For now, here’s a quick “ten” list. I want to get this out to you now so you can share with your neighbors.
1. Protection from the elements. Late-season hurricanes in the northeast mean folks are without power, and sometimes without windows, roofs, walls, doors, or insulation. If your house is habitable, keep what doors and windows you have closed, and seal seams with plastic sheets (think shower curtains) and any kind of tape you have. Simply cutting down on wind works wonders with keeping warm.
2. Water. Do NOT try to purify flood waters or any standing water in your area regardless of the claims made on any filter you may have. Flood water is some nasty stuff. Use a clean plastic sheet to catch some rain water if any rain is predicted. Also if a home’s hot water tank was above surge or flood levels, the water in it may be safe to drink. This also holds true for toilet tanks in upstairs bathrooms provided there is no “bowl cleaner” product used.
3. Heat. At night, stay in groups if possible both for warmth and security (a little looting in some areas already). DO NOT HEAT WITH CHARCOAL INDOORS! Charcoal is a big carbon monoxide producer and is dangerous indoors. If safe to do so, use wood from your damaged home to build a small fire outside and a safe distance from flammable material (after listening and smelling for gas leaks). Use this small fire for cooking, heating as you’re gathered around it, and for heating water for hot water bottles to stay warm at night. Do not heat an indoor area with steam. Steam will moisten everything and everyone making things that much colder when the heat wears off.
4. Use your vehicles. Many cars are damaged, but even so, if it can be cranked, it can be used. Use the electric adapter to recharge your electronics. You can warm food by wrapping it in aluminum foil and placing it directly on the engine to warm (and you can warm your hot water bottles this way too), you can siphon fuel for generators, and provided the car’s exhaust is not damaged, you can stay inside it for a bit to take advantage of the heater. However, don’t sleep in a running car due to carbon monoxide. Hint: If you have a carbon monoxide detector in your house, take it out to the car when someone is inside with the engine running to make sure there are no carbon monoxide leaks in the car. Also, if you have a “power inverter” your car becomes a small electric generator for small household appliances. Many people overlook this as a source of power so if any automotive or hardware stores are open at all, they may have a few. Headlights can be used to illuminate small areas at night (and you can detach a headlight and use jumper cables to make the headlight a semi-mobile spotlight). Last but not least if you need to signal for help you can burn a tire. Heavy smoke can be seen from a long way off.
5. Food. Food in short-term survival is actually over-rated, especially in situations such as this where manual labor is not very intensive. However, food is king of morale, so look for comfort foods. One overlooked source is vending machines in corporate break rooms. Though they may not function without power, they can be gotten into. Be nice and leave a note along with a list of anything you borrow. If anyone in your area is a “survivalist” they’ll probably be wanting to cook and eat displaced wildlife. Don’t let them do this. Aquatic animals will be contaminated by all the nasties found in flood waters, and with as many diseases as there are running rampant in the wildlife that borders civilized areas, you really have to know what you’re doing to prep and cook an animal to ensure food safety.
6. Security. Speaking of animals, you may run into issues with the two-legged variety as well as the four-legged variety. Some looting has been reported, but not nearly as much as was found after Katrina. So far. One thing to do is sleep in shifts. Let someone stay awake in rotating watches that can alert the others if looters or displaced wildlife wander uninvited into your area. And if anyone has to go anywhere, always use the buddy system; even if you’re just touring to see the damage up and down your street. There are too many hidden dangers to list, so “if you go out, don’t go without.”
7. Communication. You’re obviously getting emails so that’s good. Tell others to also remember text and multimedia communication. Multimedia (sending pictures) can work sometimes when text can’t because of some different communications protocols some systems use. You can also use simple visual signaling if you need to signal for help or just to alert newcomers to any lingering dangers. Colored towels make good flags, torches at night can be waved, tires can be burned for smoke or light, paper lanterns illuminated with a “tea candle” can be floated like a small hot-air balloon at night, the shiny side of a CD can be a signal mirror as can the flat surface of an iPhone.
8. Documentation. Half of “surviving” a sizable disaster is setting yourself up to rebuild. Use your phone’s camera and video to document property loss and area damage. Insurance companies (after a regional catastrophe like this) will be more concerned with their bottom line than yours so work now to get all the info you can to help process your claims. In a related notion, your phone’s camera is your last-minute Child ID kit. Take pictures of all family members now (including pets) so you have current images of each. And, for children too young to talk or remember phone numbers or things like that, take a Sharpie and write the parent’s name and info on their arms and chest.
9. If you can find a dry supply, kitty litter is the best substance for expedient toilets. Forget trying to use bleach. Check with neighbors or see if any stores are open (kitty litter will generally be low on a looter’s or shopper’s list). Take an empty plastic bucket, line it with a double layer of plastic trash bag, sprinkle in about an inch of litter, and then after you make your own “deposit” sprinkle on just enough litter to cover. Then place some sort of lid on it to keep it covered until next use. One bucket for each person and the rest you can figure out on your own.
10. Mutually shared perspective. The most important consideration of all in a post-disaster environment is actually morale. It’ll be up to the true leaders in any given group to keep spirits up and keep everyone focused on the goal of rebuilding rather than dwelling on the loss of what was. A few keys: Stay fed and hydrated and take regular work breaks; take vitamins if you have them; tell jokes and help keep a smile on your buddy’s face; look at “devastation” as a clean slate and opportunity to build something you’ll enjoy even more; hop off your diet for a little while if you have some of your favorite “comfort foods” available; remember that many of our grandparents lived every day without running water or electricity; and remember that the worst is behind you
These tips brought to you by Paul Purcell (author of Disaster Prep 101 and Adviser to 1800prepare.com)
Paul Purcell
www.disasterprep101.com
