The Complete Idiot's Guide to 2012 - Dr. Synthia Andrews Nd [127]
National and Local Disasters
Consider different regional scenarios. Your electricity is cut off; your home damaged or destroyed; your water and sewage system disrupted; food stores and medical supplies depleted; and transportation impossible. Maybe someone is hurt and needs medical care. Now you have major challenges.
As awful as this scenario is, it’s nothing compared to a national disaster. Consider if satellite technology is disabled, the national power grid down, and transportation countrywide disrupted. The help you would find in the first scenario doesn’t exist in the second. You will need to find and give support in community and neighborhood connections.
Planning for the worst possible disaster is not really possible unless you’re a government official whose job it is to think and plan for such contingencies. So let’s break it down and apply common sense to what you can and can’t do for yourself.
Know Your Local Services and Procedures
Staying informed as events unfold is a must for you and your family. You need to know not only what’s going on but also where to find help. Do you have a family plan in the event of disaster? Do members of your family know who or where to call for help?
Check out your local government emergency plans. You can find this information from your local Department of Civil Emergency Planning. Take notes of all the local emergency telephone numbers. Keep a copy of this list near the phone and in your wallet or purse. Make sure every member of the family has a copy. Find out where all the nearby police stations are. Do the same for ambulance, doctors, hospitals, and emergency evacuation centers. Don’t just look up the address; drive by and make note of alternative routes as well. Don’t leave this important information until the last moment; getting lost can be the difference between life and death.
In the case of evacuation, where should you go? How will you get there? This is something everyone in your family needs to know. It’s the role of government to provide a civil emergency plan, to practice its effectiveness and make it available to the public. It’s your job to know what the plan is and what you should do.
Federal Resources
It’s fair to say that some towns and states are better than others at civil and emergency planning. As we all saw during Hurricane Katrina, local disaster response in New Orleans and along the Gulf Coast didn’t work. In addition, federal agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Guard failed. In the end, one result of the Katrina fiasco was the federal government telling the public that people need to be prepared to take care of themselves and their pets in an emergency. While this is always good advice, it’s not what you expect to hear from the people in charge!
U.S. Resources
If you live in the United States, there are municipal and federal agencies to help with preparedness planning. Some places to look are your local and state Public Safety or Emergency Planning Department. At a federal level, check the Department of Homeland Security, The Municipal Research & Services Center of Washington, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the American Red Cross. For up-to-date weather warnings, check the website for N.O.A.A. See the “Preparedness” section in the Resources appendix for these websites and more.
It’s a good idea for all U.S. residents to download a copy of the FEMA publication “Are You Ready? An In-depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness (IS-22).” This is FEMA’s most comprehensive source on individual, family, and community