In the (flood) zone with climate change

In 2014, there were eight weather-related disasters, with losses exceeding $1 billion each across the U.S. Go ahead, have a look at the list. How many of those disasters were storms and floods? Too many! The bad news is that we all live in a flood zone. According to the National Flood Insurance program “in the past five years, all 50 states have experienced floods or flash floods.”

But before we get too far into floods, let’s talk for a minute about greenhouses. Certain gases in the atmosphere — we call them greenhouse gases — help to keep Earth warm by trapping heat from the sun, just like a greenhouse does. Without greenhouse gases, Earth would be too cold to support life as we know it.

However, scientists are measuring higher-than-normal levels of greenhouse gases, which are being trapped in Earth’s atmosphere. Our greenhouse, our planet, is becoming too warm because of the increasing level of greenhouse gases. We’re not cooling off enough. As the North Pole warms up, it’s easier for high-pressure systems from the ocean to move in on cold air in the North Pole and push it south.

And that’s where climate effects such as storms and floods come in. For example:

• Oceans are warmer: Water takes up more space as it heats and it has to go somewhere. And it’s rising up on shorelines. 
• Global air and wind currents are warmer: When air currents of high and low energy collide, they produce storms. Warmer air means more frequent and violent storms. Warm oceans also add to overheating air and wind currents. 
• The North Pole is warmer: Glaciers are melting into the ocean, adding to the amount of water. 

Now for some fast facts about floods:

• Floods can come on rapidly, such as a flash flood, or slowly build up, such as a rising creek during a slow, steady rainfall.
• Flooding can spread over large areas or occur over a small area. 
• Floods have many causes, including rainfall, snow melt, a rising body of water or a broken dam. 
• During a flood, shallow creeks streams or dry beds can become very deep. Roads can become torrential rivers washing away vehicles and people. Don’t get in, don’t take that chance!
• You may see an increase of unwanted “guests” after a flood, such as mosquitoes. Mosquito bites aren’t only annoying, they can spread dengue, West Nile virus or chikungunya, among other diseases.

For tips on preparing for floods and cleaning up after, check out these tips from APHA’s Get Ready campaign.

Pledge to be a force of nature

Are you a force of nature? The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration want to help you become one. That’s why they created National Severe Weather Preparedness Week. Held annually each spring, the week encourages people to help their family, friends and community prepare for severe weather.

While the week is over, the lessons it shares are good year-round. The campaign aims to get people to understand what to do before, during and after severe weather. There are three simple steps that anyone can do to get ready for weather events such as tornadoes, hurricanes and other dangerous storms:

1. Know your risk. Figure out which kinds of severe weather can happen where you live and work, so you can make a plan to get ready for these events.
2. Take the pledge. Be a force of nature by taking the Pledge to Prepare at Ready.gov.
3. Be an example. Once you take the pledge and start preparing, share your story with your family and friends. Tweet about it, write a Facebook post, make a YouTube video. By showing people that preparedness is something that anyone can do, you’ll inspire others to get ready, too!

We want to know how you plan to be a force of nature, so tell us what you do to prepare for severe weather in the comments below!

 

Get your mobile phone disaster-ready

According to the American Red Cross, more Americans are using social media and apps during disasters. Mobile phone apps and social media tools such as Facebook and Twitter are now tied as the fourth most popular way to find information in an emergency, after TV, radio and the Internet.

Cellphones, smartphone apps and social media tools are especially useful during disasters when phone lines are down and power is out. That’s why the Federal Emergency Management Agency is focusing its 2013 Resolve to be Ready campaign on including these technologies in your emergency preparedness plans. Here are some ideas to help you get started.

Mobile phones: The following tips are useful for any type of cellphone:

• Add “ICE” contacts to your phone. ICE, or in case of emergency, contacts will help first responders get in touch with your loved ones if an emergency happens. It’s a good idea to add a local ICE contact and one that lives out-of-state to your phone’s list of contacts. 


• Text — don’t call — when phones are busy. Phone lines are often busy during and after emergencies as many people try to contact loved ones, but oftentimes texts can get through. Make sure everyone in your family knows how to send text messages. 


