Tornado Emergency Preparation - 9 Points To Be On Guard

Storms come in varied forms, all defined by Mother Nature and manage to destroy several lives & properties. The human beings have no control on the forces of nature and can do nothing but to try to keep ourselves safe as much as possible.

While the coastal areas of the US experience hurricanes and the northern regions face snowstorms & blizzards, for the continental plains the bane is tornadoes.

What are tornadoes?

a. Just like hurricanes, in this act of nature a funnel of spiraling air formed out of nowhere comes and moves vigorously.

b. It tears anything and everything that falls in its path.

c. Usually the tornadoes are half a kilometer wide.

d. They disappear almost immediately, as if they popped in to the air.

e. The weather forecasters unfortunately fail to predict their occurrence.

f. When ever a tornado appears, one should just lean down & wait till the spiral is over.

Also here are some tips to help you prepare for such an emergency.

1. Those who reside in a tornado prone area must have a silo just a few feet under their ground. The studies prove that such natural calamities can easily destroy the structure of the house. Staying in the silo then would save you from the disaster.

2. The silo must be equipped with all necessities of life such as food, water, medicines, etc. You must understand that even if your house sustained the direct hit, it would take time to get the repairs done and even the insurance company does not give the back up that fast.

3. In case the tornado comes all of a sudden and you do not get enough time to get down to the silo, make sure to find some safe hide out and get in there until it is absolutely safe to come out.

4. The family member who are parted away must get to the decided meeting point and wait for the others to arrive there only.

5. The recovery becomes easier in case one has some hidden stock of cash at home or in some bank. This emergency fund would help you recover the losses and make you feel that yes, everything would get alright.

6. Prepare for some good sources of light like candles, match boxes, flash lights, emergency lights & batteries.

7. It is a must to keep in touch with the news in times of such natural crisis so you must always have a battery operated radio with fully loaded batteries.

8. In the absence of the parents at home, in case a tornado strikes, one of the family members must be designated to lead the way for the rest. This leader is responsible to keep everyone safe & secured until they get some rescue or the elders return home.

9. In cases of emergencies more tan fear what kills is the panic & unprepared-ness of the individuals. So, the family heads must hold some tornado drills regularly. In the drill, they should set a standard such as getting in to the silo in less than 5 minutes. This would bring in more prepared-ness among the family and hence, they would be able to face the real thing with rather more strength.

While the tips given above do help you to face a tornado, we must not forget that these are quite unexpected and that anything that come in their way directly can hardly be saved. Then getting injured or killed becomes quite obvious for the individual.

Getting in to the silo is probably one and the only savior for everyone. In case you manage to get in there, make sure to wait for the all-clear signal before getting out of the hide out.

Once, you come out, of course, try to ensure the safety of the others in the house.

Article By Abhishek Agarwal

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Civil War Emergency Preparation - Mastering Survival Techniques!

Peace is fast becoming a scarce commodity in all parts of the world. If the threat of war is not from over the boarders it is from within - civil war is what every country fears more than international aggression. The risk of having to face a civil war is an omnipresent risk and people need to need to be educated vis-à-vis what they need to do in times of civil unrest.

There are many countries such as Africa that are no longer affected by a civil war, in fact living in aggression has become a part of their lives, never the less they are well versed with ways of defending themselves and finding food and nutrition for their families. In Africa alone civil war has displaced as many as 5 million families many of them are living in evacuation camps set up by the army and social service organizations like the Red Cross.

Civil war is no different than a conventional war fought between two countries; the only difference is that the army is fighting people within the country. Nevertheless civil war can be a very devastating experience especially for women and children who in most cases are not equipped to fend for themselves. Apart from food, shelter and clothing problems civil war brings with it atrocities in the form of human rights violations - from military as well as civilian forces.

Every family living in a country that is threatened by civil war needs to put in place a contingency plan in case there is any unrest. These people should never live in the hope that their government will provide for them in times of unrest. Government, at most times, will heap atrocities on the people in times of civil war - remember that the government is fighting civilians in their own country. So, civilians are the enemy!

Preparations for civil war should include survival courses where they are trained in the art of self defense as well as the use of fire arms and other weapon training. While training in the use of fire arms adolescents must also be made aware of the dangers of handling a dangerous weapon, not just the adults.

Knowledge of first aid is very important in times of war and so every civilian must be well versed with the use of various first aid techniques. First aid kits must be prepared and kept ready to deal with open wounds as well as diseases such as diarrhea, malaria and other general contagious infectious diseases.

