Reducing Anxiety and Fear About Disaster

How to Reduce Anxiety and Fear

For most individuals, the thought of being thrown into the middle of a natural disaster is terrifying. Unfortunately, the number of natural disasters that occur around the world is quite frightening. Depending on location, natural disasters can range from hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, flooding, blizzards, and even human triggered disasters such as chemical spills. Naturally, the thought of having to be in the midst of such events can leave one with anxiety, fear, and questions of “what if.” Fortunately, feelings of fear and anxiety can be decreased by a few simple steps that can help leave families better prepared for a variety of natural disasters.

Make a Plan:
One of the most important parts of any survival kit is a plan. Although one may not be able to prepare for all types of disasters, having a firm plan on what to do if something goes wrong can help save lives. For example, if an area is prone to tornadoes, it can be imperative to have a “shelter” or safe place to go underground. No matter what type of natural disaster one’s area is prone to, making a plan and practicing it can ease fear and anxiety.

There are a few key elements to devising an emergency plan for one’s household:

• Know the area’s warning signals and shelters: It’s important to know what an area uses as a warning signal; most places uses sirens, but signals can vary. Keep in mind that one’s family may be at different places during a natural disaster. It can be extremely important to know the warning signal so that all family members are aware of the disaster and ready to take action. Knowing the location and availability of shelters in one’s area can help ensure that family members are safe and can provide a common meeting place.
• Devise a plan: Sit down with the household and talk about what would happen in the event on a natural disaster. During the discussion, it’s important to talk about the type of natural disasters that could occur. Additionally, pick at least two meeting spots for the family. Next, have an evacuation plan. Once the plan is formed, the next step is to practice it: “The plan” needs to be like a fire drill for the household.Survival Kits:
  Although fear and anxiety about natural disasters primarily center around death and loved ones dying, it can also be triggered by not having the right “tools.” Thankfully, a variety of survival kits are available for any income!Food & Water:
  Most individuals will have anxiety about food and water sources depleting in the wake of a natural disaster. Fears of dwindling food and water sources is valid: having a storage area for emergency food and water could save lives. Back up food and water should be kept in a place that would be easy to access in the case of a natural disaster.

  My website at Survival-Concepts.com offers a template (under Community Info – Forms)emergency plan for anyone who would like some ideas or a head start.  Natural disasters are increasing every year and we never know when it could happen to us.  Be Prepared!

  For more information, I can be contacted at info@open-concepts.com.

 

Evaucation Plan

Having an Evacuation Plan for any possible emergency in your local area, and practicing it on a regular basis can be the difference between life and death when it comes to an Emergency Situation. There are several things to consider when making an Evacuation Plan and in this article we will give you some things to think about when making your own Evacuation Plan for your house, or your office.

Every Evacuation Plan needs to have TWO exits out of EACH ROOM in the building. This could be a door into a hallway that leads outside, a door that goes straight outside, or a window. When you sit down with your family or co-workers, you need to discuss where to meet if and when an emergency situation should come up. You should pick two locations, the first one close to your current location if it is a minor situation, and have a second option a few blocks away just in case the area you are in needs do be blocked off depending on the severity of the situation. If you are not able to contact your local 911 center before leaving the house, make sure you either grab your cell phone to take with you, or designate one family member or co-worker, to go to a neighbors house or neighboring business, to call 911 to advise of the situation going on.

Make sure that all family members, any guests, co-workers, and all pets have been accounted for so that you can tell the first responders on the scene if all parties are accounted for, or if someone or a pet might still be in the house or building, and possibly hurt or trapped.

A few other things that some people might try to do, are to try and keep current pictures, especially of children, handy so that if for some reason it is one of your children that can not be located for one reason or another, the local law enforcement will have current pictures to go on to locate the person as quickly as possible. If you have a garage that you could stay in to get away from the emergency situation, you could keep a plastic bin in there with your emergency supplies located in it. You will want to have about a weeks worth just in case someone can’t get to you if roads are blocked or something of that nature. You will want food that can be stored that does not need to be refrigerated, lots of bottled water, blankets to keep you warm if the power should go out and it is cold where you are. You should also make sure that you have candles, flashlights, a portable radio, and extra batteries on hand. A personal recommendation is to have these emergency supplies kept in a plastic storage bin so it is kept safe from water or any elements.  Furthermore, it provides a way to keep all emergency supplies together and is easy to grab if you should need them quickly.