• Find out if you can get Wireless Emergency Alerts on your phone. FEMA and many U.S. cellphone carriers have teamed up to create a system for Wireless Emergency Alerts. These are messages sent to your phone just like text messages, only they contain emergency information. These could be sent during disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes or terrorist attacks. You don’t need to sign up for these alerts — they are automatically sent to most cellphones. To check and see if you can receive these messages on your phone, visit the Wireless Emergency Alerts website.

Smart phones: Can you access the Internet or download apps on your phone? Here are some more ideas to use your phone to get ready:

• Download emergency apps. If you have a smartphone, there are many apps you can download that can be very useful in an emergency. The American Red Cross has created apps to help people during earthquakes, hurricanes and wildfires. The organization also has a first aid app and an app to help you find a local shelter during a disaster. You can find more information about these apps (and get them for free!) on the Red Cross website.


• Use social media to let friends and family know you’re safe. In a recent survey, Red Cross found that 76 percent of Americans use social media to check in with friends and family after an emergency. Posting a simple message such as “There was a tornado in my neighborhood — power is out but we are OK” on your Facebook or Twitter account can help let people know that you are safe. 


• Find local emergency information online. Check Facebook and Twitter to see if your local government, fire or police and local Red Cross chapters have set up accounts and follow them before an emergency happens. On a national level, you can also follow organizations such as FEMA, the American Red Cross, Ready.gov and other trusted sources. APHA’s list of national and regional emergency preparedness Twitter users is a good start. And don’t forget to follow @GetReady on Twitter!


• Reminder: While these sources are great, if you are in a life-threatening situation, remember to always call 911 first.

Do you have any other tips for preparing with your mobile phone? Do you have another emergency app you think we should know about? Let us know in the comments!

New report asks: Are we ready or not?

It can be hard to measure how ready we are for emergencies. A new report from Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation tries to answer that question. The report, “Ready or Not? Protecting the Public from Diseases, Disasters and Bioterrorism” comes out every year and can tell us how prepared we are, state-by-state and as a country.

The report finds that as a country, we have made some progress in getting prepared since 2001 by improving the availability of vaccines and bettering disease monitoring, among other measures. However, budget cuts at the national and state level have stopped the U.S. from making even more progress.

The report ranked states from most to least prepared on a scale of one to 10, with 10 the most prepared. Overall, 35 states and Washington, D.C., scored a six or lower. No states scored 10 out of 10, but five states were ranked as the most prepared, at eight out of 10: Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Vermont and Wisconsin. Kansas and Montana were the least prepared, the report found, scoring a three out of 10. Check out this map to see where your state falls.

[Map, courtesy Ready or Not? 2012,
Trust for America's Health and
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation]

Read the report to learn more about why your state was ranked high or low.

How did your state do? What do you think of the report? Let us know in the comments below!

Are you tech ready? Check out our new podcast on digital disaster preparedness!

The Get Ready campaign recently spoke with Amy Donahue, a reference librarian at the Medical College of Wisconsin, about preparing for a disaster digitally.

In our new podcast episode, Donahue gives tips for using technology to help us before, during and after an emergency. She has suggestions for how to make sure technology will work for us when we need it most — things like having extra batteries and having a plan for charging your phone when the power goes out. 

Donahue also explains how librarians can help when disaster strikes.

“We can help people identify good resources for disaster information. We can help them find new sources if they don’t know where to start. And then we can also help work with community partners,” to help people share information before, during and after an emergency, she says.

In addition to preparing your tech gear, Donahue reminds us that “nothing beats having the kit, having the plan, making sure all your technology will help you and not hinder you before an emergency ever strikes.”

You can listen to the newest Get Ready podcast and read the transcript here, or subscribe to our podcasts on iTunes!

Is there a specific topic you think we should cover in our next podcast? Let us know in the comments!

Tips to help you before, during and after a hurricane

Seven years ago this week, Hurricane Katrina made landfall in New Orleans, killing almost 1,800 people and causing billions of dollars in damage. This week, Hurricane Isaac — now downgraded to a tropical storm — hit Louisiana and other Gulf states, causing flooding and widespread power outages.

