednesday, May 11, 2011, but the flooding could last a couple of weeks. Residents wanting more information and those who are in need of transportation or shelter should call (901) 324-8799 or text (901)-290-7530. Officials expect that the recovery from floodingcould take several weeks for homes and businesses.
Hurricane season is just around the corner and will last from June to November. ABC News reports that over 1.8 million homes on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts are at the greatest risk of receiving damage caused by hurricanes. The amount of homes in this at-risk zone is three times greater than those in flood zones defined by the federal government, according to CoreLogic. This means that two-thirds, or 66%, of the homes that are most likely to receive storm damage from a hurricane are outside of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) flood zones. The ABC News report states that the homes with the most risk of experiencing hurricane damage include those in New Orleans, La.; Tampa, Fla.; Virginia Beach, Va.; Long Island, NY and Miami, Fla.
In addition to damaging high wind speeds and rain, hurricanes can cause storm surges and extensive water damage. Storm surges are when sea or ocean water breaks through structures designed to prevent flooding. Surges can cause massive flooding and can carry harmful debris. However, the states most vulnerable to a direct hit from a hurricane, according to ABC News, are Texas and Florida.
In the last ten years, eight Category 5 hurricanes (the strongest kind) in the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea made landfall in North and Latin America. Colorado State University researchers predict there is a 72 percent chance that U.S. will experience the devastation of at least one major hurricane during the 2011 hurricane season.
Retirement, college funds, vacations, large purchases and rainy days are all reasons most people save money. However, many fail to save cash in the event of a disaster. It is common for vendors to only accept cash after a disaster as their electronic equipment may not work properly.
Experts recommend that you save emergency funds in your bank account in the event you cannot work after a disaster so you can continue to pay your bills using checks. However, you should also keep enough cash to pay for gas, food and water (in the event you run out), a telephone card and any additional supplies you may need. The amount you should save depends on the size of your household, medical needs and the needs of pets you may own.
When saving money for an emergency disaster kit, you can place a large amount in it right away or add small amounts to it every month so it grows. However, make the cash you save in your kit off-limits because you will depend upon this money if you experience a disaster. Consider placing the cash in a small, fireproof safe next to or inside your prepared emergency disaster kit.
