disaster 5th 1108_5th ed 2011 - Homeland Security and Emergency ...
disaster 5th 1108_5th ed 2011 - Homeland Security and Emergency ...
disaster 5th 1108_5th ed 2011 - Homeland Security and Emergency ...
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Move valuables to higher ground<br />
If your home or business is prone to flooding, you should move valuables<br />
<strong>and</strong> appliances out of the basement or ground level floors.<br />
Elevate breakers, fuse box <strong>and</strong> meters<br />
Consider phoning a professional to elevate the main breaker or fuse box <strong>and</strong><br />
utility meters above the anticipat<strong>ed</strong> flood level so flood waters won’t<br />
damage your utilities. Also consider putting heating, ventilation <strong>and</strong> air<br />
conditioning units in the upper story or attic to protect from flooding.<br />
Protect your property<br />
Build barriers <strong>and</strong> l<strong>and</strong>scape around homes or buildings to stop or r<strong>ed</strong>uce<br />
floodwaters <strong>and</strong> mud from entering. Also consider sealing basement walls<br />
with waterproofing compounds <strong>and</strong> installing “check valves” in sewer traps<br />
to prevent flood water from backing up into drains.<br />
LIGHTNING MITIGATION<br />
Here are some safety tips to prepare your home for lightning.<br />
Install a Lightning Protection System<br />
A lightning protection system does not prevent lightning from striking but<br />
does create a direct path for lightning to follow. Basically, a lightning<br />
protection system consists of air terminals (lightning rods) <strong>and</strong> associat<strong>ed</strong><br />
fittings connect<strong>ed</strong> by heavy cables to grounding equipment. This provides<br />
a path for lightning current to travel safely to the ground.<br />
Install surge protectors on or in home<br />
Surge protection devices (SPDs) can be install<strong>ed</strong> in the electrical panel to<br />
protect your entire home from electrical surges. Sometimes it may be<br />
necessary to install small individual SPDs in addition to the home unit for<br />
computers <strong>and</strong> television sets due to different ratings <strong>and</strong> voltage levels.<br />
If a home unit is too expensive, consider getting individual SPDs that plug<br />
into the wall for the refrigerator, microwave <strong>and</strong> garage door openers.<br />
Appliances that use two services (cable wire <strong>and</strong> electrical cord) may<br />
require combination SPDs for computers, TVs, <strong>and</strong> VCRs. (Better yet -<br />
consider getting an uninterrupt<strong>ed</strong> power supply [UPS] with surge protection<br />
<strong>and</strong> battery backup so you can shut down computers safely.)<br />
POWER LOSS MITIGATION (TIPS ON GENERATORS)<br />
Many <strong>disaster</strong>s (including human error) can cause a loss of power for<br />
hours, days or weeks. One way to prepare for a power outage is to have a<br />
generator on-h<strong>and</strong>, but be aware of the potential hazards that come with it<br />
<strong>and</strong> learn how to use it properly!<br />
www.itsa<strong>disaster</strong>.net or call 1-888-999-4325<br />
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