It happens. An emergency. A disaster. Whether it is local, regional, national, or global, the reaction is usually the same: panic and confusion. What should I do? Where should I go? How do I communicate with loved ones? Will I be okay?
Once a disaster occurs, our usual instinct is to make sure we know whether our loved ones have survived. Communication immediately following a disaster will be tricky, and in some cases, nonexistent if power is out, cell phone service is down, and those you love are not within shouting distance.
COMMUNICATE
Use whatever methods you have available to check in immediately with family members or loved ones who are not with you. This also applies to calling for help if you are injured or someone else is. 911 may be overloaded with calls within the first few hours of an emergency, and the bigger the situation, the longer the overload lasts. If you can treat your own injury or still get yourself to safety, wait to call.
Calling loved ones also blocks phone lines, preventing important emergency calls from getting through. Can you text? Email? If you are a licensed ham radio operator, perhaps you’ve also convinced other family members to be as well. But short of that, there are new apps for your cell phone that can be used as “walkie-talkies” if there is Wi-Fi access nearby. These apps will be available in your cell phone app store and are usually made for both Androids and iPhones. The Zello PTT Walkie Talkie is free, and you can have live conversations as long as both parties have Wi-Fi. That is the downfall, though. Without Wi-Fi, the app is useless. Another interesting app is Family Locator–GPS Tracker, which can tell you where a family member is and if they are safe, but again GPS satellites must be functioning for it to work on both ends.
Some shelters now try to have Wi-Fi available, and during many major hurricanes this past season, many hotels that opened their doors to evacuees offered free Wi-Fi so people could get in touch with loved ones in unaffected areas. Technology is evolving so quickly that each year new apps are introduced that can do new things, extending the possible range of communication. Look in your app store and see what is available. Download a couple of good apps that have high ratings and are free, and learn how to use them properly. If you have kids with cell phones, make it a family affair around the dinner table, and download the same apps, then go over how each one operates and how it will be used in the event of an emergency.
If you have elderly neighbors who do not have cell phones, think about helping them too by getting the name and number of someone who can be alerted if they must be evacuated or need help at home. We just assume everyone has a cell phone, but that is not the case, so if you have the time to safely extend a helping hand, please do so.
Cell phone towers and antenna systems are being built more and more to withstand disasters such as high winds and floods caused by hurricanes. According to “Will My Phone Work during and after the Storm” by Nancy Dahlberg for the September 7, 2017, Miami Herald, major service providers such as AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint claim their towers are ready. They even have backup generators that will kick in during a power outage, and their switching centers are more prepared than ever. Some towers are being put on stilts to withstand high water levels. But is it enough?
The article discusses how the main causes of loss of service are often structural failures to the towers and damage to antennas from extreme winds. Even with shoring up, there are limits, which often revolve around getting crews up and out in the field to do the repair work in a major disaster. In a nuclear blast, massive earthquake, or supervolcanic eruption, it won’t matter how retrofitted the towers are; they will go down. But it is good to know that the major cell phone providers are working overtime to try to keep open the lines of communication that so many of us have become dependent upon. Interestingly, the article recommends having a landline along with cell phones, because while strong winds can knock down telephone poles, there is actually more of a chance of loss of service to cell phones and wireless communications than the old-fashioned phones so many have given up today.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Now people have the option of using social networking sites as their check-in place to keep friends and family up to date. Facebook introduced the “check-in” feature years ago, which allows users to show their exact location. Users can also post on their personal pages that they are safe and at a local shelter or at home. Twitter is also widely used now to report in to others and let them know how you are faring.
A number of social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter will set up special pages devoted to providing information about disasters such as evacuation routes and informing the Coast Guard about stranded victims.
There are also individual pages devoted to particular emergencies or disasters, such as a hurricane or large earthquake, where users can check in and leave messages and also get updated information. During 2017’s Hurricane Harvey, a page was set up called “Hurricane Harvey 2017—Together We Will Make It,” which featured actual maps with locations of those who needed rescuing and green marks for those who were safe. As long as there is cell phone service or Wi-Fi, social media can be a powerful communications tool because everyone is on it, and chances are that, even if you don’t see a message from a loved one, someone you know will and can pass it along to you.
