All news
Making a Disaster Plan
The best defense when faced with severe weather incidents is preparedness. Every household and business should have a disaster preparedness plan for every possible incident or emergency that could occur. The Ohio Committee for Severe Weather Awareness offers the following tips on the preparation for inclement weather:
Have a family meeting. Involve everyone in the household in the preparation of a disaster plan. If you live alone, share your plan with another family member or friend. Discuss the types of disasters that can affect your family. (Ohio’s typical disasters include flooding, thunder and lightning storms, tornadoes, winter storms, extreme heat and fire.) Ensure that everyone knows the difference between weather watches and warnings. Write down solutions for each kind of emergency/disaster.
Develop a family escape and/or shelter plan. Draw an overhead floor plan view of your home. Determine two escape routes per room. Teach children how to open windows and screens. Pick a meeting place away from the home (such as a large tree or neighbor’s yard) in case of a sudden emergency, like a fire. Determine where to shelter during a tornado (in a basement, under the stairs, or a centralized room away from windows). If you would need help during evacuation, have prior arrangements made with a reliable neighbor or nearby friend or relative. Ensure that your local fire department and emergency management agency have your name and location to address your special needs.
Practice your plan. Even the best plan is ineffective unless it has been practiced. Conduct fire drills. Activate smoke detectors when the household is asleep. (Remember to change smoke alarm batteries at least every six months.) Conduct tornado drills. Practice how to protect yourself and others during severe storms.
Organize your disaster supply kit. No matter the incident, your kit should have enough supplies to sustain every member of your household for three days. You can purchase commercially prepared disaster kits at select discount, hardware and military surplus stores or can be purchased via the Internet.