My website at Survival-Concepts.com offers a template (under Community Info – Forms)emergency plan for anyone who would like some ideas or a head start.  Natural disasters are increasing every year and we never know when it could happen to us.  Be Prepared!
For more information, I can be contacted at info@open-concepts.com.

 

Do One Thing a Month – Month 12

Be Informed

Getting correct information during an emergency is the key to taking safe action. Someone in your household may not be able to receive, understand, or act on emergency information. Think about what special needs your household may have. Take action now to make sure everyone in your family will be safe in an emergency.

Make sure everyone in your family knows what to do when they hear emergency warnings.

Your community may have outdoor warning sirens (also called tornado sirens) to warn you in an emergency. These sirens are meant to let people who are outside know they should go indoors. When you hear the outdoor warning sirens sound in your area it is not safe for you to be outdoors. You should take cover inside a sturdy building and get more information from television, radio, internet, or by contacting a friend or family member.
Call your local fire department to find out if your area is covered by warning sirens, when they are tested, and when they would be activated. Make sure other members of your household know what to do when outdoor warning sirens sound.
Some communities have other ways of warning residents. They may call by phone, or send text messages or emails with emergency information. Check with your local emergency management or sheriff’s office to find out what other warning systems are used in your area. Talk to family members about what to do when emergency information is given.

Get a NOAA Emergency Alert Radio.

Weather can change very quickly. Severe weather may strike when people are sleeping or unaware of the forecast. This can be deadly if people do not seek a safe shelter. A NOAA emergency alert radio (sometimes called a weather radio) can turn itself on when an emergency alert is issued and warn you at any time – day or night.

Emergency alert radios can also be used to warn about other emergencies, such as a chemical spill. With the Emergency Alert Radio, you will be warned about dangerous situations in time to take shelter or other safe action.

Every home should have an emergency alert radio, just the way all homes should have a smoke detector. They can be purchased at stores that sell electronics. Prices start at about $20.00. Most run on batteries or have battery back-up.

Make sure everyone in your household can communicate in a disaster.

The way emergency information is sent out in your community may not work for everyone. If you don’t speak English well, or if you use an assistive device to speak or hear, make a plan now. Make sure you can get and give information in a disaster.

Communities may give information by television or radio, by automated phone call, text messages, email, or by sounding outdoor warning sirens. Police or fire may use loudspeakers to give information as they drive through the streets. Responders or volunteers may go door-to-door to talk to people directly.

If you think you may not be able to understand emergency information, identify someone (or more than one person) that you can contact for help in an emergency. Have more than one way to get in touch with them. Keep their contact information with you.

Emergency Information: Things to consider…

• Emergency news or weather broadcasts may not be close captioned.
• Information that is shown on screen may not be spoken aloud.
• Automated voices and voices over loud speakers may be hard to understand.
• Information comes quickly and the stress of a disaster may make it hard to understand or remember instructions.
• Words moving across the bottom of a television screen may move very quickly.
• The screen color or color of the text might make some information on television hard to read.

For more information, please visit the Open-Concepts website for more preparedness information.  Also visit our survival store and military store.  Every purchase is a 10% donation to military families.

If you have any questions, or ideas for more posts, please email me at info@open-concepts.com.

 

Do One Thing a Month – Month 11

Power

We count on electricity for heat, food, and medical needs. Many gas appliances even need electricity to run. A power outage is an emergency that often follows another emergency—like a hurricane, tornado, or winter storm. That makes it even more important to be prepared in advance.

Acquire and learn how to safely use a portable generator.

Using a properly connected generator of adequate size during a power outage will reduce or almost eliminate the impact a power outage has on your life. Before you buy a generator, talk to an electrician about the size and type you need. Think about what you want your generator to run. Generators can be used to keep food cool, provide lights and electricity for phones and television, power furnace blowers and pumps.

