Scald Prevention

Scald injuries frequently occur in the kitchen when hot liquids are spilled from either cooking pots or serving utensils. Although these injuries may be smaller in size than tap water scalds, they may be deeper because of hotter temperatures and may require skin grafting to heal. Those at the highest risk for these injuries are young children, older adults and persons with disabilities.

• If you have young children in your house while you are cooking meals, offer them an activity away from the cooking area.
• Cook on back burners when possible.
• Keep all pot handles turned back, away from the stove edge. All appliance cords need to be kept coiled and away from counter edges. Cords may become caught in cabinet doors causing hot food and liquids to spill onto you or others.
• When cooking with grease, such as that in deep fat fryers, use extreme caution.
• Temperatures can exceed 400°F and cause serious burns in less than 1 second.
• Place a rubber mat in front of your stove to prevent slipping and falling.
• Use potholders, not towels, to carry hot cooking utensils. The heat may pass through a towel to your hands and cause you to spill the contents or drop the utensil.
• When removing lids from hot foods, remember that steam may have accumulated. Lift the cover or lid away from your face and arm.
• Consider the weight of pots and pans. Attempt to move only those items that you can easily handle.
• If you are in a wheelchair: When moving hot liquids, place a large, sturdy tray with a solid lip in your lap to decrease the risk of lap burns.
• Use a serving cart to transfer food from stove to table top instead of carrying it.
• Consider placing alternate cooking equipment (slow cookers, toaster ovens or microwaves) on lower counters or tables if the stove or oven is too high to reach safely. Be aware: this may create a burn hazard if young children are present.

Build an Emergency Preparedness Kit

A disaster supplies kit is simply a collection of basic items your household may need in the event of an emergency.

Try to assemble your kit well in advance of an emergency. You may have to evacuate at a moment’s notice and take essentials with you. You will probably not have time to search for the supplies you need or shop for them.

You may need to survive on your own after an emergency. This means having your own food, water and other supplies in sufficient quantity to last for at least 72 hours. Local officials and relief workers will be on the scene after a disaster but they cannot reach everyone immediately. You could get help in hours or it might take days.

Additionally, basic services such as electricity, gas, water, sewage treatment and telephones may be cut off for days or even a week, or longer. Your supplies kit should contain items to help you manage during these outages.

A basic emergency supply kit could include the following recommended items:

• Water, one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation
• Food, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food
• Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• First aid kit
• Whistle to signal for help
• Dust mask to help filter contaminated air and plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place
• Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation
• Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
• Manual can opener for food
• Local maps
• Cell phone with chargers, inverter or solar charger

Preparing for Power Outages

Before an outage

• Build or restock your emergency preparedness kit, including a flashlight, batteries, cash, and first aid supplies.
• Make sure you have alternative charging methods for your phone or any device that requires power.
• Charge cell phones and any battery powered devices.
• Know where the manual release lever of your electric garage door opener is located and how to operate it.
• Purchase ice or freeze water-filled plastic containers to help keep food cold during a temporary power outage.
• Keep your car’s gas tank full-gas stations rely on electricity to power their pumps.If you use your car to re-charge devices, do NOT keep the car running in a garage, partially enclosed space, or close to a home, this can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning.
• Learn about the emergency plans that have been established in your area by visiting your state’s or local website so you can locate the closest cooling and warming shelters.
• If you rely on anything that is battery-operated or power dependent like a medical device determine a back-up plan.For more planning information tips visit: Seniors and

During an Outage

• Only use flashlights for emergency lighting, candles can cause fires.
• Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed. Most food requiring refrigeration can be kept safely in a closed refrigerator for several hours. An unopened refrigerator will keep food cold for about 4 hours. A full freezer will keep the temperature for about 48 hours.
• Take steps to remain cool if it is hot outside. In intense heat when the power may be off for a long time, consider going to a movie theater, shopping mall or “cooling shelter” that may be open in your community. If you remain at home, move to the lowest level of your home, since cool air falls. Wear lightweight, light-colored clothing. Drink plenty of water, even if you do not feel thirsty.
• Put on layers of warm clothing if it is cold outside. Never burn charcoal for heating or cooking indoors. Never use your oven as a source of heat. If the power may be out for a prolonged period, plan to go to another location (the home of a relative or friend, or a public facility) that has heat to keep warm.
• Turn off or disconnect appliances and other equipment in case of a momentary power “surge” that can damage computers and other devices. Consider adding surge protectors.
• If you are considering purchasing a generator for your home, consult an electrician or engineer before purchasing and installing.
• Only use generators away from your home and NEVER run a generator inside a home or garage, or connect it to your home's electrical system. For more information about generators visit:

