DISASTER! - Homeland Security and Emergency Management ...

Move valuables to higher groundIf your home or business is prone to flooding, you should move valuablesand appliances out of the basement or ground level floors.Elevate breakers, fuse box and metersConsider phoning a professional to elevate the main breaker or fuse box andutility meters above the anticipated flood level so flood waters won’tdamage your utilities. Also consider putting heating, ventilation and airconditioning units in the upper story or attic to protect from flooding.Protect your propertyBuild barriers and landscape around homes or buildings to stop or reducefloodwaters and mud from entering. Also consider sealing basement wallswith waterproofing compounds and installing “check valves” in sewer trapsto prevent flood water from backing up into drains.LIGHTNING MITIGATIONHere are some safety tips to prepare your home for lightning.Install a Lightning Protection SystemA lightning protection system does not prevent lightning from striking butdoes create a direct path for lightning to follow. Basically, a lightningprotection system consists of air terminals (lightning rods) and associatedfittings connected by heavy cables to grounding equipment. This providesa path for lightning current to travel safely to the ground.Install surge protectors on or in homeSurge protection devices (SPDs) can be installed in the electrical panel toprotect your entire home from electrical surges. Sometimes it may benecessary to install small individual SPDs in addition to the home unit forcomputers and television sets due to different ratings and voltage levels.If a home unit is too expensive, consider getting individual SPDs that pluginto the wall for the refrigerator, microwave and garage door openers.Appliances that use two services (cable wire and electrical cord) mayrequire combination SPDs for computers, TVs, and VCRs. (Better yet -consider getting an uninterrupted power supply [UPS] with surge protectionand battery backup so you can shut down computers safely.)POWER LOSS MITIGATION (TIPS ON GENERATORS)Many disasters (including human error) can cause a loss of power forhours, days or weeks. One way to prepare for a power outage is to have agenerator on-hand, but be aware of the potential hazards that come with itand learn how to use it properly!www.itsadisaster.net or call 1-888-999-432529