Important Tips for Surviving a Hurricane or Other Natural Disasters

We're really lucky in Twin Falls and most of Southern Idaho.  High winds, some snow and fires aside, we really don't have weather related issues on the same scale as those on the East Coast.

Hurricane Sandy slammed the East Coast yesterday and left over five million people without power.  So WebMD posted some tips on how to be safe after a big storm where flooding is involved.  Here are the five things they say everyone should know.

#1.)  When Your Power Goes Out, Eat the Stuff in Your Refrigerator First.  It sounds obvious, but a lot of people go straight for canned foods.

--Just so you know, your refrigerator stays cold for about four to six hours without power.  And if your freezer is half full, it stays cold for about 24 hours . . . or up to 48 hours if it's COMPLETELY full.

#2.)  If You Run Out of Water, You Can Get It from Other Things.  The easiest thing to do is just drink stuff that has water IN it . . . like juice or soft drinks.

--But if you get REALLY desperate, you can also get water from your hot water heater, or from the tank behind your TOILET.  (--The tank, not the BOWL.)  You have to disinfect it though, which means boiling it for a few minutes.

--Or if you CAN'T boil it, you can kill off SOME of the bacteria by adding 8 drops of BLEACH for every gallon of water.  You just have to stir it and let it stand for about 30 minutes.  Obviously that should be a last resort though.

#3.)  If Your House Floods, Don't Walk in the Water Unless You Have To.  If any live electrical wires are in contact with it, you can get shocked.

#4.)  Don't Use a Portable Generator Indoors.  They put out carbon monoxide, which can build up and kill you.

--You're also not supposed to let them get wet, which isn't always possible after a big storm.  But if your porch has a roof, that might be a good spot for it.

#5.)  Be Careful When You're Driving. Look out for downed power lines, and don't drive over them.

#6)  Have a battery operated or solar powered radio.  Red Cross sells some nice ones.  Some that are operated by a "hand-crank charger" for use in darkness.

--Remember to look out for branches and downed trees too.  And if a street is flooded, don't drive down it, because the water can be higher than it looks.

(WebMD)