Always run generators outside. Never use a generator inside a house, in a basement, or garage. Never use a cord from a generator to backfeed a circuit in your house.

The best way to use a portable generator is to connect it to your home using a transfer switch installed by a licensed electrician. This will keep the power from overloading the wiring in your home. It will also keep the power from your generator from traveling back into the power lines, which can injure or kill people working on power lines, or can unexpectedly re-energize downed power lines near your home. You may also connect equipment directly to the outlets on the generator, but be sure that any extension cords are of the proper length and gauge to handle the power requirements.

Have flashlights ready in an easily accessible place and check batteries in flashlights and radios.

When the lights go out, the safest way to provide emergency lighting is with flashlights or battery-powered lanterns. Keep flashlights with fresh batteries in several places throughout your home and check them for proper operation regularly. Always keep a supply of extra batteries. Think about buying a rechargeable flashlight. Batteries might be hard to find in a disaster.

• Discard food if the temperature in your refrigerator exceeds 40 degrees for more than 2 hours.
• Stay away from downed power lines and anything they are in contact with such as fences or buildings.
• Never drive over downed power lines; they may be energized.
• Never use charcoal or gas grills inside a structure. You may be overcome by carbon monoxide.
• If you must use candles, be sure to use them safely. Never leave candles burning unattended.

Create a power outage plan – decide what you can do before, during and after a power outage to minimize the effect on your household.

BEFORE THE POWER GOES OUT:

• Fill empty space in freezer with containers of water. Frozen water will displace air and keep food cold longer. Remember to leave space in containers for ice to expand.
• Have at least one phone with a handset cord in your home. Many cordless phones will not work in a power outage.
• If you have an automatic garage door opener, learn how to use the manual release and open your garage door manually.
• Try to keep your car’s gas tank at least half full. Many gas stations will not be in operation during a power outage. Fill up
your tank if a major storm is predicted.
• Make sure you have a car or lighter plug cord for your cell phone.

When the lights go out, the safest way to provide emergency lighting is with flashlights or battery-powered lanterns. Keep flashlights with fresh batteries in several places throughout your home and check them for proper operation regularly. Always keep a supply of extra batteries. Think about buying a rechargeable flashlight. Batteries might be hard to find in a disaster.

• Discard food if the temperature in your refrigerator exceeds 40 degrees for more than 2 hours.
• Stay away from downed power lines and anything they are in contact with such as fences or buildings.
• Never drive over downed power lines; they may be energized.
• Never use charcoal or gas grills inside a structure. You may be overcome by carbon monoxide.
• If you must use candles, be sure to use them safely. Never leave candles burning unattended.
Power Outage Safety
• If you use special healthcare equipment like oxygen generators or dialysis equipment, notify your power company.

AFTER THE POWER GOES OUT:

• Unplug major appliances and electronics. When the power comes back on, there may be power spikes that can damage large appliances or delicate electronics.
• Do not open refrigerators or freezers any more than necessary. An unopened refrigerator will keep food cold for approximately 4 hours, an unopened freezer will keep food frozen for
approximately 24 hours.
• Use a battery-powered radio to stay informed.

The above information is a guideline for the average person to follow.  I personally love the crank radio and flashlight listed on the Open-concepts website.  You will never need batteries and can just crank to charge the radio and flashlight.

An alternative to the generator option listed above, would be to check out the solar panels on the Open-Concepts website as well.  They are durable and you will never have the problem of running out of gas!

For more information, please visit the Open-Concepts website for more preparedness information.  Also visit our survival store and military store.  Every purchase is a 10% donation to military families.

If you have any questions, or ideas for more posts, please email me at info@open-concepts.com.

 

Add your thoughts here… (optional)

jess blogs

We got power on thursday- it was such a surprise, I almost didn’t register what it was. Such a relief to start getting things back to normal. Laundry! Cleaning! Hair dryers! Refrigeration! Nice to have it all back. It also made it much easier to start gathering more things to donate. A friend of a friend had her house ruined in Staten Island- she was in the worst area. She had just moved there 5 weeks ago to start fresh. She lost everything except a few books and pictures she was able to gather a few days after. Luckily, she had evacuated, and her son was away at college, so both were safe. But she’d left just with an overnight bag- and now that’s almost all she has left. 

