Public Education at Department of Public Safety

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

Flooding:

Flash floods and flooding is the #1 cause of death associated with thunderstorms. More than half of all flood-related drownings occur when a vehicle is driven into hazardous flood waters.

Six inches of fast moving water can knock you off your feet.
Two feet of rushing water can carry away most vehicles.
Avoid driving, walking or swimming in flood waters.
Move to higher ground during a flood.
Do not let children play near storm drains.

For more information and resources on how to prepare for flooding please click on this link provided by the Department of Homeland Security: https://www.ready.gov/floods

Family Emergency Preparedness Information:

The link below will give you the necessary tools to educate and prepare your children in case of an emergency or should a disaster occur.

https://www.ready.gov/kids

After a Flood:

It is very important to know what to do after and during a flood.

Anyone involved in a flood clean-up has to have an up-to-date tetanus shot. Booster shots are recommended every 10 years. Wear rubber gloves and boots when cleaning up.
Wash hands frequently with clean, hot water and soap after coming in contact with flood waters. Wash your clothes and linens in hot water.
Wash dirt and mud from walls, counters and hard surfaces using hot water and soap. Disinfect surfaces with a solution of 1 1/4 cups of bleach to one gallon of water. Use this solution when cleaning up sewage-tainted surfaces. For other surfaces, wipe with a solution of 1/4 cup bleach to one gallon of water.
Open all doors and windows to ventilate the building. Discard mattresses and stuffed furniture. Discard all food that came into contact with flood water and thoroughly wash canned food that came into contact with flood waters.
If you have a well and it is flooded, consider tap water to be unsafe. Use bottled water until you can determine that the well water is safe. Do not use septic system when water is standing on the

Winter Weather:

When preparing for a winter storm here are some tips on how to be ready.

* Make sure your home is well insulated to keep the cold out.

* Service your furnace to make sure it can handle the cold weather and the usage during frigid temperatures.

* Create a supply kit that will last up to 72 hours. Your kit should consist of the following: batteries, flashlight, battery packs to charge phones, radio(s) for weather reports, blankets, food, water, medicine, etc. For more information on kits, click the link here: https://www.ready.gov/winter-weather.

Traveling in winter weather:

If you are traveling in winter weather you should have an emergency car kit.

For tips on how to make your vehicle safe during the winter, and a list of items to have in your emergency car kit, click the link here: https://www.ready.gov/car

Severe Weather:

How to stay safe during severe weather:

* Watch your local news for watches and warnings in your area.

* If your area is under a thunderstorm warning seek shelter.

* Unplug appliances.

* Do not use landline phones.

* Prepare an emergency kit that will last 72 hours, in case of a power outage.

Other prepareness information can be found at the link below, and how you can keep yourself and your family members safe during a severe weather event.

https://www.ready.gov/thunderstorms-lightning