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County Finds Weaknesses in Disaster Preparedness Drills

Counties and cities must practice their emergency preparedness plans, just like individuals and families. The outcome of doing drills can be startling when exposing weaknesses, but it’s better to spot those ahead of time and make corrections where needed. County leaders in Atascadero, California benefited from a recent drill, where residents tested out their emergency plans. The Tribune reports:

A simulated catastrophic storm, based on a 1969 flood that caused significant damage in Atascadero, was used to test the skills of more than 60 local emergency responders and community stakeholders.

Participants used the city’s emergency plan to test its strength in the event of widespread flooding, breach of the city’s wastewater treatment plan, collapse of local buildings and citywide power failure.

“We noticed some weaknesses in our current plan but that is what we wanted to gain from this training — we wanted to find the flaws,” Stone said. “The training validated that we do well at what we do every day — it is the things that you don’t have to rely on very often that need refreshed.”

What are things that you don’t do often that needs refreshed when it comes to your emergency plans? When was the last time you walked to the location you plan to evacuate to? If the roads are blocked or driving is not an option, you’ll need to get there by walking. This is just one example of the many things you have to practice to see how to improve your existing plans.

Source:
http://www.waterworld.com/index/display/news_display/138834317.html

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Nuclear Attack Preparedness

A nuclear attack on the United States seems unlikely to some. However, the likelihood of a nuclear attack is a major concern to federal and state government officials, and everyone should prepare. In California, plans are underway to prepare for a nuclear event. The Los Angeles Daily News reports on the “Golden Phoenix,” an exercise scheduled for 2010 that simulates the scenario of a 10-kiloton nuclear device detonated in Los Angeles:

“These aren’t comfortable things to talk about, but it all begins with preparations,” said Angelo Bellomo, the county director of environmental health who oversees the Radiation Management unit.

“We think this is a great opportunity for us to open a dialogue with the 88 cities so they can begin to amend their emergency plans to include planning for a nuclear device.”

Some of the emergency plans involve locating old bomb shelters in government facilities and other buildings for residents to flee to. However, some are concerned that the shelters are not enough:

“I don’t mean to minimize the efforts of Los Angeles County in creating fallout shelters,” [Sharon] Packer, [executive director of the American Civil Defense Association] said. “It is very important and a wonderful first step. The larger concern, in my estimation, is in the protection of our electrical grid and the storage of additional transformers to assure the continuance of our infrastructure.”

Preparing for a nuclear attack must be a part of your emergency plans. Read our articles on nuclear attack preparedness to learn specifics on what to do.

Source:
http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_13991762

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Rain Emergency Preparedness

You may not think that you need to prepare for rain emergencies, but excessive rain can cause major problems, depending on where you live. In California, individuals were so worried about the effects of heavy rainfall that they evacuated. The Associated Press reports:

Heavy rain tapered off, skies cleared and residents of the Los Angeles area foothills started returning home Sunday, a day after they fled because of fears that heavy rains would cause mudslides.

Public works and fire department officials drove through the wildfire-scarred neighborhoods early Sunday and determined that it was safe for the residents of the 44 evacuated homes in the La Crescenta, La Canada-Flintridge and Big Tujunga Canyon areas to return, said Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Lillian Peck.

“We’ve been planning for these winter storms since summer, since before the wildfires, coordinating with other agencies,” said Humphrey. “We’re confident that our preparedness really paid off.”

Do you have what you need on hand if you had to evacuate your home because of heavy rain? Something as simple as an emergency poncho, which is included in car and home emergency kits, will keep you somewhat dry and put you one step ahead of most people.

Source:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j-L-8iCEtNjlu8J1N6XKd3NR6ZIgD9CIKHFG0

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High School Student on Emergency Preparedness

The Laguna Beach Independent in California reports that Brad Itnyre, a local high school junior, wrote emergency preparedness guidelines to help families prepare for disasters if they must live away from their home for three to five days. The guidelines begin with a recommendation to have an emergency survival kit with vital supplies. Next, Itnyre recommends the following:

For those who prepare ahead of time, surviving outside of their home can be easy. If there is access to a car, it can provide good shelter, the engine and heater can be run periodically in areas with a cold climate. Dangerous areas, such as damaged or destroyed buildings and places filled with hazardous items, should be avoided.

Before sleeping, make sure the shelter is not in an area where something could harm its occupants. If possible, stay in one place and do not move around, since you will be easier to find you stay in one place.

These are great tips and advice. It’s important that all children that age and even younger are well versed on what to do when disaster strikes. Don’t just buy and store your children’s survival kit. Pull it out and train them on what’s in it, how to use it, and go into great detail on plans to survive during an emergency.

Source:
http://www.lagunabeachindependent.com/news/2009-12-11/School_(and)_Sports/Students_Guide_Prepares_Residents_for_the_Next_Dis.html

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California on Tsunami Preparedness

Tsunamis happen more often in California than you might think. The damages also cost the State a pretty penny. In response to this, California is getting proactive about warning residents to be prepared for tsunamis. Humboldt State University has produced a pamphlet on emergency preparedness and Tsunamis.

“I can’t think of any other natural disaster where awareness and knowledge is as important as with tsunamis,” said Lori Dengler, chairwoman of Humboldt State’s geology department. “Knowing to drop, cover and hold on during a quake, that is a good thing to do, but how we build our structures is more important in protecting lives.”

For a tsunami, knowing enough to flee beaches and low-lying areas for high ground in the event of an earthquake or a drop in sea level will save your life, said Troy Nicolini, the warning coordinator for the National Weather Service in Eureka.

The need to act quickly in a Tsunami is crucial. You won’t have the luxury of time to gather what you need to evacuate. Therefore, plan ahead of time where to evacuate to and have a pre-made car kit ready to go. You can also use your home kit to bunker down after an earthquake.

Source:

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091206/ARTICLES/912069979?Title=California-emergency-preparedness-includes-Tsunami-with-quake-threat