We’d donated lots the day after the storm, but now I’m focusing on her- collecting bedding, dishes, silverware- trying to think…

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The White Maroon

When the storm surges flooded New York on October 29th, and hurricane-strength winds made land fall in New Jersey, wreaking havoc across twenty-four states, from Florida to Maine and as far west as Michigan and Wisconsin, the eyes and resources of the world’s media were already focused on the United States. Hurricane Sandy provided them with excitement, coinciding as it did with the final days of a lacklustre presidential election campaign. However, while Obama and Romney were showcasing their leadership skills in times of catastrophe, little was said about the devastation already caused by this tropical storm far from the vigilance of the massed ranks of international television crews and newspaper reporters. While we are continually being reminded of the vast cost of this disaster, in human and financial terms, to the eastern United States, considerably less has been said of the impact Sandy has had on the considerably more…

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Do One Thing a Month – Month 10

Emergency Supplies

Any emergency is easier to handle when you have prepared ahead of time. Put together an emergency kit with important items to keep at home, and a go bag with items you will need to take with you if you evacuate. Think about what you and your family would need in a disaster. You can make kits for your home, car or workplace. Emergencies can happen anywhere.

Gather your emergency supplies in an accessible place.

Have a go bag ready if you have to shelter in place or evacuate your home. Your go bag can be part of your emergency kit, just make sure it is in a bag or easy to carry container and that it is easy to get to.

THINK ABOUT THESE ITEMS FOR YOUR GO BAG:
• Battery powered radio and extra batteries
• Flashlight with extra batteries
• Lightweight blankets
• Emergency information, including insurance policies
• A list of medications and correct dosage, and doctor’s names
• Personal items such as toothbrushes, soap, extra glasses, etc.
• First aid kit
• Whistle
• Change of clothing
• Nonperishable snacks
• Books, cards or magazines to pass the time

Along with the basics above, think about these items for your go bag when special needs are involved:

FOR INFANTS AND CHILDREN:
• Baby formula and food
• Diapers
• Baby wipes
• Blanket or toy

FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS:
• Empty pill bottle(s) or a list of current medications (Make sure you update your go bag when your medications change)
• Your doctor’s phone number

FOR PETS:
• Pet food & water
• Collar with ID tags
• Pet medication(s)
• Pet carriers and leashes
• Medical records from vet
• Photos of your pet
• Microchip information

Create an emergency supply kit for your pet, your car, and your workplace or school.

Disasters can strike when you are away from home. If your office or school does not have an emergency kit, offer to help make one. The kit should include:

• First aid supplies
• Flashlights or light sticks
• Building emergency procedures
• Building maps showing evacuation
and shelter areas
• Pens or pencils
• Signs with the words “Need Help” and
“All Clear”
• Clipboard with class/staff names

Make or buy an emergency kit for your car. If you travel with your pet regularly, make sure that you have an emergency kit for them as well. Some items to think about for your car kit are: a small first aid kit, flashlight or light sticks, flares or reflective cones, a blanket, cell phone charger, jumper cables, bottled water, nonperishable snacks, and a “help” flag or brightly colored cloth that can be tied to the antenna.

Stash some cash in case ATMs and credit card machines are not usable in a disaster.

Many things that we take for granted are not available when there is no power. ATM machines may not work. Grocery stores and other businesses may not be able to accept your credit or debit card. Cash could be the only acceptable means to make a purchase. Some experts say you should have at minimum $150.00 in cash stashed away. Realizing this may not be possible for everyone, any amount is good to start with. Take $1.00 dollar a week and place it in an envelope in your emergency kit. In just a little time, you will have some cash stashed away for use in emergencies.

For high quality and the best prices available, please visit the Open-Concepts Survival Store.  It is a great place to purchase and get great ideas for YOUR preparedness supplies.

