Flash flooding can happen anywhere. Any location that might collect water and drain after a strong shower can flood.
Never walk or drive through moving water.Submerged debris, strong currents and compromised bridges and roadways claim the lives of flood victims every year. Stay away! Evacuate before you are stranded or seek the highest ground you can find without crossing water.
Avoid standing water, as well. Flood waters contain chemicals and bacteria picked up from sewers and storage tanks. Even in still water, submerged items and compromised ground can present unseen hazards.
If you evacuate, don't count on going back soon. Take everything you plan to need for weeks. Take your pets, medications, and other important items. Even if they advise a short time frame, there are no guarantees with flooding.
Flood insurance is available even if you don't live in a flood plain.Call your agent for details. Also, flood insurance doesn't include sewer backup.
Never enter standing water in your home, and plan to leave your home if it fails to drain immediately. Once the water rises to sufficient levels, it could contact electric wiring, hazardous chemicals, sewer backup, or even extinguish gas/propane pilots.
When the water recedes, you have about three days to get fabrics and absorbent materials clean and dry, or they must be disposed of. Contaminants, mold and mildew cause a great health risk. Get furniture and carpet professionally cleaned or pull it out immediately. Launder clothes and fabrics. Consult with local authorities and experts for your local situation before beginning. Drywall and voids (like under the floor) often need powerful fans to dry these areas quickly.
Flood plains and building zones and codes are often reset immediately after a local flood. Check with your city hall or flood recovery office before beginning expensive rehab. Three weeks after the Nashville area floods of 2010, the rehab construction project that I worked on was halted and canceled. After the first inspection, the location was no longer approved for new construction. All our work and expense was for naught.
Don't expect businesses to reopen soon. Local flooding often affects business owners' homes as well, and they must care for their family first. Many times receipt of inventory is slowed, too. And many businesses never recover from the financial strains caused by lost revenue and weighty recovery costs.
Talk to your insurance agent before, during, and after a flood (or other disaster) to confirm exactly what is covered, what is out of pocket, what is reimbursable. Be creative with you questions. Imagine and list every item and expense you need covered. (Temporary hotel? Business supplies in garage? Jewelry? Work you do yourself? Recommended mitigation steps?)
A word about waiting for the power to come back on (especially in the summer)
1) Turn off your air conditioner. (Turn it to "Off" at the thermostat.) When the power comes back on and everyone's AC pops on at the same time, you just may throw it off again.
2) If you're using a generator... Make certain you leave it outdoors. Understand the wattage of the generator and the items you're plugging into it. And DO NOT connect it to your whole house (via the dryer plug or any other method), pay an electrician to do it correctly. (When linemen repair lines, they need those lines to be electricity free! When you rig a generator improperly to power your whole house, you're sending excess power out on the line - making it live!)
3) Unplug and turn off as much as possible in your home or business. This prevents power drain on the circuit when it's restored and reduces the chance of damaging your appliances with a power surge.
4) Leave your porch light switch ON. Then power crews, neighbors, or emergency workers can identify homes and neighborhood with restored power in the middle of the night or when you're not home. I leave mine on 24/7 during a storm or other emergency.
5) Do not open your refrigerator or freezer even one time unless you are ready to take all the food out. The insulation in appliances can hold the cool for a long time, but opening the door even once greatly shortens the time your food will stay cold.
Functional Friday: 10 Things to Take With You When You Volunteer
- Identification - Many volunteer groups and locations need to confirm your identity for the safety of their clients. Hospitals volunteers often work around patients and sensitive equipment, so the staff need assurances that you are the person they interviewed, 'hired', and authorized to be there. Some positions, like those where you enter people's homes (such as volunteer firefighter or CERT responder), may require you to be badged as well.
- Jacket - Even on the warmest of days, you should take a jacket. Over-zealous air conditioning or blustery breezes could leave you chilly. While manning a booth at a community event on a warm 80 degree day, you will often feel quite cool by sundown.
- Camera - Even with just your phone's camera, take a picture of you and a co-worker doing what you do. And make sure and get that photo in an email or on Facebook. You just may encourage a friend to get involved in their community, too. Be certain to follow photography rules, especially to protect the identity or location of clients, children, and safe house locations.
- Hat, Sunglasses, and sunscreen - You'll want to protect yourself from sun and the elements, particularly if you know you'll be outside, like picking up trash in a local park. And you might include an umbrella, bug repellent, and a poncho.
- Cash - Whether you need a snack from the vending machine or you decided to grab a cup of coffee, having a few dollars in cash will come in handy. You may find yourself buying bottled water or a bag of ice for summer ball team.
- Candy and/or snacks (maybe even lunch) - Perhaps even to share, your favorite snack can provide a pick me up as you offer your time and assistance. Volunteering, although worthwhile, can be stressful and draining. Your task may be physically demanding if you are cleaning up after a storm or packing food boxes at a pantry. Make sure you observe rules for eating and sharing, especially around clients of an organization.
- Lip balm, lotion, and hand sanitizer - Volunteer work may involve substantial personal contact and a lot of hand washing, especially if you're working in a kitchen. Protecting your skin (and staying hydrated) will keep you healthy, which may help you volunteer more.
- Water - Stay hydrated! It keeps your mind sharp and your body healthy. Outside of a normal routine, volunteers often forget to drink enough water. Drinking a pint bottle (500 ml, 1/2 liter) every two hours is particularly critical when working I. The heat or if you're sweating. You'll need even more water if you're sweating in heat above 90 degrees, like you might experience directing traffic for a Fourth of July community celebration.
- First Aid Kit -Scrapes and cuts can happen anywhere. Consider beefing up your kit if you'll be isolated, such as while leading a Scout troop into the wilderness. Consider adding instant cold packs, saline rinse, larger bandages and tape (think badly skinned knees) and a variety of ointments and creams (burn, anti-itch, sting, etc.) to stretch the usefulness of your current kit. Always get expert advise and training before taking on the responsibility of leading children or offering medical care and first aid.
- Pictures - Having a few pictures of yourself or your family might help break the ice with other volunteers or clients as you volunteer. Older residents of a nursing home often love to hear about your family and to talk about their own. Avoid photos that may depict affluence (This is our yacht off the coast of Monaco.) or photos that strongly depict your residence or workplace. (Use interior shots or those without addresses or landmarks.)
- A pen - Sure, it sounds simple, but a pen from my purse has allowed many people to 'sign in to win' at a festival or to complete an application after someone took the pen on the table.
- Conservative Jewelry - OK, this is really more what not to wear. Dangling earrings and pricey jewels can be a physical hazard or a theft temptation. They may also leave some clients, like those in a shelter, feeling regret for their current situation if they aren't able to afford those items. If this may be a concern, ask the volunteer coordinator for guidance before you arrive.
- Willingness and a smile - You'll find your volunteer experience much more enjoyable if you arrive with an open heart and motivation to do whatever is needed. Be certain to remember and apply any training you receive. And while you should be willing to accept tasks outside your comfort zone (like playing games in a group home for children with autism), never attempt tasks that are outside your technical skill or safety training (like performing medical procedures or operating equipment without certification.)
Japan's Quake Should Shake Us Into Action
Disaster Cycle
10 Things You Can Do To Save the Earth
Case In Point... Emergency Services
Getting Up To Date On Mobile Blogging
So as I sit in the Missouri Baptist Incident Command Center (responding to local needs after the St. Louis Good Friday tornados), I had a little time to kill and decided to delve into the next level of this blogging experience. Having recently acquired an iPhone (which has become an organizational lifesaver), I want to use my resources to make the most of every moment and every opportunity. With that in mind, I'll be emailing my next couple of blogs in from my phone wherever my busy days find me.
Those tree limbs are your responsibility!
As I write, I am volunteering as an assistant to the Missouri Baptist Disaster Relief team serving the St. Louis area after the tornados that struck the area on Good Friday. I've been impressed by the teams that have worked ever day since Easter, and there are teams still arriving to help. I worked with a chainsaw crew yesterday, and I learned several tidbits to pass along to you.
Of course, you should always talk to your insurance company before and after a storm to determine details of your coverage. Here's what homeowners have told me about their situation. Their policy covers their home and possibly other personal items; however, the removal of debris left by trees and other landscaping is not covered. So many homeowners with adequate coverage are still left with hundreds to thousands of dollars of tree work to be paid for out of pocket. The worst situations involve large tree with the tops broken over and hanging or leaning. These are dangerous situations and expensive projects. One owner had four large trees fall on his home. The insurance company paid to cut the limbs ten feet from the house and stopped there.
I want to give a shout out to these crews (and all the other volunteers) that work so hard to serve our cities so well. Thank you.
Of course, you should always talk to your insurance company before and after a storm to determine details of your coverage. Here's what homeowners have told me about their situation. Their policy covers their home and possibly other personal items; however, the removal of debris left by trees and other landscaping is not covered. So many homeowners with adequate coverage are still left with hundreds to thousands of dollars of tree work to be paid for out of pocket. The worst situations involve large tree with the tops broken over and hanging or leaning. These are dangerous situations and expensive projects. One owner had four large trees fall on his home. The insurance company paid to cut the limbs ten feet from the house and stopped there.
I want to give a shout out to these crews (and all the other volunteers) that work so hard to serve our cities so well. Thank you.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)