Disaster can strike quickly and without warning. It can force you to evacuate your neighborhood or confine you to your home. What would you do if basic services, such as water, gas, electricity, or telephones were cut off? Local officials and relief workers will be on the scene after a disaster, but they cannot reach everyone right away.

Families can and do cope with disaster by preparing in advance and working together as a team. Knowing what to do is your best protection and your responsibility.



Meet with your family and discuss why you need to prepare for disaster.

Explain the dangers of fire, severe weather, and earthquakes to children. Plan to share responsibilities and work together as a team. Keep it simple enough so people can remember the important details. A disaster is an extremely stressful situation that can create confusion. The best emergency plans are those with very few details.

Discuss the types of disasters that are most likely to happen. Explain what to do in each case.

Everyone should know what to do in case all family members are not together. Discussing disasters ahead of time will help reduce fear and anxiety and will help everyone know how to respond.

Pick two places to meet:

• Right outside of your home in case of a sudden emergency.
  


• Outside of your neighborhood in case you can’t return home or are asked to leave your neighborhood. Everyone must know the address and phone number of the meeting locations.

Develop an emergency communication plan.

In case family members are separated from one another during floods or other disasters, have a plan for getting back together. Separation is a real possibility during the day when adults are at work and children are at school.

Ask an out-of-town relative or friend to be your "family contact”.

Your contact should live outside of your area. After a disaster, it is often easier to make a long distance call than a local call. Family members should call the contact and tell him or her where they are. Everyone must know the contact’s name, address, and phone number.

Discuss what to do if authorities ask you to evacuate.

Make arrangements for a place to stay with a friend or relative who lives out of town and/or learn about shelter locations.

Be familiar with escape routes.

Depending on the type of disaster, it may be necessary to evacuate your home. Plan several escape routes in case certain roads are blocked or closed. Remember to follow the advice of local officials during evacuation situations. They will direct you to the safest route; some roads may be blocked or put you in further danger.

Plan how to take care of your pets.

Pets (other than service animals) are not permitted to be in places where food is served, according to many local health department regulations. Plan where you would take your pets if you had to go to a public shelter where they are not permitted.



The following items might be needed at home or for an evacuation. Keeping them in an easy-to-carry backpack or duffel bag near your door would be best in case you need to evacuate quickly, such as in a tsunami, flash flood, or major chemical emergency. Store your kit in a convenient place known to all family members. Kit basics are:

• A portable, battery-powered radio or television and extra batteries.


• Flashlight and extra batteries.


• First aid kit and first aid manual.


• Supply of prescription medications.


• Credit card and cash.


• Personal identification.


• An extra set of car keys.


• Matches in a waterproof container.


• Signal flare.


• Map of the area and phone numbers of places you could go.


• Special needs, for example, diapers or formula, prescription medicines and copies of prescriptions, hearing aid batteries, spare wheelchair battery, spare eyeglasses, or other physical needs.

If you have additional space, consider adding some of the items from your Evacuation Supplies Kit.



Place in an easy-to-carry container the supplies you would most likely need if you were to be away from home for several days. Label the container clearly. Remember to include:

• Two to Three gallons of water per person.


• Three-day supply of nonperishable food.


• Kitchen accessories: manual can opener; mess kits or paper cups, plates, and plastic/disposable utensils; utility knife; a can of cooking fuel if food must be cooked; household liquid bleach to treat drinking water; sugar, salt, pepper; aluminum foil; plastic resealable bags.


• One complete change of clothing and footwear for each family member, sturdy shoes or workboots, raingear, hat and gloves, thermal underwear, sunglasses.


• Blankets or sleeping bag for each family member.


• Tools and other accessories: paper, pencil; needles and thread; pliers, shut-off wrench, shovels, and other useful tools; tape; medicine dropper; whistle; plastic sheeting; small canister, emergency preparedness manual; tube tent; compass.


• Sanitation and hygiene items: toilet paper, towelettes; soap, hand sanitizer, liquid detergent; feminine supplies; personal items such as shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, comb and brush, lip balm; plastic garbage bags (heavy-duty) and ties (for personal sanitation uses); medium-sized plastic bucket with tight lid; disinfectant; household chlorine bleach; small shovel for digging an expedient latrine.


• Entertainment, such as games and books.

Welcome back Highlander!

This is good for folks to think about considering we are in the middle of typhoon season and have been hit recently by bad ones like Cosme, Emong, Pepeng, (Ramil is on his way).

Even if they can't get all you listed above, they should at least start with the basics they have and add on as they can.

I wonder what the municipality and barangays are doing for their disaster preparedness?

Thanks Jerry for your comment.

Being in the world of Risk Engineering, it is our duty to identify the potential hazards that may occur to a certain property or businesses. This also involves the prevention of and protection from events that could endanger the safety of the general public from significant danger, injury/harm, or damage, such as crimes or disasters (natural or man-made).

Hope this plan will help our fellow Mabinians!


Best Regards.