Tsunami

All tsunamis are potentially dangerous, even though they may not damage every coastline they strike. Damaging tsunamis are very rare. Our coastlines are vulnerable, but tsunamis are infrequent. Understand the hazard and learn how to protect yourself, but don’t let the threat of tsunamis ruin your enjoyment of the beach.

INFORMATION:  A message with information about an earthquake that is not expected to generate a tsunami. Usually only one bulletin is issued.

Be familiar with the tsunami warning signs. A strong earthquake lasting 20 seconds or more near the coast may generate a tsunami. A noticeable rapid rise or fall in coastal waters is also a sign that a tsunami is approaching.

Tsunamis most frequently come onshore as a rapidly rising turbulent surge of water choked with debris. They are not V-shaped or rolling waves, and are not “surfable.”

Tsunamis may be locally generated or from a distant source. In 1992, the Cape Mendocino, California, earthquake produced a tsunami that reached Eureka in about 20 minutes, and Crescent City in 50 minutes. Although this tsunami had a wave height of about one foot and was not destructive, it illustrates how quickly a wave can arrive at nearby coastal communities and how long the danger can last.

In 1957, a distant-source tsunami generated by an earthquake in the Aleutian Islands in Alaska struck Hawaii, 2,100 miles away. Hawaii experienced $5 million in damages from that tsunami.

What to Do if You Feel a Strong Coastal Earthquake

If you feel an earthquake that lasts 20 seconds or longer when you are on the coast:

  -Drop, cover, and hold on. You should first protect yourself from the earthquake.

  -When the shaking stops, gather your family members and evacuate quickly. Leave everything else behind. A tsunami may be coming within minutes. Move quickly to higher ground away from the coast.

  -Be careful to avoid downed power lines and stay away from buildings and bridges from which heavy objects might fall during an aftershock.

What to Do When a Tsunami WATCH is Issued

  -Listen to a NOAA Weather Radio, Coast Guard emergency frequency station, or other reliable source for updated emergency information. As the energy of a tsunami is transferred through open water, it is not detectable. Seismic action may be the only advance warning before the tsunami approaches the coastline.

  -Check your Disaster Supplies Kit. Some supplies may need to be replaced or restocked.

  -Locate family members and review evacuation plans. Make sure everyone knows there is a potential threat and the best way to safer ground.

  -If you have special evacuation needs (small children, elderly people, or persons with disabilities) consider early evacuation. Evacuation may take longer, allow extra time.

  -If time permits, secure unanchored objects around your home or business. Tsunami waves can sweep away loose objects. Securing these items or moving them inside will reduce potential loss or damage.

  -Be ready to evacuate. Being prepared will help you to move more quickly if a tsunami warning is issued.

What to Do When a Tsunami WARNING is Issued

  -Listen to a NOAA Weather Radio, Coast Guard emergency frequency station, or other reliable source for updated emergency information. Authorities will issue a warning only if they believe there is a real threat from tsunami.

  -Follow instructions issued by local authorities. Recommended evacuation routes may be different from the one you use, or you may be advised to climb higher.

If you are in a tsunami risk area, do the following:

  -If you hear an official tsunami warning or detect signs of a tsunami, evacuate at once. A tsunami warning is issued when authorities are certain that a tsunami threat exists, and there may be little time to get out.

  -Take your Disaster Supplies Kit. Having supplies will make you more comfortable during the evacuation.

  -Get to higher ground as far inland as possible. Officials cannot reliably predict either the height or local effects of tsunamis. Watching a tsunami from the beach or cliffs could put you in grave danger. If you can see the wave, you are too close to escape it.