 

Do One Thing a Month to Prepare – Month 9

Work, School, & Community

Disasters can happen at any time. If you are away from home do you know where to find safe shelter locations? Do you know what the emergency procedures are for your child’s school or for your workplace? Will people who count on you know what to do if you can’t reach them? Know how to make sure you and your loved ones are safe in a disaster, no matter where you are.

Make sure emergency procedures are in place for your workplace or school.

Talk to your employer about emergency plans for the building where you work. Think about other places that you and family members regularly spend time, like your child’s school. Talk to administrators at those places about their emergency plans as well.

WAYS TO BE SAFE AT WORK AND SCHOOL:
• Make sure evacuation routes and tornado shelter locations are marked on a map and posted in the building.
• Hold emergency training and drills.
• Help create an emergency kit for the facility.
• Know where fire extinguishers and Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs) are located.

Give emergency kits to people who count on you (college students, elderly parents, etc.).

Put together basic emergency kits for people who may not be able to do so for themselves or for those who may not think of doing it for themselves. Show them what is in the kit and talk to them about disasters.
Make sure the kit meets their specific needs. For instance, if someone takes prescription medicine, include a list of medications and dosages. For a college student, make sure the kit is small enough to store in the space they have available.

COLLEGE STUDENTS
Talk to your college student about how you will stay in touch if a disaster occurs. Make sure they understand that cell phones may not work during a disaster. Choose an emergency contact who does not live near you or the college. Arrange with your student to call that person if they can’t reach you during a disaster.
Visit the website for your student’s college to find out about the school’s disaster plans and procedures. Some colleges will provide a phone number that you can call in an emergency. If you don’t find the number on the website, call the admissions office and ask. Add the number to your emergency contact list. Make sure your student knows to call you if there is an emergency on campus. Also, ensure your student is registered for any emergency notification system on their campus.

INSURANCE
Talk to your insurance agent to find out if your policy covers your student’s belongings while they are away at school. You may need to buy an additional renter’s policy. Also check with your health insurance carrier to find out where your student can find covered healthcare at school.

Know how others in your community will respond in a disaster.

Talk to other people when you are developing an emergency plan for a school, workplace or organization. Get input from people who work there and other people who use the building. It is especially important to include people with disabilities. Think about asking your local police and fire departments to review the plan. Make sure that what you are planning won’t interfere with emergency response.
Find out if your community has designated evacuation routes for floods, hurricanes, or other disasters. Include that information in your plans. Make sure that the plans you develop will work for everyone.

For additional information on how to prepare and ideas on what to do, please visit www.open-concepts.com.  The Open-Concepts Survival Store is a great place to review and purchase all of your survival needs.  If you do not find what you are looking for, any of our affiliates will have it!

 

jess blogs

A good weekend.

Still in the dark. No heat. Had been worried about upcoming forecasts for temperatures dipping below the 30’s, as the house was getting a bit colder each day. We’ve found ways to warm up.

There’s nothing more valuable than community when things get challenging, and There’s a lot of it going around. Everywhere, there are signs up to help: churches with signs out front saying ‘water, ice, food’ or ‘hot food and coffee’, and fire stations offering charging stations for cellphones. Target and Costco offered tables for charging computers, phones, whatever. My cashier at Target asked me if I would like to come to her house for ice when it turned out they’d sold out of the chemical ice packs I needed for my swelling knee. She said she’d gotten power back and would be happy to share. I was so touched by that.

I could see…

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Trying to drawn attention to the REAL people who are still surviving Hurricane Sandy, this is a great post that brings it home.

jess blogs

Today was a good day.

We are 5 days past hurricane Sandy, and we’re still in the dark. No lights. No heat. A bit nippy at night, especially tonight, going down into the 30’s. I’m sitting here by the fire, writing this on my ipad, wearing a down vest, down coat, ugg boots, and a scarf pulled over my head.

In the aftermath of the storm, we had no idea how bad it was. No one did, initially. We were glad to be safe, our house intact. We lost power as soon as the storm hit, so we were in the dark- no news. Cell phone service was limited- we couldn’t access the internet or even make calls, only texts, and with very slow delivery at that. Stranded at home, since all transportation to NYC was suspended, I felt news-deprived and isolated. My husband was able to get to work…

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