Lesson 62: Staying Safe During Severe Weather and Natural Disasters

Lesson 62: Staying Safe During Severe Weather and Natural Disasters Max Dreo Eric Kolker Joseph Lattin

What is a Natural Disaster? • Any event caused by nature that results in damage or loss

Make a plan with your family about what to do in an emergency Include 2 meeting spots and an escape plan Learn important emergency contact numbers Teach the whole family to turn off water, gas, and electricity Create an emergency kit Emergency Plan

Emergency Kit • Should always contain objects like flashlight, batteries, radio, first aid kit, waterproof bags, and rubber gloves at all times, even when there is no weather warning • Listen to the radio and evacuate if you are told to do so

Work in pairs to provide a list of 15 items you think should be in an emergency kit What Objects do you think should be in an emergency kit???

Candles and waterproof matches, plenty of water (a gallon per person per day), nonperishable food, manual can opener, cash and credit cards, special requirements for babies or disabled people, blankets, sleeping bags, a shovel, boots and jackets What we think should be included

Hurricane • A tropical storm with rain and winds exceeding 73 miles per hour

Board up windows Tie down loose objects Turn refrigerator and freezer to coldest setting and avoid opening them too much Stay indoors and away from windows Avoid open flames such as candles Seek shelter indoors if you are outside Evacuate insecure buildings such as trailers Hurricane Precautions

Earthquakes • A very violent shaking of the Earth’s surface caused by the shifting of plates in the crust of the Earth

Earthquake Demo • Watch “Mother Nature” destroy a house

Stay inside Stay calm Take cover underneath sturdy or heavy furniture or against an inside wall and hold on tightly Be prepared for aftershocks What to do if you are indoors

Move into the open Stay away from buildings, street lights, utility wires, and trees If you are on a bridge get off as soon as possible Be prepared for aftershocks but don’t panic What to do if you are outdoors

Get in positions you think you would do in an earthquake drill. You can get up and find a “safe” place in the classroom. Earthquake drill

Winter Storms • A storm with freezing rain, sleet, hail, ice, heavy snow, or blizzards • Can be very dangerous if you are exposed too long

Stay indoors and close all doors and windows If you are outside, look for shelter immediately If you are in a vehicle, avoid driving and do not leave your vehicle Keep supplies near you, like sand and salt, a shovel, an ice scraper, rope, heavy blankets and clothing, food, and water What to do?

Floods • A temporary condition of partial or complete deluge of normally dry land by an overflow of inland or tidal waters, or the rapid accumulation of surface waters from any source

Flash Flood • A flood that occurs suddenly • The #1 weather-related cause of death in the United States

What to do if you are outdoors • Bring outdoor belongings indoors • Move valuable possessions to the second story, if possible • Turn off utilities at the main switch • Turn off the main gas valve

Electrical Storms • A storm that has lightning and thunder • A severe thunderstorm watch or warning may be issued if an electrical storm is likely to occur • A severe thunderstorm warning will be issued if a severe thunderstorm has been sighted or has been indicated by radar

Seek shelter inside a building or car If no structure is available, go to an open space and squat low to the ground If you are in the woods, find an area near a clump of low trees Be aware of flooding Crouch with your hands on your knees Avoid tall structures such as towers, tall trees, and power lines Stay away from natural lightning rods, such as golf clubs, fishing rods, and bicycles Stay away from lakes, rivers, and water in general What to do if you are outdoors

Secure outdoor objects Take light objects indoors Close all windows and doors Unplug electrical appliances Disconnect the cable and telephone lines Avoid bathtubs, faucets, and sinks What to do if you are indoors

What to do if you are in a car • Pull over to the shoulder • Avoid trees • Stay in the car • Put on emergency flashers until the rain stops • Avoid flooded roads

What to do if you are standing in the middle of a field • If you feel your hair stand on end, lightning is about to strike! • Bend forward • Place your hands on your knees • Do not lie flat on the ground

Landslides • A movement of a mass of earth or rock • Caused by water from rain and melting snow • Signs • Doors/windows/ pavement cracking • Water coming through the ground in new locations • Trees/fences/utility poles tilting or moving • Faint rumbling sound increasing

Landslides cont. • If indoors • Stay inside (2nd story) • If outdoors • Run to high ground • Run to nearest shelter • Last resort, curl up and protect head

Tornadoes • Violent, rapidly spinning windstorm shaped like a funnel • Tornado watch- conditions permit tornado • Tornado warning- one is sighted

Tornadoes cont. • If indoors • Basement, storm cellar, or inner part of house • Away from windows, get under sturdy furniture • Mobile home? Run • If outdoors • Seek shelter indoors • Lie in a ditch/crouch next to building • Protect head

Hurricane & Tornado Trivia • Most large tornadoes and hurricanes rotate in a cyclonic fashion, due to to the coriolis effect • Northern hemisphere: counterclockwise • Southern hemisphere: clockwise

Hurricane & Tornado mobile home/”Learning Cottage” Demo • Who would like to be the architect? • Who would like to be the storm? • Build! • Destroy!

Wildland Fires • Any fire that occurs in the wilderness • If indoors • Close windows,doors,vents • Turn off all gas • Open fireplace damper, close screen • If outdoors • Do not outrun fire • Crouch in body of water • Shelter in cleared area of rocks • Breathe air close to a ground through a wet cloth

Homeland Security Advisory System • “Risk” – the likelihood of a terrorist attack, and the possible severity of the attack • Levels known as “threat conditions” • Threat conditions can apply to the nation, a region, or a part of the industry

Quiz! (For food) • An event caused by nature that causes loss or damage is a ________ • List 5 things that should be in your emergency kit • ________ are the #1 weather-related cause of death in the US • The ________ is not really relevant, but it is cool (Hint! Tornadoes + hurricanes) • The ________ is a system designed to warn about the risk of terrorist attacks • If you are in a car during an electrical storm, _________ the car. • If you are in a car during winter storm, _________ the car.

“Bibliography” • The textbook • Wikipedia • Earthquakes • Emergency Management • Tornados • Coriolis Effect

Lesson 62: Staying Safe During Severe Weather and Natural Disasters