How to Prepare Yourself and Your Family for Disasters

1. How to Prepare Yourself and Your Family for Disasters Special thanks to Amy Belflower-Thomas, MSPH Pitt County

2. Presentation Objectives • Describe disasters most likely to affect eastern North Carolina • List general steps to prepare for any disaster • List the necessary components of an emergency/disaster supply kit • Provide guidelines for creating an emergency/disaster family plan • Learn how to get more information on disasters and preparedness

3. Disease Outbreaks Drought Floods Hurricanes Industrial Accidents Severe Thunderstorms Tornadoes Wildfires Winter Storms Disasters Most Likely to Affect NC

4. Disease Outbreak • Pandemic influenza • West Nile virus • SARS • Foodborne disease • Contaminated water supplies

5. Drought • An extended period of deficient rainfall relative to the average a region • In 2007 and 2008, NC experienced a severe drought. Many cities came within 100 days of exhausting their water supply and dozens of counties were declared disaster areas due to drought-related crop loss.

6. Floods • Flash floods in the mountains can move at incredible speeds, uprooting trees, rolling boulders, and destroying buildings and bridges.  • In 2006, the National Weather Service issued 168 flash flood warnings throughout the state. • Hurricanes Frances and Ivan caused massive flooding in western NC in 2004. 35 inches of rain fell on Mt. Mitchell, and 8 people were killed.

7. Hurricanes • North Carolina is the second most prone state for hurricanes • From 1851-2005, NC has been hit by 47 hurricanes • Severe tropical storms that form in the southern Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and in the eastern Pacific Ocean. • Can be predicted • People who live in coastal communities should plan what they will do if they are told to evacuate

8. Industrial Accidents • In 2003, a dust explosion at a pharmaceutical plant resulted in 6 deaths in Kinston • In 2006, a fire at a chemical plant in Apex caused thousands of people to evacuate

9. Severe Thunderstorms • There were 1547 severe thunderstorm warnings in NC in 2006 • Lightning kills 300 people and injures 80 on average, each year in the U.S. • Can also include tornadoes, strong winds, hail, wildfires and flash flooding

10. Tornadoes • A column of violently rotating air, spawned by a thunderstorm. Winds can reach over 250 mph. • There were1547 severe weather warnings pertaining to tornadoes issued in NC in 2006.

11. Wildfires • If you live where there is an abundance of plants and other vegetation that can easily catch fire, you may be vulnerable to wildfires. • In 2008, a lightening strike caused a wildfire that burned 41,534 acres over 3 months in eastern NC

12. Winter Storms • Includes snow or subfreezing temperatures, strong winds, ice or heavy rain storms. • May lead to extended power outages • 1.3 million households in NC lost power in the 2002 ice storm

13. Important Timeframes to Remember • April – June • Peak Fire Season • Mar 1 - May 31: • Peak Tornado Season • May 25 – June 31, 2008: • Hurricane Preparedness Week • Jun 1 – Nov 30: • Hurricane Season • Month of September: • National Preparedness Month

14. How do I prepare for an emergency? • Take the same general steps to prepare for most emergencies, • Make an emergency/disaster supply kit • Make an emergency/disaster family plan • Stay informed • Get involved

15. You Can Make an Emergency Kit Simply and Cheaply!!! • You won’t need these supplies often, so it is ok to purchase inexpensive items • You have to start somewhere…buy one extra item every time you go to the grocery or department store…it will all add up and eventually you can have a full kit!

16. Basic Information About Disaster Kits • Remember to check your items every 6 months and rotate foods/water/medicines in with your regular supplies. • Make sure your kit is not too heavy for you to carry in an emergency!! • Remember, you should be able to grab a kit and go immediately during an emergency…don’t count on pulling things together around the house during that time. • Most importantly: Individualize your kit to your specific family needs!!

17. Water Food Clothes (jacket, hat) Medications Flashlight Manual Can Opener Radio (hand-cranked/battery powered) Hygiene Items First Aid Basic Items to Include in an Emergency Supply Kit

18. Sterile bandages and gauze in assorted sizes Adhesive tape Anti-diarrhea medication Cold pack Scissors, tweezers, safety pins Alcohol wipes Disposable gloves List of family members’ allergies, health conditions, and medications First-Aid Kit

19. Birth Certificate Recent Family Photos Wills Homeowner’s/Flood Insurance Social Security Card Driver’s License Children’s Identification Cards Deed Physician’s Information List of Prescription Medications List of Family/Friends Names & Contact Information, etc. Keep these items in a Ziploc/plastic sealable bag Also include….Copies of Important Papers/Documents

20. Plan to take your pets with you when you evacuate Many counties in NC are creating co-location shelters where you can stay with your pet Consider having your Vet put a microchip in your pet incase you do become separated Don’t forget your pets!