Twitter had its own @HarveyRescue, which allowed people to tweet and ask for rescue help, boats, evacuation information, etc. This information was also reported to the Coast Guard.
Social media shouldn’t be the only method of communication people plan on, simply because they rely on access to Wi-Fi or cell phone service, both of which may be down in particular situations. But they can be a valuable resource, as many people have found when they put out posts on social networking sites for others to send help, check on family members in the area, or pass on information they could not get otherwise.
Another way social media have been useful during emergencies comes after the damage is done. People are setting up GoFundMe pages to ask for financial help that they may not be getting from insurance companies or the government to rebuild their homes, buy food and water, or clean up the damage left behind.
STAY OR GO?
Do you stick it out at home and shelter in place, or do you evacuate to a designated shelter? In the event of a major emergency or disaster, you will be instructed as to which is better. If the power is out and there are no means of communication to find out what to do, you will have to use common sense.
There are many different places you can evacuate to during a disaster, including the homes of friends or family, hotels, motels, and shelters. Part of your plan must be knowing where everyone will go so that you can keep your family together.
In the case of wildfires, hurricanes, imminent storms, and weather events, the ideal would be to locate the nearest designated shelter and go there as quickly as possible. Even some toxic hazard disasters may require that you leave the area. Are you in the direct path of a major storm? Is your home close to the potential lava flow field of an active or erupting volcano? Is the local news calling for voluntary evacuations from an impending wildfire that could turn mandatory depending on how the wind blows?
Let’s say you are told to get out, or you decide that evacuating before you are told is in your best interest. You get your family together, grab your bug-out bags and supplies, and head to a family member’s home in a safe zone or to the designated shelter in your area. How do you find that shelter?
If you still have power, the local authorities will list designated shelters and even evacuation routes along with roads that are closed or impassable due to the emergency situation. If you still have cell phone service, you can do the following:
To locate the nearest designated public shelter during an emergency, text SHELTER and your zip code to 43362 (FEMA). (Example, SHELTER 90278.)
You have found a shelter to go to. Now what?
BUGGING OUT
If you can safely drive to the shelter, take your supplies with you. If you must go on foot, only do so along safe routes designated by local authorities. The last thing you want to do is get caught in a floodplain during a flash flood or be out on foot during a lightning storm—or worse.
Find out if the shelter will accept pets, as most emergency shelters for people will not allow them because of safety liabilities. The only exception to this is service animals. If not, you must make accommodations for your pets. Emergency services in many cities will provide a place for pets to go to, but you may have to transport them there yourself. Pets must be in crates or cages, and be sure to bring extra food and comfort items. Some cities set up temporary shelter trailers for local pets to stay in, and they allow their human owners to visit them if it isn’t dangerous to do so.
If you have time before the disaster strikes, you can use ham radio or social media to ask for help transporting and keeping pets with others in safe zones. Call your local fire department, and ask if they offer an assistance program for evacuating horses, livestock, and other animals in rural areas. Many people just assume they can take their dogs and cats with them when they leave, but that is not the case if your destination is a shelter, unless it is designated as having a special area for pets, so check first and don’t waste time later trying to find somewhere to take your furry friends.
Gassed Up
One of the most important parts of a good plan is to always have a full tank of gas. But we don’t always think about the possibility that we might need to until it is too late. One of the biggest hazards to human life is being stuck on a highway or freeway in the midst of a raging hurricane or wildfire. You not only want to evacuate early to avoid congested roadways, but have enough gas to stay on the road should you get caught in that congestion. Nobody wants to have their car run out of gas while a Cat 4 hurricane is bearing down.
A good rule of thumb is to never let the tank fall below half full, which should ensure at least enough gas to get to a shelter or safe zone. As we all learned from recent hurricane news, most gas stations will run out quickly and close down, and with no open roads for gas tankers to bring in new fuel, they can stay closed for days, even weeks. If the power goes out, even gas stations with a supply on hand cannot pump it. So be prepared, and if asked to evacuate, take one car to help keep roadways less congested.
Tragically, many pets never see their owners again, because they must be left at home to fend for themselves. Other pets escape and die out in the elements during a disaster. The best way to avoid losing a furry family member is to plan ahead and know what to do with your pets if a disaster happens. If you already know who can assist in transporting animals, where they can safely be taken, and what the city you live in can do to direct you to an animal-friendly shelter ahead of time, you might save the life of your pet.
