Creating
An Emergency Plan
American Red Cross Family Weather Emergency Plan
Develop a Family Weather Emergency Plan that includes
the following:
Disaster Plan
• Decide where to go if at home, school, work,
outdoors, or in a car when a flood, severe thunderstorm,
or tornado warning is issued.
• Update these plans every school year and as
places of employment and residence change.
Disaster Supply Kit
• Be sure everyone in the family knows where
your Family Disaster Supply Kit is located.
• During extreme heat, be sure to include the
following in your Kit: extra water or juice, sun screen,
and wide brimmed hats.
Communication Plans
• Designate a friend or relative outside your
town or area as your family contact in the event you
are separated from family members during a flood,
tornado, or in case a storm knocks out your electricity.
• In the case of a tropical storm or hurricane,
designate someone outside the area affected by the
tropical storm or hurricane as your family contact.
• Agree upon a place where the family members
can meet if separated.
Evacuation Plans
• Get a good map and plan various evacuation
routes, avoiding low-lying areas. This is especially
valuable in the event of flooding from rivers, streams,
tropical storms, or flash floods.
• Do several test runs of different routes.
• In the event of a flash flood, remember that
you will not be able to evacuate. Instead, immediately
seek higher ground.
• For times of extreme heat, identify locations
where you can escape sweltering conditions for hours
at a time: a mall, a movie theater, or the home of
a friend or relative.
Your Family Pet Plan
• For preparedness information, contact your
local Red Cross chapter. Included are related sites
and a brochure on caring for your pet during an emergency.
Content
was contributed by the American Red Cross.
Tips
for conserving water:
•
Do not water lawns, wash cars, or fill swimming pools
•
Don't allow children to play with the hose or sprinklers,
just for fun
•
Use a broom instead of water to clean outdoors
•
Check faucets and pipes for leaks
•
Turn off the water while shaving or brushing your
teeth
•
Take shorter showers, or better yet, take baths
•
Run dishwashers and washing machines only when full
•
When washing dishes by hand, fill the rinse sink,
rather than allowing water to flow over cleaned dishes
•
Store a bottle of drinking water in the fridge
•
Rinse fruits and vegetables in bowl or sink full of
water
From:
Illinois American Water Company
Tips for food safety during a power outage:
• If the power is out for less than 2 hours, then the food in your refrigerator and freezer will be safe to consume.
• While the power is out, keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to keep food cold for longer.
If the power is out for longer than 2 hours
• A freezer that is half full will hold food safely for up to 24 hours. A full freezer will hold food safely for 48 hours. Do not open the freezer door if you can avoid it.
• Refrigerator: Pack milk, other dairy products, meat, fish, eggs, gravy, and spoilable leftovers into a cooler surrounded by ice. Inexpensive Styrofoam coolers are fine for this purpose.
• Use a digital quick-response thermometer to check the temperature of your food right before you cook or eat it. Throw away any food that has a temperature of more than 40 degrees Fahrenheit.