21. Know Where Your Storm-Safe Areas Are Located • What is a “safe area?” • An area/room in your home or workplace that is free from or has minimal windows and does not have an outside wall and is preferably located on the first floor (i.e., closet, bathroom, hallway, etc.). • Designate/Educate your family on where to go inside your home for safety until the storm passes. • Designate/Educate your co-workers on where to go inside your workplace for safety until the storm passes. • Conduct practice drills at home and in your workplace to ensure everyone understands where to go for safety.

22. Have an Evacuation Plan • Plan places where your family will meet, both within and outside of your immediate neighborhood. Become familiar with alternate routes and other means of transportation out of your area. • If you have a car, keep a half tank of gas in it at all times in case you need to evacuate. If you do not have a car, plan how you will leave if you have to. • Take your emergency supply kit unless you have reason to believe it has been contaminated. • Lock the door behind you. • Take your pets with you

23. Communication is Key • Create a Family Communication Plan • Ask someone who lives and works out of town to be your family’s emergency contact. • Have family members carry the contact’s phone number(s) and email address with them. • If disaster strikes your area, family members should report their locations to the contact. He/She can tell you where everyone is. Family Communication Plan information obtained from Channing-Bete Company brochure entitled, “Terrorism: Living with Uncertainty.”

24. Be Informed • Learn about the emergency plans that have been established in your area by your state and local government. • [____________] County’s emergency services include: • [Special Needs Registry?] • [Co-location shelters?] • [Special Needs Shelters?] • [Other emergency plans?]

25. Optional Slides • Feel free to use the following slides if they pertain to services your county offers

26. DEFINITION OF SPECIAL MEDICAL NEEDS • The state of North Carolina defines SMN populations as those individuals who would not be able to meet basic needs during a 48-hour period even with the help of family and friends. The level of care for these individuals would go beyond the basic first aid level of care that is available in general public shelters.

27. SPECIAL MEDICAL NEEDS CATEGORIES • North Carolina has developed three support levels for the purpose of identifying SMN populations for whom sheltering may be required: • Support Level I individuals are not considered appropriate for admission to a general shelter and require a shelter with medical resources and services available. Care is provided by the pre-disaster caregiver. • Support Level II individuals requiring medical surveillance or special assistance may be assigned to a special medical needs shelter, but some can be accommodated in a general shelter if there is a designated temporary infirmary. Care is provided by the pre-disaster caregiver. • Support Level III individuals are defined as independent in the pre-shelter phase but may need limited assistance or observation. Most can be accommodated in a general shelter.

28. [___] COUNTY VOLUNTARY REGISTRY • A voluntary registry will be maintained in a database and kept current in order to provide [_______] County Emergency Management and 9-1-1 Communications with a ready method of identifying and responding quickly to individuals with special medical needs in the event of either county wide or isolated emergencies. • Public relations efforts will be utilized on an ongoing basis to keep the registry updated, to identify new SMN individuals, and to provide information to the public. • To find out more information about the registry, contact [_________________]

29. SHELTERING PLAN FOR SMN POPULATIONS • Whenever possible, SMN populations will be encouraged and assisted in making disaster plans that will allow them to remain at home, relocate to the home of family/friends, or to a Long Term Care facility. Admission to an SMN shelter should be the last resort for these populations.

30. SPECIAL MEDICAL NEEDS SHELTER • SMN shelters are established to provide temporary sheltering and resources to populations deemed not appropriate for American Red Cross (ARC) shelters due to medical or psychosocial needs. SMN Shelters in [_____] County are: • [Shelter] • [Shelter]

31. Other County Services for Special Needs Individuals • [___________________] • [___________________] • [___________________] • [___________________]

36. American Red Cross www.redcross.org Centers for Disease Control and Prevention www.cdc.gov Citizen Corps www.citizencorps.gov Department of Homeland Security www.dhs.gov Department of Commerce www.doc.gov Department of Energy www.energy.gov Department of Health and Human Services www.hhs.gov Department of Interior www.doi.gov Department of Justice www.justice.gov Environmental Protection Agency www.epa.gov Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) www.fema.gov Food and Drug Administration www.fda.gov Humane Society of the United States www.hsus.org/disaster Institute for Business and Home Safety www.ibhs.org National Fire Protection Association www.nfpa.org National Institute of Mental Health www.nimh.nih.gov National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration www.noaa.gov National Weather Service www.nws.noaa.gov Nuclear Regulatory Commission www.nrc.gov Pandemic Influenza www.pandemicflu.gov United Animal Nations’ Emergency Animal Rescue Service www.uan.org U.S. Fire Administration www.usfa.fema.gov U.S. Department of Agriculture www.usda.gov U.S. Geological Survey www.usgs.gov US. Postal Service www.usps.gov Disaster Public Education Websites

37. Get involved! • Formally: • Citizen Corps programs such as the Medical Reserve Corps, Community Emergency Response Team, Neighborhood Watch, Red Cross, etc. • Informally: • Watch out for your neighbors and your community!