Hurricane Irene from space. Image courtesy
NASA/NOAA GOES Project

The storms serve as a reminder of the importance of getting ready for a hurricane and staying safe during and after the storm. Hurricane season runs through November, so there may be more U.S. storms still to come this year. Use our tips to get ready:

How to prepare for a hurricane

1. Build an emergency kit. Start early so that you can avoid the crowds and make sure you have everything you need. The Get Ready campaign can help you put together an emergency kit.
2. Have an emergency stockpile of food and water. The Federal Emergency Management Agency recommends that you have at least three days of supplies ready in case of an emergency. Have at least one gallon of water for each member of your family for each day.
3. Make a plan. Do you live in an area at risk for flooding? Where are your local evacuation routes? Where will you meet up with your family if you are separated during the storm?Make a plan and be prepared.

What to do during a hurricane

1. Listen to the weather forecast. (A battery-operated weather radio will help you stay informed if the power goes out!) If you are told to evacuate, do so as soon as possible.
2. If you are not told to evacuate or are unable to do so, stay inside. Stay away from windows and glass doors, and if possible stay in an inside room that is on the lowest level of your house.
3. If phone lines are busy during the storm, check in with friends and family via text messages or social networks.

Stay safe after the storm passes

1. If you were evacuated from your home, don’t go back until officials tell you that it is safe to do so.
2. Do not walk, swim or try to drive in floodwaters. As little as six inches of moving water can knock an adult down or cause your car to stall. Check out our fact sheet about driving and disasters for more information about staying safe.
3. If you are walking around outside, watch out for downed power lines.
4. Manage power outages safely. Do not run power generators inside — they produce a clear, odorless gas called carbon monoxide that can be deadly. Do not light matches or use candles in your home in case there is a gas leak. And make sure your food is safe by following these tips.
5. Remember take photos of the damage to your home and property.
6. Protect yourself when cleaning up after the storm, especially if your home has been flooded. Be sure to wear gloves, wash your hands often and look out for any mold that may grow after the flood. Get more tips about cleaning up after a hurricane with our flood fact sheet.

We hope everyone is staying safe during Hurricane Isaac. Did your area get hit this time? Please share your experience with us in the comments below.

Get Ready has new fact sheets for people living with disabilities

Have you ever used our cool, super helpful and totally free Get Ready fact sheets?

We’re excited to tell you that we just added five new fact sheets to our huge list of topics. These new fact sheets focus on helping people living with disabilities think about and prepare for disasters. You can check them out on our disability preparedness page.

We have a general fact sheet with preparedness tips for people with disabilities, as well as fact sheets for people with hearing, mobility, vision and cognitive disabilities. These fact sheets are available in English and in Spanish on our disabilities page. You can add your own logo with our easy-to-use instructions.

Plus, to make the fact sheets accessible to anyone who needs them, we’ve made audio and American Sign Language video recordings of the fact sheets. Once you’ve accessed the fact sheets, check out the podcasts we created on disabilities and preparedness as well.

We hope these new fact sheets help you and the people you care about get ready for any emergency. Let us know what you think in the comments!

Summer Safe: Learn how to get ready for a wildfire

Did you catch the news this week about the wildfires that have burned thousands of acres in Colorado and New Mexico?

Unfortunately, with the hot, dry weather that often comes this time of year, wildfires are more common. Plus, this week scientists reported that because of climate change, an increase in wildfires is expected over the next 30 years. That’s why we thought now would be a good time to talk about getting ready for wildfires.

Wildfires can start from natural causes like lightning, but most are caused by humans, such as when people leave campfires unattended or don’t dispose of burning cigarettes safely. (Learn more about fire prevention here: http://www.smokeybear.com/wildfires.asp). However it starts, a wildfire can spread quickly, burning forests and buildings in its path. Aside from the dangers of the actual fire, wildfires are also a health threat because of their heavy smoke, which can cause headaches, breathing trouble and chest pain and can cause extra health complications. 

