With increasing global temperatures, the world is at risk of natural disasters more than ever. They may include hurricanes, tornadoes, storms, floods, droughts, wildfires, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions.
In 2021 alone, more than 20 weather-related catastrophes caused over $1 billion in damages in the US. A natural disaster may hit a state anytime and at short notice. Preparing for disaster management and evacuation is essential to save life and property losses.
September is celebrated as National Disaster Preparedness Month. The theme for 2022 is “A Lasting Legacy: The life you’ve built is worth protecting. Prepare for disasters to create a lasting legacy for you and your family.”
Use the opportunity to educate yourself and spread awareness about preparing for a natural disaster.
How To Prepare For A Natural Disaster?
Identify The Risks
Disaster risk assessment is the qualitative and quantitative method to identify the nature and the severity of natural disaster risk. It evaluates potential environmental hazards and existing conditions of a locality to determine the extent to which people, property, services, and the environment will be affected by a disaster.
Knowing what to do and where to allocate resources depends on the list of future emergencies and their importance and likelihood. A comprehensive risk-assessment approach should be used to identify the risks, including physical, social, medical, environmental, and economic dimensions.
The hazards can be any of the following natural disasters.
- Earthquake
- Tsunami
- Landslide
- Volcanic eruption
- Flooding
- Thunderstorm
- Tornado
- Hurricane
- Tropical storm
- Wildfire
The impact of the natural disaster can be in the form of:
- Casualties
- Property damage
- Business interruption
- Financial loss
- Environmental contamination
- Disease outbreaks
Create Emergency Plans
- Register for local severe weather notifications to get emergency alerts and warnings.
- Get a means for family communication. Remember that mobile phones may be lost and displaced during emergency responses. Hence include a personal safety device.
- Add emergency contact information to your phone and personal safety device.
- Choose a location where your family may gather for shelter during a natural disaster.
- Create a plan for your home and neighborhood’s escape routes for evacuation. Keep in mind that roadblocks may occur in large-scale calamities. Have at least one, and preferably more, alternative approach.
- Ensure that every adult and adolescent family member knows how to turn off the gas, electricity, and water in case of a leak or an electrical short.
- Make sure everyone knows where the relevant tools are located and are always available.
- Keep your pets in mind. When a disaster strikes, bring your pets inside or prepare how you’ll flee with them. Assure you have ID badges on them.
Build An Emergency Kit
An emergency disaster supply kit is a collection of your necessary items to provide for your needs for at least three days during an emergency. Build two emergency kits and keep one in your house and workplace each.
- Water (for sanitation and drinking, preferable mineral water bottles)
- Non-perishable food products for at least three days
- First-aid kit
- Flashlights & extra batteries
- Sanitary products (toiletries, disinfectants, garbage bags, maternity, and menstrual products)
- Clothing, bedding, and shoes, according to the weather.
- Battery-powered radio to stay updated wherever you are
- Local maps
- Prescription medicines (if any)
- Pet food and litter trays if you have a pet
Learn First Aid Techniques
People generally get injured during natural disasters. If you know basic first aid, you might be able to protect yourself and save others’ lives. Health emergencies, such as stroke, heart attack, and trauma, are common following a disaster.
Several organizations train first aid, take a course and get regular refresher sessions so you know how to react when someone is in need. You should also have a first aid kit ready in your home, car, and work. It should include medical supplies, including bandages, gauze, gloves, ointments, antiseptic wipes, masks, and medication.
Also, consider investing your time and energy in learning basic life support and Cardiopulmonary Regurgitation, short for CPR. Timely rescue breaths followed by chest compressions can save numerous people who have stopped breathing and are unconscious following a disaster trauma.
First aid, CPR, and basic life support are some life-saving skills that significantly affect life and death situations.
Save The Cash for an Emergency
ATM, online banking, and electronic modes of payment are usually disrupted during natural disasters. Always save considerable cash, change or keel traveler’s cheque in your emergency disaster planning kit. You never know what you might need when staying out of your house. Some unavoidable costs once you have evacuated your home include food, lodging, and other necessities.
Your emergency fund should be at least 3-6 months’ worth of savings. The transition period from when the disaster strikes until you safely reach a shelter can be challenging without cash in hand.
Stay Updated
Hurricane Hugo’s timely prediction and evacuation saved thousands of people from losing their lives. On the contrary, 6,000 people were killed and 5,000 injured when a hurricane struck Galveston, Texas. The reason? There was no warning system in place.
Keep a radio in your emergency kit to stay updated about weather updates and evacuation alerts. Make sure you get real-time weather updates and site-specific warnings.
How Can a Personal Safety Device Help During a Natural Disaster?
When a natural disaster strikes, time is your biggest commodity. No one knows what the next minute holds in store; hence you have to ensure you don’t waste significant time deploying emergency notifications.
During such times, a personal safety device, such as Silent Beacon’s panic button, allows you to notify relevant authorities and your family about your safety or call or help with just the click of a button. Timely emergency response reduces the transition period, hence the number of casualties.
You can customize your emergency response by feeding your family’s contact information, medical response team, and even 911. Silent Beacon connects with your smartphone via Bluetooth and ensures you stay connected with your loved ones during a natural disaster.
Final Thoughts
Disaster preparedness month is a yearly call to be alert and ready for any natural disaster. Climate change is real, and disasters have been more frequent in recent decades.
Create a proper emergency plan of how you will react in case a disaster hits your locality, and help those currently struck by one through finances and volunteering. Natural disasters can not be prevented, but their disastrous impacts can definitely be lowered.
