Earth Quakes

Earth Quakes

Evacuation Plans

If an earthquake occurs, you may need to evacuate a damaged area afterward. By planning and practicing for evacuation, you will be better prepared to respond appropriately and efficiently to signs of danger or to directions by civil authorities.

• Take a few minutes with your family to discuss a home evacuation plan. Sketch a floor plan of your home; walk through each room and discuss evacuation details.
• Plan a second way to exit from each room or area, if possible. If you need special equipment, such as a rope ladder, mark where it is located.
• Mark where your emergency food, water, first aid kits, and fire extinguishers are located.
• Mark where the utility switches or valves are located so that they can be turned off, if possible.
• Indicate the location of your family's emergency outdoor meeting place.

Establish Priorities

Take time before an earthquake strikes to write an emergency priority list, including:

• important items to be hand-carried by you
• other items, in order of importance to you and your family
• items to be removed by car or truck if one is available
•  things to do if time permits, such as locking doors and windows, turning off the utilities, et

Other Precautions

·         Have chimneys inspected for cracks and damage. Do not use the fireplace if the chimney has any damage.

·         Check to see if sewage lines are intact before using bathrooms or plumbing.

·         Do not touch downed powerlines or objects in contact with downed lines. Report electrical hazards to the authorities.

·         Immediately clean up spilled medicines, drugs, flammable liquids, and other potentially hazardous materials.

·         Stay off all telephones except to report an emergency. Replace telephone receivers that may have been knocked off by the earthquake.

·         Stay away from damaged areas. Your presence could hamper relief efforts, and you could endanger yourself.

·         Cooperate fully with public safety officials. Respond to requests for volunteer assistance from police, fire fighters, emergency management officials, and relief organizations, but do not go into damaged areas unless assistance has been requested.

                                    Valcanos

• Stay away from ashfall areas, if possible. Avoid contact with ash as much as you can. Keep your skin covered to avoid irritation from contact with ash.
• Wear goggles to protect your eyes from ash.
• Do not travel unless you have to. Driving in ash is hazardous to your health and your car. Driving will stir up more ash that can clog engines and stall vehicles.
• Replace disposable furnace filters or clean permanent furnace filters frequently.
• If your drinking water has ash in it, use another source of drinking water, such as purchased bottled water, until your water can be tested.
• Clear roofs of ash. Ash is very heavy and can cause buildings to collapse. Be very cautious when working on a roof. Ash can be slippery and make it easy to fall. Information about injuries and mass trauma events can be found in Injuries and Mass Trauma Events: Information for the Public.

Volcanic eruptions may result in floods, landslides and mudslides, power outages, and wildfires. For information on protecting yourself against these hazards, visit the following:

Major health threats from a        volcanic eruption

Volcanoes spew hot, dangerous gases, ash, lava, and rock that are powerfully destructive. People have died from volcanic blasts. The most common cause of death from a volcano is suffocation. Volcanic eruptions can result in additional threats to health, such as floods, mudslides, power outages, drinking water contamination, and wildfires. Health concerns after a volcanic eruption include infectious disease, respiratory illness, burns, injuries from falls, and vehicle accidents related to the slippery, hazy conditions caused by ash. When warnings are heeded, the chances of adverse health effects from a volcanic eruption are very low.

Volcanic ash

Exposure to ash can be harmful. Infants, elderly people, and people with respiratory conditions such as asthma, emphysema, and other chronic lung diseases may have problems if they breathe in volcanic ash. Ash is gritty, abrasive, sometimes corrosive, and always unpleasant. Small ash particles can abrade (scratch) the front of the eye. Ash particles may contain crystalline silica, a material that causes a respiratory disease called silicosis.

Gases

Most gases from a volcano quickly blow away. However, heavy gases such as carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide can collect in low-lying areas. The most common volcanic gas is water vapor, followed by carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide. Sulfur dioxide can cause breathing problems in both healthy people and people with asthma and other respiratory problems. Other volcanic gases include hydrogen chloride, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen fluoride. Amounts of these gases vary widely from one volcanic eruption to the next.
Although gases usually blow away rapidly, it is possible that people who are close to the volcano or who are in the low-lying areas downwind may be exposed to levels that may affect health. At low levels, gases can irritate the eyes, nose, and throat. At higher levels, gases can cause rapid breathing, headache, dizziness, swelling and spasm of the throat, and suffocation.

                        `FLOODS

After a Flood

Precautions When Returning to Your Home

Electrical power and natural gas or propane tanks should be shut off to avoid fire, electrocution, or explosions. Try to return to your home during the daytime so that you do not have to use any lights. Use battery-powered flashlights and lanterns, rather than candles, gas lanterns, or torches. If you smell gas or suspect a leak, turn off the main gas valve, open all windows, and leave the house immediately. Notify the gas company or the police or fire departments or State Fire Marshal's office, and do not turn on the lights or do anything that could cause a spark. Do not return to the house until you are told it is safe to do so.

• Avoid any downed power lines, particularly those in water. Avoid wading in standing water, which also may contain glass or metal fragments. ere Weather

Important Measures To Take DURING TORNADOS

• Take a few minutes with your family to develop a tornado emergency plan. Sketch a floor plan of where you live, or walk through each room and discuss where and how to seek shelter.

• Show a second way to exit from each room or area. If you need special equipment, such as a rope ladder, mark where it is located.

• Make sure everyone understands the siren warning system, if there's such a system in your area.

• Mark where your first-aid kit and fire extinguishers are located.

• Mark where the utility switches or valves are located so they can be turned off--if time permits--in an emergency.

• Teach your family how to administer basic first aid, how to use a fire extinguisher, and how and when to turn off water, gas, and electricity in your home.

• Learn the emergency dismissal policy for your child's school.

• Make sure your children know--

Local Warning System

Learn about the tornado warning system of your county or locality. Most tornado-prone areas have a siren system. Know how to distinguish between the siren's warnings for a tornado watch and a tornado warning.
A tornado watch is issued when weather conditions favor the formation of tornadoes, for example, during a severe thunderstorm.
During a tornado watch,

• Stay tuned to local radio and TV stations or a National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radio for further weather information.

• Watch the weather and be prepared to take shelter immediately if conditions worsen.

A tornado warning is issued when a tornado funnel is sighted or indicated by weather radar.

Sighting a Funnel Cloud

If you see a funnel cloud nearby, take shelter immediately (see the following section for instructions on shelter). However, if you spot a tornado that is far away, help alert others to the hazard by reporting it to the newsroom of a local radio or TV station before taking shelter as described later. Use common sense and exercise caution: if you believe that you might be in danger, seek shelter immediately.

Taking Shelter

Your family could be anywhere when a tornado strikes--at home, at work, at school, or in the car. Discuss with your family where the best tornado shelters are and how family members can protect themselves from flying and falling debris.
The key to surviving a tornado and reducing the risk of injury lies in planning, preparing, and practicing what you and your family will do if a tornado strikes. Flying debris causes most deaths and injuries during a tornado. Although there is no completely safe place during a tornado, some locations are much safer than others.

On the Road

The least desirable place to be during a tornado is in a motor vehicle. Cars, buses, and trucks are easily tossed by tornado winds.
DO NOT TRY TO OUTRUN A TORNADO IN YOUR CAR. If you see a tornado, stop your vehicle and get out. Do not get under your vehicle. Follow the directions for seeking shelter outdoors (see next section).

Outdoors

If you are caught outside during a tornado and there is no adequate shelter immediately available--

• Avoid areas with many trees.
• Avoid vehicles.
• Lie down flat in a gully, ditch, or low spot on the ground.
• Protect your head with an object or with your arms.