In face of extreme weather events, what we all can do

[eilen]

One thing we all can do to combat disaster fatigue in which there are so many disasters, people become numb to them until it actually happens to them and to be sure donating after every disaster may not be possible for everyone,( heck I can't afford it-- just trying to keep my bills paid and get my son to college)--- we can prepare ourselves. I'm not just talking about home preparedness like stocking canned food and water, bug out bags and keeping some plywood on hand to cover the windows (or building and installing functional shutters), keeping a first aid kit, a basic tool kit on hand and some gas....

How about some first aid training, some first responder training and volunteering? Some organizational skills-- a disaster plan for your block. Have a plan set up ahead of time --get some friends or family members together and discuss what to do if something like this happens and there is not cellphone service-- where to go for shelter. Storing food is a great idea in theory until a tornado destroys your house, smashing it to smithereens. I have to admit, the LDS has a good idea with every family having a pantry, then there is plenty to share.

I'm just saying that not only could our families be prepared for the worst, we can also be of service and aid to others. We can review our communities disaster plans and see what has possibly been left out or how we can enhance them. If all citizens took upon themselves some responsibility for getting things in hand, have a focus rather than being shellshocked victims, I think we could rise above the unexpected and maybe have or keep hearts open for those who have weathered personal disasters.

[opihimoimoi]

1. Peeps hate proactive preparations...much rather the reaction w band aids

[Donnachaidh]

2. at the very basic least, have emergency packs in your car and your home

SHOES and prescription glasses for everyone who needs them. And an emergency pack with tourniquets (can be an old scarf -- just something), bandaids, tylenol, antibiotic salves.

Got some old crappy sneakers you can't throw out but can't wear because they are so raggedy? Throw them in the trunk of your car.

You'd be surprised what you -can't- find in the middle of a shitstorm. We went through a quake, and somehow I went from our second floor apartment to our van - I don't remember a second of the running. Oh yeah, all this done on a freshly broken foot. Without the crutches - there was no time to grab them. AND a year old baby in my arms.

We keep a cooler by our fridge because my son requires expensive medication which we keep on hand. I also keep packs of prescription drugs we take regularly. The one thing I haven't done in awhile is pull together canned food to keep in the vehicles. But we keep at least one blanket in the car at all times. And extra leashes for the dog.

It may seem crazy to do - but after the quake it was not only us huddling in our van, but half our apartment building too. We got all the kids in there, with two teens from the building to watch them as we checked on the elderly tenants. We had water and juice for everyone - and having a safe spot for the kids made things go smoother than if they'd been standing on the street corner.

Be prepared. Yeah, it's not -cool-, but you will have some relief, and may even be able to help others in the process. THAT helps everyone get through the bad times after the storm.

[Horse with no Name]

17. When my kids were little and we had violent weather

I always took them to bed with me and had shoes at the ready.

If the weather was before bedtime, I made them keep their shoes on. It is amazing how many people in disasters are left shoeless.

[Bluenorthwest]

3. Helpful website for disater prepartion...

This is made for Earthquake and Tsunami specifically, but there is a great deal of information on the Shake Out site which applies to all regions and all potential disasters. From the State of CA http://www.shakeout.org/

[sufrommich]

4. What are bug out bags ? nt

[eilen]

5. Wiki to the rescue.

A bug-out bag<1><2> is a portable kit that contains the items one would require to survive for seventy-two hours<3><4> when evacuating from a disaster. It is also known as a 72-hour kit,<5> a grab bag,<6> a battle box, and other popular names include GO Bag and GOOD (Get Out Of Dodge)<7> bag. The focus is on evacuation, rather than long-term survival, distinguishing the bug-out bag from a survival kit, a boating or aviation emergency kit, or a fixed-site disaster supplies kit. The kits are also popular in the survivalism subculture.<8>
The term "bug-out bag" is related to, and possibly derived from, the "bail-out bag" emergency kit many military aviators carry. The concept passed into wide usage among other military and law enforcement personnel, though the "bail-out bag" is as likely to include emergency gear for going into an emergency situation as for escaping an emergency.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bug-out_bag

[Distant Observer]

6. Move away from tornado alleys

[Lars39]

7. *Not* an option for most of us.

Families and jobs tie most of to a particular town or city. Tornadoes can happen virtually anywhere, also.