Families facing the threat of civil war need to prepare to be displaced in the hope of escaping violence. These people must prepare a displacement kit that would necessarily include all necessities such as covering, clothes and shoes. These times will mean living on the road for months without shelter. Your displacement kit will be of great help in these times. Include only the bare necessities in the kit to keep it light.

It is necessary to prepare for an emergency rather than hope it will not happen. So, if you are prepared you will have taken care of a few of your worries at least, and you will have improved your chances of surviving.

Article By Abhishek Agarwal

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An Emergency Response Plan Requires Preparation Plus Information

No one wants to experience an emergency but everyone should be prepared for one by creating an emergency response plan. Making sure you have the proper supplies and information needed to survive a serious event means routinely updating your supplies as well as your field guides.

While food and medical supplies seem to be rotated regularly, emergency guides tend to fall out of date a bit more often. Take a bit of time to check your field guide and make sure you have the latest version. The subjects addressed in the guide also make a profound difference, so take a look at the following notes and make sure you have a guide that addresses all aspects of an emergency.

A section of your guide should address home walk-throughs and checklists. Obvious things like turning off gas to the house as well as not so apparent details like filling the tub with water are important to keep in mind.

Critical first aid is a crucial part of your guide and should be reviewed regularly. Your emergency response plan will address what to do to stay safe and secure your location, but medical care for the injured is without a doubt the most important aspect of handling the immediate time after an event.

Something that is not often thought of is decontamination and exposure control procedures. Part of a disaster is the possible loss of security or containment of hazardous materials. Knowing how to decontaminate if exposed is important, as is limiting the chances of exposure to dangerous materials to begin with.

Disasters are usually classified as natural or terrorist based. Your emergency response plan should take both into account. Homeland Security as well as other agencies has developed natural disaster response information as well as citizen terrorism response details. Make sure your field guide includes both.

There are also a wide range of national resources to assist you after a disaster. Contact information for federal agencies should be a part of your guide, and updating your copy regularly will keep the information current. Try and get a guide that fits in your pocket and has easy to read tabs specifying the sections.

Keeping a current plan for emergencies can make a big difference in unexpected disasters. Make sure your food and supplies are fresh and keep your field guides current and you’ll be prepared.

Article By Jacques Habra

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Emergency Lanterns: What You Need To Know About Emergency Preparation

There are so many situations that can turn into an emergency it is impossible to describe each in detail but, the tools and supplies needed to be able to react appropriately to most emergencies can be collected in preparation for an emergency. It is critical to have access to an emergency lantern during an emergency as this can make the difference between life and death.

Many times an emergency creates a life and death situation making the situation a medical emergency. If there is not the availability of an emergency lantern or emergency light source, the medical situation will be significantly compromised. Having all the medical supplies in the world won’t make any difference if it is impossible to see what is going on to assess the situation. When darkness compromises the assessment of injuries the ability to apply emergency medical procedures is also compromised.

The same is true for search and rescue operations. It is almost impossible to conduct emergency rescue procedures in the dark. Many times dealing with the immediate aftermath of a natural disaster means looking for survivors at night or in the darkness caused by searching underground or through rubble piles. Being able to see what you are dealing with increases the degree of safety for the rescuers and victims.

Emergency action plans are an excellent way to plan for the unknown and to be prepared to respond efficiently as soon as possible. An emergency plan includes putting together lists of supplies and tools that will help in the event of a disaster. When the list is final, the items should be collected or purchased and stored in an accessible place. Appropriate emergency lighting should be on everyone’s emergency planning list. To be able to determine the suitability of emergency lanterns, decisions need to be made after learning about and comprehending the pros and cons of the variety of emergency lanterns on the market as there are many emergency lantern options to consider.

Emergency lanterns come in a variety of models and types including: 12 LED light battery, 20 LED lantern battery, Windup LED, lantern and radio combinations, lantern, radio and television combinations, kerosene lanterns, and solar powered lantern etc. Each of these types of emergency lanterns has individual strengths, benefits and limitations such as:

LED emergency lanterns are super bright and provide intense light for close-up work as well as useful for distributing light into the distance.

Battery powered emergency lanterns can be bought with rechargeable batteries.

Windup or crank emergency lanterns can be used when any source of power is unavailable.

Solar emergency lanterns can be powered up by the sun without the use of batteries. Most come with an adaptor for a car or home.

An emergency lantern can be used at times other than emergencies making them a more flexible resource to have around. If using an emergency light for something other than and emergency, ensure when you put it back after use that you have recharged batters, solar panels and/or replaced low batteries.

Article By Ben Anton

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