Some key points to remember:
•Many disasters give you enough warning time to find out where to take your pets if you must evacuate
•Private and publicly funded rescue organizations can assist, but they cannot save every animal they are asked to rescue, so plan ahead
•Some local animal shelters will open up free cages ahead of time to those seeking emergency shelter for their pets
•Pets cannot survive on their own and will be frightened, lost, and exposed to the elements following a disaster, so don’t assume you will reconnect “naturally”
•Rural areas with horses and livestock rely on trailers and trucks to get animals out, but if roads are closed, that won’t happen, so get them out early
•Always have a bug-out bag filled with food and supplies for your pets if you can take them with you
•Look for hotel parking lots and campgrounds, parks, and other large open spaces that may be accommodating animals, especially livestock and horses
•Many hotels do take in cats and dogs, but they won’t take in larger pets or animals
•If you live in a rural area, you must have a trailer to move larger animals, as many will not fit in the back of a flatbed or regular truck
•Mark your dogs, horses, and livestock with ink that indicates your name and phone number in case they get loose or lost. You can actually buy a livestock marking ink, but use whatever works (laundry marker) in a pinch.
•For larger animals, be sure to bring some extra hay or feed in a large bucket or plastic trash can with the bottom cut out
•If, tragically, you must leave pets at home, leave them extra water and food in bowls, and close off all doors and windows
CHOOSING A ROUTE OUT
You have your car loaded up with supplies. You’ve shut off all electrical appliances and televisions, leaving refrigerator and freezer plugged in (unless there is a risk of flooding in the home!), and you have shut off gas, water, and electricity to the home if instructed to by local authorities. Now it is time to bug out! When evacuating, you may have more than one route out of your neighborhood and into a safe zone. All routes may be clogged with people fleeing the area, and it isn’t always better to choose the road you believe will be less overloaded with traffic. Think about the disaster you are escaping, and choose accordingly. If it is a massive wildfire, and the main route is a freeway only a mile from the fireline, realize how quickly a fire can burn to the road and jump the freeway, burning cars as it does. Is there a secondary route that will take you much further away from the firelines?
Hurricanes and other major flood-producing storms beg that you avoid streams, creeks, rivers, and other bodies of water that could top off and create a water hazard, as well as avoiding known floodplains and streets that are known to flood during even minor rains. Use common sense. Keep an eye out for debris in the road, downed power lines, and blocked access to roads you normally take, and know another way around or through.
The goal of evacuating is to get away from the hazard and toward safety and help. Always follow the instructions of authorities, but if there is no power or cell phone service and you are on your own, don’t make your situation worse by trying to take the quicker route if it may not be the safer route.
HOW TO SHUT OFF UTILITIES
So you need to evacuate and aren’t sure how to shut off power, water, or gas. If you have a family, make it a point to show everyone exactly how to do this. Keep in mind you may need to know this even for non-emergency situations.
Know where the water main is and how to turn the shutoff valve in the right direction. If you live in a warm climate, the shutoff valve will be outside, perhaps on the side of your home. Look for the point where the water pipe enters your house. This is also where your water meter is. In cold climates, it may be in your cellar or basement.
Shut off the valve that runs between the water line to the house and the water meter. Turn the valve in a clockwise direction until you cannot turn anymore. You don’t need to shut off the valve that leads from the street to the meter unless instructed to do so.
If you do need to shut off the water at the street source, which is operated by the city you live in, look along the front boundary line of your home for the “box,” which will be a metal or heavy plastic cover in the ground. You can use a screwdriver or other tool to lift off the lid. Look inside for the top valve, and turn it clockwise until it feels firm. Check a water source in the front of the house to see if the water is still running. Sometimes you have to open and close the valve a few times if it hasn’t been shut off for years.
ELECTRICITY
To power down your home, look for the electrical circuit breaker box, which is usually on the side of the home. It may also be located in the cellar or basement.
Homeowners should know how to shut off water to their houses during times when city water may be compromised by contaminants that could flow into your pipes.
Shut off all individual circuits before shutting off the main circuit breaker, which is usually at the top of the circuits. This should shut off all power to the house.