Here are some quick steps you can take to prepare for wildfires:

• Find out about your community’s risk for wildfires. Check to see if there is a local wildfire warning system and know the evacuation routes.
• If you live in an area at risk for wildfires, make sure your property is safe: Clean your roof, gutters and property of dried leaves regularly. Move things that will burn, like gas tanks or stacks of firewood, away from your house. Have fire extinguishers and smoke detectors in your home, and check them regularly.
• Have an emergency kit, ideally in a bag or container that you can grab and take with you in case of evacuation.
• Make a plan with your loved ones, so that if you need to evacuate quickly, you’ll know where to go. Don’t forget to pick an out-of-town emergency contact who everyone can check in with, in case local phone lines are busy.
• If you see a wildfire, call 9-1-1 immediately.
• If you are in a car and see a wildfire, stay in the car, roll up the windows and close the vents. Drive slowly and keep your lights on. (Check out our Driving & Disasters Fact Sheet for more info ).
• If you are home, close all doors and windows and take care not to breathe in smoke. If you are told to evacuate, do so immediately.

For more information about preparing for wildfires, check out our Get Ready Fact Sheet on Wildfires, in English and Spanish. You can also visit the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s website for more information about what to do before, during and after a wildfire.

New tools to help you get ready for disasters – socially

Just in time for hurricane season and summer’s severe weather, we’re highlighting some new electronic tools that will help you get ready for disasters.

First, the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response recently announced two free Facebook apps that help people prepare for emergencies with their social networks. The bReddi Facebook app and Project: Lifeline are designed to help you identify “lifelines” in your community who you can count on during a disaster.

“We know that people who have friends or relatives they can rely on for help are healthier and live longer than those who don’t, and that every disaster has the potential to impact health, so having people you can depend on for help is especially important during a disaster,” said Nicole Lurie, assistant secretary for preparedness and response, in an HHS news release. “That’s why we are encouraging everyone to identify their lifelines in advance.”

Project: Lifeline allows you to select people from your social network that you can count on during an emergency. bReddi will help you identify severe weather risks in your area and create a preparedness plan. The app can even alert you via Twitter, text or Facebook message when the threat level changes! These Facebook apps may be especially useful after a disaster, when phone lines are often busy.

What if you don’t use Facebook, or if you’re on the go? A national Wireless Emergency Alerts initiative was also announced last month. The new service will send a message to your cellphone if there is an emergency or disaster near you. The messages, which will look like text messages, are free, and you won’t have to sign up to receive them — everyone with text message service will receive them.  The text service will be location-based, so if you live in Chicago but are driving through Kansas during severe weather, you will get a tornado alert for your current location.

The new alert system is based on a partnership between the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Federal Communications Commission and all major cellphone providers in the U.S.

Are you excited to try these new tools? Let us know in the comments if you’ve tried one of them, or if you want to recommend another app that helps you be prepared!

May is Volcano Preparedness Month

Would you know what to do if you were near a volcano that suddenly erupted? May is Volcano Preparedness Month in Washington state, so today we’re talking about what you can do to prepare for a volcanic eruption.

For many people who live in the U.S., volcanoes aren’t the first threat that comes to mind when people think of preparing for a natural disaster. But volcanoes are a bigger deal than you think: Our country is home to two of the 10 most active volcanoes in the world, and the U.S. Geological Survey monitors more than 160 volcanoes and former volcanoes in states that include Hawaii, Alaska and California.

Even if you don’t live near a volcano, you might end up near one if you ever take a vacation in Mexico, New Zealand, Italy or dozens of other countries. Are you convinced yet? Good! It’s time to get ready for a volcano.

• Start by making sure you have a general preparedness plan in place, including making an emergency kit, mapping an evacuation route, and discussing your plan with family members and loved ones.


• Listen to local TV and radio reports for updates about volcanic activity. If you are directed to evacuate after a volcano erupts, do so immediately.


