1. More on heat and staying warm. I mentioned sealing off areas if your house was habitable (structurally sound, dry, no gas leaks or other immediate dangers, etc.). Today’s tip is to make a smaller area within a room that’s easier to keep warm. If you have a camping tent, set it up in a room. Or, like kids love to do, take your dry furniture cushions and other items from around the house and build a “fort!” Smaller areas are easier to control temperature wise, but remember: no heating with open flame or charcoal, and make sure any small enclosure is NOT air tight. Don’t want to suffocate.
2. Security. Yesterday I mentioned safety in numbers and also of making sure you’re getting a good contractor. In the meantime, you still need to coordinate with neighbors and send up an alert when suspicious people come into the neighborhood. Among this list is people in some sort of uniform who claim to be utility company employees, private sector security, or some other official-looking person who wants access to the inside of your house or access to personal information. Don’t allow anything until that person provides proper identification or provides other indicators that they really are who they say they are. Regardless of ID, it’s best if you have a few friends with you if you decided to give any access or information to such a person. In an emergency the buddy system rules! Safety in numbers.
3. More on signaling. In the first list I mentioned some rudimentary signaling. Another tip to add to that list is your car’s alarm. Again, your car doesn’t have to be drivable to still be useful. If the battery still works in your car, the panic button on your car alarm can be used as your personal panic button if you need help from friends and neighbors. Discuss this with those around you so they’ll know to do the same and also to come running if they hear yours. Also cover other noises or light signaling that will help neighbor alert neighbor. Anyone have any walkie-talkies? (Ask the kids) You can even use a baby monitor for one-way communication. How about air horns – the type you see at sporting events. Sports whistles? How about a heavy metal spoon banging against a pot? Again, if you want to learn about all the potential noise makers around the house, ask the kids. Communication is only limited by the imagination.
4. Continue your vigilance of displace animals. Though reptiles top this list after a water disaster, rats will probably be your most common issue. Also keep an eye out for pets separated from their owners and help round them up for protection. As for the rats, if they get to be a problem, find the teenage boys in the area. One or more of them are sure to have a BB gun or really good slingshot and would love to be “hero of the day” that protects the area from vermin. However, remind them not to walk around with their BB gun if Police are in the area. Don’t want to be mistaken for a looter.
5. Mold protection. During the day if the temperature is good and winds blowing, open doors and windows to allow damaged homes to dry. The dryer the better since that will stall the spread of mold. FEMA has a decent mold info brochure at: http://www.fema.gov/pdf/rebuild/recover/fema_mold_brochure_english.pdf
6. Mutual supply. Barter will be king for a while. Don’t ask anyone (just yet) to give up physical possession of the actual item, but try putting together a group list of assets that folks would be willing to give away or swap along with a list of some of their needs. Think items like toilet paper, aluminum foil, feminine hygiene products, etc. (Food and water is hopefully more available and a little more readily shared and won’t need to be bartered.) Then do some swapping once some sources and needs are matched up and folks agree to the swaps. You might want to set up a bulletin board for posting swaps, but wait to do this until you’re sure that looting or security in general will not be issues.
These tip brought to you by Paul Purcell (author of Disaster Prep 101 and Adviser to 1800prepare.com)
Paul Purcell
InfoQuest