GAS
In a disaster, a natural gas leak can be more deadly than the initial disaster. Make sure you have a pipe wrench handy, preferably an adjustable one 12 inches or larger, and keep it near the gas meter and shutoff valve. The valve should be labeled, but will be running parallel with the pipe located about 6 to 8 inches above the ground. Using the adjustable wrench, turn the valve a quarter turn until the valve is crosswise to the pipe, which means it is closed.
Because home gas line configurations can be different, it is best if you contact your gas company in advance and ask them the steps to shutting down the gas to your home, and have those directions prominently written on the meter or nearby where any family member can find them.
EVACUATING AT WORK OR SCHOOL
If you are inside an office building, on a college campus, at school, or even in a department store or mall, there will be evacuation routes posted on the walls to show you exactly where to go in case of a fire or other emergency. Always familiarize yourself with these maps, which can also be found in hospitals, medical buildings, and doctor’s offices. Take a glance at the route you would need to use to get out in an emergency. Notice where fire extinguishers and emergency axes are along walls.
Kids practicing an earthquake evacuation drill at their school are closely supervised by teachers and administrators for their safety.
EVAC 101
The basics to evacuating safely are:
•Have your disaster kits ready to go. Load them into the car beforehand when it appears you will be needing to evacuate soon (during voluntary evacs).
•Make sure everyone in the home knows where to go and how to contact each other should anyone get separated.
•Wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and sturdy shoes.
•Load up your pets, but know that they may not be accepted at the local shelter. But if taking them to friends or family, or even many hotels, take them with you.
•Bring outdoor items inside the home to avoid damage from winds.
•Do not turn off natural gas unless instructed to do so by authorities.
•Do turn off propane gas service, and strap down propane tanks.
•If in a flood-prone area, put sandbags around the exterior of home.
•Have a visual record of your valuables and items in your home, whether photographs or video.
•Move objects in the home that can be damaged by any wind or water that gets in, such as computers, televisions, electronic equipment, microwave ovens, etc.
•Lock up the house after closing doors and windows.
•Make sure you have important docs with you, such as driver’s license, social security cards, birth and marriage certificates, wills, deeds, insurance policies, and any stocks or financial records.
Large companies should have an emergency action plan and go over it with employees at least once a year. When you are on company time, it behooves them to protect you as best they can, so the plans can be quite extensive and comprehensive—or non-existent, as in smaller companies. Office buildings and complexes will use a specific chain of command to authorize the evacuation and closure of the building and the procedures to follow in the process. This will include escape routes, where emergency supplies are located, who will be in charge of what, where employees (or students, if a school, will go), and how emergency services will be contacted. There will also be an accounting system after the evacuation to make sure all employees are out of the building. Some employees may have to remain behind to shut down equipment and secure the building.
High-rise apartment and office buildings will have several evacuation routes in case the elevators and stairwells are unusable. Fire escapes should be up to code, and some buildings are even trying out innovative techniques such as laundry-type shoots that allow people to slide down an interior or exterior cloth tunnel to ground level. Check the building you live or work in to see what the options are if the usual routes are blocked.
Schools by law have emergency plans, and teachers and staff will instruct students what to do and where to go. If the emergency requires sheltering in place, the staff will know what to do, and as we have seen in shooter-on-campus situations, will protect students and barricade rooms against the gunfire. Chemical, biological, and toxic emergencies would also require staying indoors, as would tornadoes. Each type of emergency will require specific actions to be taken by staff and students.
An Emergency Action Plan, or EAP, requires a chain of command, and usually there will be people designated for that job. However, if you are in a situation where that person or persons are incapacitated, or there is no real EAP in place, you must take action on your own behalf, and this is why not leaving your fate up to others is so critical. The more you already know, the more you can be of assistance or, at the very least, not get in the way of evacuation efforts.
Once safely outside the building or school, depending on the scope of the emergency, you may be able to re-enter after the hazard has been diffused, or you may be directed to safety elsewhere until it can be.