  -Return home only after local officials tell you it is safe. A tsunami is a series of waves that may continue for hours. Do not assume that after one wave the danger is over. The next wave may be larger than the first one.

Plan for a Tsunami

Learn about tsunami risk in your community. Contact your local emergency management office or American Red Cross chapter. Find out if your home, school, workplace or other frequently visited locations are in tsunami hazard areas. Know the height of your street above sea level and the distance of your street from the coast or other high-risk waters. Evacuation orders may be based on these numbers.

Plan an evacuation route from your home, school, workplace, or any other place you’ll be where tsunamis present a risk. If possible, pick an area 100 feet above sea level or go up to two miles inland, away from the coastline. If you can’t get this high or far, go as high as you can. Every foot inland or upwards may make a difference. You should be able to reach your safe location on foot within 15 minutes. After a disaster, roads may become impassable or blocked. Be prepared to evacuate by foot if necessary. Footpaths normally lead uphill and inland, while many roads parallel coastlines. Follow posted tsunami evacuation routes; these will lead to safety. Local emergency management officials can help advise you as to the best route to safety and likely shelter locations.

Earthquakes

Prepare a Home Earthquake Plan:

• Choose a safe place in every room–under a sturdy table or desk or against an inside wall, far from anything that can fall on you.

• Practice drop, cover and hold on at least twice a year. Drop under a sturdy deskor table, hold on and protect your eyes by pressing your face against your arm. If there is no table or desk nearby, sit on the floor against an interior wall away from windows, bookcases, or tall furniture that could fall on you. Teach children to DROP, COVER, AND HOLD ON!

• Choose an out-of-town family contact

• Consult a professional to find out additional ways you can protect your home:  bolting the house to its foundation and other structural mitigation techniques.

• Take a first aid class and keep your training current

• Get training on how to properly use a fire extinguisher

• Inform babysitters and caregivers of your plan

Eliminate Hazards:

• Bolting bookcases, cabinets, and other tall furniture to wall studs

• Installing strong latches on cupboards

• Strapping the water heater to wall studs

Prepare a Disaster Supply Kit For Home and Car:

• First aid kit and essential medications

• Canned food and can opener

• At least three gallons of water per person

• Protective clothing, raingear, and bedding or sleeping bags

• Battery-powered radio, flashlight, and extra batteries

• Special items for infant, elderly, or disabled family members

• Written instructions for how to turn off gas, electricity, and water if authorities advise you to do so. (Remember, you will need a professional to turn natural gas service back on.)

• Keeping essentials, such as a flashlight and sturdy shoes, by your bedside

Know What to Do When the Shaking Begins:

• DROP, COVER, AND HOLD ON! Move only a few steps to a nearby safe place. Stay indoors until the shaking stops and you are sure it is safe to exit. Stay away from windows.  In a high-rise building, expect the fire alarms and sprinklers to go off during a quake.

• If you are in bed, hold on and stay there. Protect your head with a pillow.

• If you are outdoors, find a clear spot away from buildings, trees and power lines. Drop to the ground.

• If you are in a car, slow down and drive to a clear place (as described above). Stay in the car until the shaking stops.

Identify What to Do After the Shaking Stops:

• Check yourself for injuries: Protect yourself from further danger by putting on long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, sturdy shoes and work gloves.

• Check others for injuries: Give first aid for serious injuries.

• Look for and extinguish small fires. Eliminate fire hazards. Turn off the gas if you smell gas or think it is leaking. (Remember, only a professional should turn it back on.)

• Listen to the radio for instructions

• Expect aftershocks. Each time you feel one, DROP, COVER, AND HOLD ON!

• Inspect your home for damage: Get everyone out if your home is unsafe.

• Use the telephone only to report life-threatening emergencies

When it's not flooding: Make a flood plan

• Know your flood risk.
• Make a flood emergency plan.
• Build or restock your emergency preparedness kit, including a flashlight, batteries, cash, and first aid supplies.
• Consider buying flood insurance.
• Familiarize yourself with local emergency plans. Know where to go and how to get there should you need to get to higher ground, the highest level of a building, or to evacuate.
• Stay tuned to your phone alerts, TV, or radio for weather updates, emergency instructions, or evacuation orders.