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How to Survive Natural Disasters

Posted by Arkisaeo in sustainable living, Wildlife & Flora, 23 Mar 2010

Every year, thousands of people are killed by violent acts of nature.

This year, we’ve already seen earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, and volcano eruptions. Even with warning systems in place, people still fall victim to nature’s wrath. Perhaps they were unprepared or tried to play the hero. Most likely, they were misinformed or simply didn’t know what to do during such an event. I have compiled some basic information on what to do when severe weather or forces of nature are heading your way. Check it out:

Earthquake
As soon as you are aware that an earthquake may happen, turn off and unplug all appliances (or as many as you can) before it hits. This includes water, gas, and the stove. Keep away from windows, mirrors, hanging objects, fireplaces, and any heavy furniture or appliances. You will also want to take cover under a table or desk that is next to an inside wall. If there are no tables or desks, simply position yourself next to an interior wall (preferably near any structural strong points). Keep your head and neck covered and do not move until the quake is over.

If you find yourself in a vehicle during an earthquake, do not attempt to drive through or away from the earthquake. Stop the car and simply wait it out. Do not stop on a bridge, overpass, or underpass. Also, do not stop near any telephone poles or wires, signs, trees, large buildings, or anywhere that something could fall on top of your car.

For those of you who happen to be outside when an earthquake hits, look for a safe, open area away from buildings, trees, and anything that might fall on you. A field, hill, or wide open parks are good areas to start with. Do not try to hide under a bridge or seek shelter near a building, as these things could potentially crumble or collapse. Once you find a wide open space, stay there. Do not move unless you feel a sinkhole forming or are in direct danger from the quake itself.

If you live near a volcano, evacuate immediately. You will need to either get to higher ground or on a hillside opposite of the volcano. You can find more information on volcano procedures further down the article.

Flood
Dealing with a flood is probably the simplest of all procedures. The most important thing you must do is get to higher ground, especially if you live near any body water (even streams and small creeks). Higher ground does not mean going upstairs in your home or even onto the roof; it means leaving your home (or wherever you may be) and heading for elevated land. If you are in a car, do not drive through or around barriers and do not attempt to drive through the flood. If your car stalls or refuses to move (or even start), abandon the car immediately and head to higher ground on foot.

Hurricane
To prepare your home for a hurricane, board and/or tape all the windows with plywood and alligator tape (do not use duct tape!). Bring all outside items indoors or make sure they are tied down and extremely secure if they cannot be moved otherwise. You can shelter yourself on the first floor of your home or even in the bathtub. Do not go outside during a hurricane. When all seems calm and quiet outside, beware—it may only be the eye of the storm passing by and then the hurricane will continue.

Sometimes, a hurricane may be so bad that it could destroy your home and everything inside it—including you. Unless told to evacuate, you will have to decide for yourself if you should stay in your home or try to head for safer ground.

Tornado
When a tornado warning is issued, head to shelter immediately—even if you don’t see a tornado yet. The best possible shelter is a specially designed underground tornado shelter or room. However, most people aren’t so fortunate to have these, but luckily there are other options.

If you are in a building with a basement, go to the basement immediately. Take cover under a heavy table if you can. Also, stay away from windows and protect yourself with some kind of cushion, such as a mattress or sleeping bag. Keep in mind where objects are on the floor above you (such as the stove, refrigerator or television)—you’ll want to avoid hiding directly under these objects, as they could fall through a damaged floor.

If you are in a building with no basement, get to the lowest floor possible. Seek shelter in a bathroom, closet, under a stairwell or in a small interior room located at the center of the house; taking care to avoid all windows. Crouch low to the ground or lie face down. Cover your head with your hands and arms. You can also hide under a strong desk or table and cushion yourself with blankets, pillows and so forth. Bathtubs are also particularly effective hiding places. Do not take shelter in an elevator.

If you are in a vehicle or mobile home, get out and find proper shelter immediately. Tornados can easily pick up or destroy cars and trailers; so you will definitely not want to be in one if a tornado is heading your way. Do not take shelter under a bridge or overpass, as they can collapse or make perfect wind tunnels; and don’t hide in a ditch because they are vulnerable to flooding.

If you are outside or in a vehicle and nowhere near a shelter, find a stationary object and watch the path of the tornado. If it moves left, head to your right. If it moves right, head to your left. If it appears that it’s not moving at all, it may be coming straight for you. Regardless of which way it’s moving, you need to get out of its path. Find proper shelter and stay there until the storm passes.

Tsunami
Rule number one of surviving a tsunami is to head inland and away from the coast. Do not stay home. Do not go to the beach to take pictures. Do not hide at your friend’s house. The second thing you will want to do as you head inland is to make for higher ground. Head up hill, up a mountain, or (as a last resort) up a very strong and sturdy tree. If you are trapped and cannot head inland or up a tree, find the most solid and structurally sound building you can and get to the highest floor you can—even if it means going on top of the roof.

If you find yourself swept away by the tsunami, do not try to swim with it or against it. Your best bet is to find and grab onto something that floats—such as wood, a raft, or debris that may be in the water with you. Once you have made it to safer ground, do not head home or to the beach—or anywhere near the tsunami –until officials tell you it’s safe to do so.

Volcano
Unless you are told to evacuate (by radio, phone, or whatever means), the best possible thing to do during a volcano is stay inside a good, strong structure and keep all windows and doors closed.

However, if you do have to evacuate, head for higher ground. Since lava, mud flows and everything else that comes with a volcanic eruption flows downwards, your best bet is to make sure you are above all the flows until they pass. You can also expect debris, ranging from volcanic ash to red-hot rocks. Dodge the larger debris if you can, or shield yourself below the ridgeline of hills or behind the hill on the opposite side of the volcano. If you cannot dodge or shield yourself from the rocks: turn so you are facing away from the volcano, crouch down low and protect your head with your arms, a backpack, or anything nearby that will help.

To avoid inhaling any of the poisonous volcanic gases, you can breathe through a respirator, mask, or moist piece of cloth and get away from the volcano as quickly as possible. Those gases can kill you in less than a minute if you inhale too much of them.

Despite all of this information, there is one very important thing to remember: Nature is extremely unpredictable. Sometimes, things happen that no amount of survival training or preparations can ready you for. Sometimes, Nature is angrier than predicted or expected. And sometimes, events can happen without proper warning. The information in this article is for basic survival purposes only. Do not ignore help provided by local medical services or reports distributed by local news and weather stations.

For more information on what to do during these—and other—events, plus how to prepare for them, check out these links:

Geology.com – How to Survive an Earthquake
WonderHowTo.com – Survive Disaster
How to Survive a Hurricane
How to Survive a Hurricane (#2)
wikiHow – Disaster Preparedness
wikiHow – Weather Safety

By Heidi Marshall

Tags: earthquake, flood, how to survive a natural disaster, hurricane, natural disasters, Nature’s wrath, tornado, tsunami, volcano