AT THE SHELTER
If you have never been to an emergency shelter, believe it or not, you don’t just walk in, plop down on a cot, and make yourself at home. There are very specific procedures you must follow when you walk through the entrance of any designated shelter. The Red Cross, CERT, emergency services personnel, and other volunteers who set up and staff these shelters (often at a moment’s notice) have a protocol to follow to ensure not only that you get the help you need, but that you are kept safe during your hopefully brief stay. Many people are intimidated by going to a shelter, but rest assured they are safe, comfortable places.
When you arrive at the shelter, you will enter the one designated main entrance (all others are closed off to keep shelter residents secure), and there will be a waiting area with chairs and tables. One by one, you will be called to the registration table to answer a number of questions for the shelter worker, who will either fill out the form for you or have you fill it out if the shelter is overwhelmed. The questions will establish your name, address, age, and any special needs you might have, such as dietary needs and medical devices you may have with you. During this intake process, you will have the chance to ask any questions about how the shelter operates. Once you have filled out the form and answered all pertinent registration questions along with any necessary for minors you may be coming in with, you will then be signed in and told where to go to find snacks, water, hot meals, and a dormitory area with cots.
Red Cross shelters provide hot meals, and you will be surprised by the quality of the food, which is donated by many local restaurants and cafes. Sometimes the shelter will have a kitchen with cooks making meals. The dormitory stations are equipped with cots, and you can bring your blankets and pillow from home, as they do not usually provide pillows because of hygiene issues (blankets can be cleaned, but pillows are tougher to keep clean and free of germs). Shelters will provide two blankets per person.
No weapons of any kind are permitted in shelters, and if you have a restraining order against a family member, the volunteers and security will not allow that person to have any contact with you if they end up at the same shelter. Many shelters have specific rules on whether or not people who are involved in custody battles or marital court–related separations can be kept in the same shelter. No animals are allowed except for service animals, and you must be able to prove that an animal is necessary for your medical or mental health.
Shelters will have an activity board with specific times for eating meals and shutting off lights in the dormitory for sleep, and how to find others who may be sheltering elsewhere. There may be games and activities, especially for children, as well as television broadcasting news about the disaster, but be prepared to entertain yourselves. The dormitory cots will be spaced out according to shelter rules: usually 40–60 square feet of sleeping space per person, which is about a 8 foot by 5 foot space. Bringing a ton of clutter that spills over into another person’s space is unacceptable. If you have a service animal, wheelchair, or other large medical device, you will have 100 square feet of space to work with.
Texans take shelter at the Houston NRG Center as Hurricane Harvey floods the area in August 2017.
There will also be internal signage pointing out bathrooms, showers, staff areas, children’s play zones, evacuation routes, quiet areas, snack bar and cafeteria or eating rooms, and security.
Most people fear being stuck in a shelter for long periods of time, but most shelters know that they are meant to be short-duration solutions. Yet if the emergency or disaster was to become long term, don’t fear that they will run out of food and water too quickly, as they have community support as well as support from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Homeland Security, which assist the Red Cross or CERT in making sure the shelter is well staffed and supplied. In addition to food and drink, many shelters will also have comfort kits with toothbrushes, toothpaste, and deodorant, but plan to bring your own.
All residents of a shelter are told when they enter about the rules, procedures, and mealtimes, and shelter workers will disseminate information about the disaster as they confirm it from outside sources. Being in a shelter is meant to be a calm time of knowing you have a roof over your head, food and water, and trained individuals nearby who know how to respond in a variety of circumstances. In fact, you may want to consider getting shelter operation training yourself through CERT or the Red Cross if you think you may want to volunteer to lend a helping hand during the next emergency.
HOTELS, MOTELS, PARKS, AND STADIUMS
During a major disaster, many hotels and motels will reduce room prices drastically to accommodate people forced to evacuate. There are a few hotels that will even offer free rooms, but you won’t know that, unfortunately, until the disaster happens and you are looking for shelter. Parks and sports stadiums as well as some churches, preferably outside of the immediate danger zone, will often offer shelter for large numbers of evacuees who have nowhere else to go, especially if designated shelters are full.
Local news on the television or radio will provide the names and addresses of these locations, or use your cell phone’s emergency app to find shelter if you are not at home. In the case of Hurricane Irma in September of 2017, the State of Florida set up a special 800 number for people to call for help getting out of their homes and safely to a shelter, including those who were too poor to afford a motel or didn’t own a car to evacuate in and those who were homebound because of extreme illness.