[Distant Observer]

8. Then new buiding and development codes -- In SF area new codes after last big earthquake

In many countries all buildings are construded of solid material (cement and steel) which is tornado and hurricane survivable, rather than wood-frame structures that are easily swept away by hurricane or tornado.

[Lars39]

10. Good in theory, but hard to get implemented in states with lumber lobbyists,

and republican majorities. :(

[Distant Observer]

14. You touch a MAJOR ISSUE FOR GREEN BUILDING. The lumber lobby has blocked innovation in building

that could have resulted on tornado-survivable building as a standard throughout the nation for decades.

Well established alternative, stronger and more energy efficient building material have been in use in other parts of the world for the last century but the US lumber and construction lobby have resisted any change
that could threaten their profits.

[bobbolink]

16. We have so much to be thankful for to our loyal lobbyists and corporatists, don't we?

Business before people.

[kentauros]

11. So let's say we could somehow mandate that all new,

and presumably old, construction be only of concrete and steel. Now we have the problem of where are we going to get all the limestone necessary for that cement. Are you willing to see large swaths of this country strip-mined just to provide for some safety from extreme weather? Not to mention the amount of natural gas required to make that cement, and then all the diesel required to move the limestone and cement trucks. And then there's the damage to aquifers by such heavy mining of the limestone. You're not thinking it through deep enough.

There are ways of building out of wood that are indeed hurricane and even tornado-survivable, but those methods are more expensive and you won't see either developers nor buyers willing to pay for the off-chance they are hit by an extreme and/or unsurvivable storm.

[Distant Observer]

19. There is a large body of research on new development designs and new types of materials

that in total are much more environmentally friendly that the stick-frame and sheet-rock model.

Northern Europe is almost all converted away from stick-frame because of both the shortage of lumber and
total-life-cycle energy efficiency concerns. Wood is great in buildings but used as the basic frame is neither sustainable or secure.

BTW: I do have expertize in this specific area, but this is not the place to make a big deal of it.
Here is a link to a Green Building Contractors site that will illustrate use of the type of high-strength light-weight thermally insulating manufactured concrete blocks and panels that are now common in construction in Europe Russia, China and the Arab Gulf region.

http://www.aacgreenbuilders.com/

The base material, AAC(Autoclave Aerated Concrete)can be produced in a way that is much more environmentally friendly lumber production. The issue is that it is produce by different people in different locations - that what drives the existing industry lobbies to block change -- someone else will get the money. This has cost many lives from hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, but that is not their, or congresses (it seems), concern.

[kentauros]

20. Well, I mentioned the use of wood in alternate designs

because it's the way our industries are set up. Personally, I'd rather we went with compressed hemp fibers, but we'll have to convince the DEA that hemp is safe, first.

I am aware of how Europe is way ahead of us. We have to change our codes and ways of thinking before we can even contemplate moving to these alternatives. That will require better people in office that think like we do. In the meantime, we have to make do with what's available now, and there's still plenty within the confines of outdated codes and thinking (such as earthships and timber-frame construction.)

[RebelOne]

12. Just about every state is a tornado alley now. n/t

[uppityperson]

15. Move away from oceans, rivers, earthquake areas, places that burn, flood, freeze, blizzard...

And where should all those people go? Oh, don't forget landslides, sink holes, of course petrochemical and other such storage areas, highways, airports, etc etc etc.

[KamaAina]

22. One of the deadliest tornadoes in history struck Worcester, Mass. in 1953

killing 94. Are we then to abandon everything between Worcester, Tuscaloosa and Joplin??

[AndiMer]

9. Pray like Rick Perry

:sarcasm:

[bobbolink]

13. Have my car all stocked up. Plywood on the car roof. Hope the cops don't mind.

:eyes:

[uppityperson]

18. My community has a good disaster thing going, neighborhood groups, storage of nec food/water

I have a disaster kit in my house and shop as well as in my car including a pair of old pants, boots, jacket. Food and water in the trunk of my car for several days.

Our neighborhood group thing is encouraged by the local disaster group. Get someone in each area to meet everyone else there, find out who is there, what they need, where to meet, etc. I'm not sure how well it is going in places but is a really good idea. Find out who is in the area, meet everyone. As far as personally, have a contact outside the area to contact.

Ham radio people are organizing more again since they have a tendency to have the ability to communicate with other hammers after a disaster.

So, kick and rec

[PotatoChip]

21. Some very good points

K & R