How To Prepare For a Natural Disaster

This article is reproduced with permission from OnMAS, the magazine for MAS members. For more articles like these visit www.on.mas.co.nz

Natural disasters are stressful and frightening events that can happen at any time. Here are some useful tips to help you out in times of an emergency.

Check your emergency kit.

Use the information provided on the Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management sponsored website, Get Ready, to help plan your emergency kit.

Make a plan.

Make a plan with your family/flatmates/friends to get through an emergency. Fill in the template provided on the Get Ready website, stick it on the fridge and make sure everyone knows the plan.

Create fun practice drills for the family.

Use different scenarios such as fire, flooding, earthquake, and tsunami so that everyone is familiar with what to do.

Talk to your neighbours.

It's nice to know that if you're away from home when a disaster strikes, someone is close by to grab your pets or turn off the mains.

Keep emergency numbers and important information handy.

Make sure to include the details of local relief centres and evacuation routes.

Where possible, secure large and heavy furniture.

These should be items such as bookcases, televisions, and art.

Keep a soft copy of all your important documents.

Have these handy on a secure server or mobile hard drive. Keep a hard copy with your emergency kit and save all your policy numbers in your phone for easy access.

What to do before a flood

Inside your home

• Make sure everything of importance to you is in a safe place and in a waterproof bag, for example, jewellery, documents, personal items, medicines and other valuables.

• Move what household items you can to higher places. Put furniture and rugs up onto beds and tables – place electrical items on top of furniture and cupboards. Be careful if you're putting things up in your roof space or on an upper level, as these areas may not be able to safely support the extra weight.

• Empty your fridge and freezer and leave the doors open to stop the appliances from floating.

• Turn off the electricity, gas, and water.

• If you have some, put sandbags in the toilet bowl and over all bathroom and laundry drain holes to stop sewage from flowing back inside.

Outside your home

• Roll out builder's plastic around the base of your home – leaving 40cm on the ground to put the sandbags on. Tape the remaining plastic to the outside walls to a height of 1.5m. Keep external downpipes on the outside of the plastic.

• Check and seal all ventilation holes, under-house access ways and points where water can get in.

• Open gates or fences to allow water to flow freely.

• Don't drive into water if you don't know how deep it is or how fast it's flowing.

• Move outdoor equipment, cardboard boxes, rubbish, chemicals, and poisons to somewhere up high.

What to do when a storm is coming

• Remove loose objects that might get broken or cause damage if blown around.

• Tie down, take inside, or fill with water large relatively light items like rubbish and recycling bins, to stop them being blown around.

• Shelter and secure your pets.

• Shelter vehicles or cover then with a tarpaulin or blankets.

• Fill your sinks and bath with fresh drinking water.

• Ensure you have a full tank of gas so that if you need (and are able) to, you can evacuate.

What to do after a storm

• Check your home for damage to windows, walls and roof.

• Make sure the electricity and gas are off before re- entering your home if returning to your property.

• Use only a torch until you're sure there's no gas around if you need to use a light.

• Throw out food that's been in contact with floodwater and boil water until supplies have been declared safe.

• Check your smoke detectors are still working.

• Don't use any electrical items. Have the electricity and gas appliances professionally tested as soon as possible.

What to do after an earthquake

• Photograph and list any perishable food items being disposed of.

• Photograph then wrap safely and store any broken contents items.

• Board up windows and doors immediately to prevent further damage.

• Take a photograph of the damage to document the current state of your home and property.

What to do after a natural disaster

• Wait for permission from emergency services to go back inside your house.

• Keep all power and electrical appliances off until they have been checked and approved for use, and the house is cleaned up.

• Boil tap water until supplies have been declared safe.

• Clean everything that was affected. It may be contaminated so ensure you wear gloves and a mask during the cleanup.

• Photograph and keep a record of all the damage caused. A photo gives a clear picture and will help when making your claim.