The flow of information will be critical when you need to know where to go, so get those apps loaded onto your cell phones, have a battery-operated radio, watch television at home or wherever someone has one (many shops and stores will be broadcasting nonstop news), or get licensed to operate a ham radio, and have your handheld radio with you at all times. Sometimes even shelters have to be evacuated and relocated, should they be in the path of a hurricane, tornado, wildfire, or other threat!
STAYING PUT
If you are told point blank to shelter in place, do not attempt to leave. Obviously emergency services personnel and law enforcement individuals have determined that you expose yourself to a greater threat if you run, than if you hide out at home or work or wherever you may be.
There is an art to properly sheltering in place. For some disasters, you don’t have to take every step necessary for others. Often staying put means just not going anywhere near the danger zone and not clogging up roadways needed by emergency vehicles. Sheltering in place is most important during chemical, biological, nuclear, and other hazardous or toxic emergencies, where you want to protect yourself by sealing off doors, windows, and vents to the outside and hunker down in an interior room that has no windows or as few as possible.
Look around your home or office or school right now. Locate the innermost room above ground level that you might seek shelter in, away from doors or windows. This room will be sealed off once you enter with your supplies (supplies may already be stored there), so make sure it is large enough to accommodate you and anyone else you are with. Knowing where you will go ahead of time can save you precious minutes when you need to seal off the room. Do not go into a basement, as in the case of a chemical disaster, many chemicals are heavier than air and can seep into basement areas. You can choose several interior rooms if there are a lot of people who need shelter.
Close all doors and windows to the home or office/school. Close blinds, shutters, and shades to protect against a possible explosion outside or anything that might shatter the glass and send it flying into the room. If the room has a landline telephone, this may be ideal if cell phone service goes down and you need to communicate with the outside world.
Begin sheltering in place by using duct tape and plastic sheeting to seal off all exterior windows, doors, vents, and any other possible way air could get from the outside into the room or rooms you have chosen. Make sure to tape off the area tightly and completely. Properly sealing your home/office/room can make a huge difference to survival, as it keeps the poisonous toxins or radiation outside and prevents even contaminants and airborne viruses from entering. Also turn off fans, air conditioning, and heating to avoid bringing any outside air into the area.
If anyone was outside at the time the emergency occurred, have them remove all clothing and put it in a plastic bag to avoid bringing contaminants inside. If possible, they should shower and put on fresh clothing before entering the room to be sealed.
Be sure to make a space for pets to eliminate their waste, and do not let them go outside to do so until it is safe. Have plastic poop-collecting bags, newspaper or rags, containers, and cleaning supplies handy to clean up after pets, because you may be staying with them for a few days.
Once you are in the sealed room, only use your cell phone to call 911 in an actual emergency, as phone lines will be clogged. If you have a television, radio, or cell phone in the sealed room, keep listening for news updates that will include when you can leave the sheltered area.
Once the event is over, you will be instructed that it is safe to unseal the room. Turn on fans and ventilate the room as well as the rest of the house/office. Then go outside to breathe clean air while the home/office is replacing the indoor air with fresh air.
Children and students sheltering in place will not be released to parents until the threat is over. If your child has a cell phone and there is service, they will be able to communicate with you and tell you what is happening. Do not go to the school and demand to see your child. It isn’t safe for you or your child. Wait until the situation has cleared up and authorities have stated that it is safe for parents to pick up their children.
CAR TROUBLE
Yes, you can shelter in place inside a vehicle. But you must have the materials to seal off the doors and windows to make it effective. The rule of thumb is, if you are close to your home, office, or a public facility, go there immediately to take shelter. If you are not able to do so, then pull your car safely over to the side of the road. To avoid overheating, try to find a safe but shaded area to pull under, such as a bridge or large overhang of trees. Turn off the engine, and close the windows and air-conditioning vents. If you have duct tape in your car emergency kit, use it to seal off the vents. Keep the radio running so you can listen for further instructions. Stay put until help arrives or you hear that it is safe to get back out on the road again.
You can also shelter in place in a van or motor home, in which case you will need more duct tape and plastic sheeting, but a larger vehicle such as an RV or motor home can provide a much more comfortable stay for family members.