As cities down the East Coast remain working to restore electrical energy to their resident physician and families cope with the aftereffect ofHurricane Sandy , it ’s important to remember that none of us , no matter where we live , are exempt from the possibility of a innate catastrophe . While it ’s all-important that you have an emergency plan in place on your farm in the event of a tornado , hurricane , fire or other born cataclysm , you should also be prepare with information on how to wield the recuperation process .
A number of disaster - convalescence booklet are uncommitted from the American Red Cross , Federal Emergency Management Agency , cooperative - annexe service , and other disaster relief organizations . As you assemble your emergency supply and discuss your disaster program with your family , also babble out with them about what could happen post - calamity , so that you are inclined to deal with the place when the meter comes . Here are some thing to keep in mind :
1. Staying Safe
Your No . 1 priority post - disaster is to keep you and your family safe . Avoid road and sidewalk until return the nod from local officials . When you do adventure out from a safe area , proceed with caution , being on the lookout for falling objects , like tree diagram branch or roof , and being cognisant of wildlife .
2. Returning Home
If you were evacuated from your home during a lifelike disaster , exercise caution before returning home . While it might be tempting to now insert the building and assess the harm , do not enter if you smell gun , if you see floodwaters around the building , or if a blast - damaged nursing home has not been declared good by authorities , warns FEMA in its “ Recovering from Disaster ” factsheet . When you are able to enter , take a bombardment - powered receiving set and torch with you , and be on the lookout for unfounded animals inside the sign of the zodiac .
Take detailed preeminence of damages to your dimension , admit to contrivance , water and sewage systems , roof , base and chimney , and take photograph of the damage for your records . like a shot contact your insurance company with this information .
3. Assessing Mental and Physical Health
People often undergo forcible or mental harm during a disaster situation without realizing it . During this time , take guardianship of yourself by eating well , drink plenty of clean water and fuck off enough rest , advise the Center for Disease Control . notice your chemical reaction to the result you just feel , whether it ’s sadness , grief , choler or another emotion , and seek help from a doctor , counselor or residential district constitution if you find yourself have trouble coping . Everyone deals with disaster in a dissimilar ways , but be aware of planetary house of stress or trauma — such as trouble sleeping or communication ; increased drug or alcoholic beverage employment ; cephalalgia or abdomen job ; or overwhelming fright , guilt or hopelessness — in yourself or other adult . The CDC provides alist of helplinesyou can call .
4. Talking with Children
It ’s important to keep children update on the innate catastrophe as it blossom , as they can beak up on your emotion or fears and could hear about the upshot from another generator . The University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension recommend listening to your children ’s headache , acknowledging their feelings and render age - appropriate reply to their questions . Also involve small fry in upgrade your family ’s cataclysm program and help them re - establish a routine post - disaster .
5. Helping the Injured
help others and assessing them for injury is often necessary during a widespread tragedy . machinate yourself ahead of sentence by taking first - attention , CPR and AED year from your local American Red Cross chapter , so you could be given to victims until emergency respondent arrive . Help victims sustain body temperature with blanket , and monitor their temperature so they do n’t overheat . Do not move seriously injured or unconscious people , but if it is required due to potential danger , stabilize the neck and back first .
6. Recovering Animals
When it ’s good to do so , look for out your farm animal , take with you clean feed , water , a livestock first - aid kit and other tools , say the Texas AgriLife Extension . Assess all livestock for injuries ( including snake in the grass bites ) , sickness ( such as pneumonia ) , and internal and outside sponge . Give them first - aid treatment as you ’re capable , but call your veterinarian regarding serious farm animal injuries . Keep in mind you might be put on a veterinary ’s waiting list , so be patient and offer to give any help that you may . If you find any idle animals , try todisposeof them the right way . Contact your local extension federal agent for the unspoilt way to do this in your sphere .
run your animate being clean dry , hay is idealistic post - cataclysm , but at the very least , make certain the hay is vindicated of dirt and mold , even if it ’s wet . Be cognizant that natural H2O sources , like ponds and current , might not be safe for animals to drink in after a storm , so be prepared to water them from a clean water source .