• Add goggles and face masks to your emergency kits at home and in your car. One of the biggest problems after a volcano erupts is volcanic ash, which can spread in the air for many miles. If a volcano erupts in your vicinity and you’re outdoors, head inside, close all windows and doors, and stay inside until you are told it is safe to leave.

For more information about preparing for a volcano, check out our Get Ready fact sheet, available in English and Spanish (PDFs).

Learn more about where volcanoes are around the world from the Smithsonian’s Global Volcanism Program.

Announcing the winners of our 2012 Get Ready Scholarship

Six students at the high school, undergraduate and graduate level have been chosen to receive scholarships in APHA’s fourth annual Get Ready Scholarship competition.

The Get Ready Scholarship is designed to encourage high school and college students to focus on the importance of emergency preparedness. Students were asked to write essays on various topics related to public health and preparedness. Out of hundreds of essays, the following six were chosen as winners:

High school level:
• Craig Earley: Powder River County District High School, Broadus, Mont.
• Devika Patel: Montclair Kimberley Academy, Parsippany, N.J.

Undergraduate level:
• Kiyra A. L. Crooks: University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas
• Ryan Masterson: Hunter College, New Haven, Conn.

Graduate level:
• Kimberley Kurek: George Mason University, School of Nursing, Washington, D.C.
• Nicole Pristera: Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio

Each student will receive a $500 scholarship and a one-year APHA student membership. Read excerpts from the winning essays on the Get Ready website.

Congratulations to our winners, and thanks to every student who submitted an essay!

Check out our newest Get Ready fact sheet: Disaster preparedness on the road

Do you know what to do if you’re in a car when a tornado hits? What about an earthquake? (Hint: Don’t park under a bridge or overpass!)

April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month, so we thought it would be a great time to mention our newest fact sheet about safe driving during disasters. It’s full of information to get you ready to drive in any type of emergency. We’ve also included tips about what to keep in your car so that you’re prepared for disasters even when you’re on the go. Click on the fact sheet below to download a PDF in English. You can get a Spanish version of the fact sheet and check out all of other topics on our Get the facts page.

After you check out our fact sheet, you should check to see if your town has an evacuation route. And while you’re at it, sit down with family and loved ones to plan a place to meet once everyone gets away from the disaster area safely.

Being prepared for emergencies on the road will help you remain calm, drive safely and arrive alive.

Head to higher ground: It's National Tsunami Awareness Week!

Did you know that it’s National Tsunami Awareness Week? A tsunami is one of those natural disasters that can strike with very little warning, so it’s important to know the signs that a tsunami is coming so that you can quickly get to safety.

First, the basics: A tsunami is a very large wave that is created when something like an earthquake or volcano eruption causes a sudden change in the ocean water level. These events can happen close to the shore, creating a tsunami that reaches the coast within minutes, or they can happen far away and travel more than 600 miles an hour to beaches on the other side of the ocean.

For far-away earthquakes, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has created a system of tsunami warnings, watches and alerts that can help warn people along coastlines around the world of an impending tsunami. However, tsunamis are very unpredictable, and when an earthquake happens close to the coast, a tsunami could happen without warning. For these reasons, it’s important that everyone knows the signs of a tsunami:

1. Feeling an earthquake while on or near the beach, especially if it is so strong that it knocks people over.
2. Seeing the ocean water level suddenly get very low or very high.
3. Hearing a loud roaring noise, like an airplane or a train, coming from the ocean.

If you experience any of these warning signs, you must head to higher ground immediately. The best place to go is an area at least 100 feet above sea level, or up to two miles in from the coast. It’s best to travel by foot, as driving could mean that you get stuck in traffic or block the road for emergency vehicles that may need to come through. If you live near a coast, it’s important to think about tsunamis in your family emergency plan, and be sure to pick meeting places and evacuation routes that are outside of a tsunami hazard zone.

Tsunamis are not only a concern for people who live near coastlines — anyone who travels to a coastal city for vacation or work should also have a plan. To learn more about tsunami preparedness, check out our Get Ready tsunami fact sheets in English (PDF), y tambien en Español (PDF).

For more tips on preparing for a tsunami, watch this great video from NOAA’s TsunamiReady program: