How To Survive Terrorism & Natural Disasters

Anthrax If there is an anthrax attact, wait for instructions from authorities before taking antibiotics or cleaning your house or clothes. The drugs that treat anthrax can cause nausea, diarrhea or dizziness. Cleaning could stir up spores and raise your risk of infection. Symptoms to watch for are a raised rash that will develop a black scab. The first sign of anthrax inhalation mimics the flu with fever, headache, chills, vomiting,and chest or abdominal pain. The good news is the risk of anthrax attact is low since it requires an enormous amount of technical skill to produce it on a large scale. Also, when properly treated, it can be neutralized. Chlorine If there is a chlorine alert, head in doors. Then get into the shower since water will keep the vapors away from you. If you're outside, make a low tech gas mask out of a crumpled shirt to hold it over your nose and mouth. Wetting it will buy you more protection. Mild exposure to chlorine may cause slight choking or coughing. A strong dose will bring on nausea,dizziness, shortness of breath and tightness in the chest. High exposure causes the lungs to fill up with fluid making it difficult to breath. This can result in death. The risk of chlorine attact is high since there are 850,000 places in the US that store chemicals like chlorine. Plus there are thousands of truck that transport it around our highways everyday. The good news is that chlorine has a pungent odor and usually can't sneak up on you. There is no antidote for chlorine but medical treatment can help those exposed. Sarin If you suspect a sarin attact, hold your breath and head for the nearest exit. Once outside, forget your modesty and strip down to your underwear. Also make any victims you take with you strip off their clothes too. If you can find a public water fountain, bottled water or any water source, scrub your skin and hair. Also, don't leave the scene even if you think you're OK. That's because people can have delayed exposure symptoms and signs may be subtle. The good news is that the risk of sarin attact is low since its difficult to acquire and produce. Also, since it's like perfume, it quickly dissipates and its not inevitably fatal. Nuclear Suitcase Bomb If you're alerted to a dirty bomb going off, stay indoors. Draw your blinds and move away from the outer walls. If your building has a basement, go there immediately. If you can get a signal, attune to your local emergency broadcast. If you have to evacuate, get into your car and get out of the area. Drive at a right angle to the path of the cloud. And if its moving north to south, drive east to west. Signs of radioactive poisoning include reddening of the skin, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue and hair loss. Doctors can check your blood count to determine exposure. The good news is that such devices need periodic maintenance by highly skilled technicians so dirty bomb attacts may be unlikely. Plus you can ward off throid cancer by taking potassium iodide pills. They're available at most drug stores. Evacuation If you need to evacuate because of a natrual diaster, you need to create a back up plan in case of an emergency. Back Pack An emergency back pack should be ready to go at a moments notice. It should contain copies or a CD ROM of your birth and marriage certficates, ID, passports, home and life insurance policies, bank and medical records, deeds, miltary discharge, medicaid, medicare, vetran an other important papers. It should also contain prescription drugs, a mini first aid kit, $200 to $300 in one dollar bills,a prepaid phone card, waterproof matches, emergency flashlight with extra batteries, a signal whistle, a portable NOAA hand crank or battery operated radio, granola, nuts, snacks, bottled water, an extra set of keys to your house and car plus infant and pet neccessities. Car You car should contain local maps and a road atlas, writing supplies, paper cups, plates, plastic untensils, 2 gallon sof bottled water, hand sanitizer, a compact sleeping bag or blankets, plus dried fruit, granola or other light snacks. It should also contain a roll of toilet paper, a roll of paper towels, towelettes, a first aid kit, multitool knife, jumper cables, light sticks or road flares,and a tow line for hauling. Plus you should have a sweater, a waterproof jacket and an extra hat and shoes. Home When planning for home emergency supplies, keep in mind that a family of 4 consumes 51,000 calories and 14 gallons of water per week! Keep at least 1 gallon of water per person per day for drinking and sanitation. Filling up a 50 gallon bathtub with water will last up to 12 days.Home supplies should include plastic sheeting, duct tape, clothes,canned or dried food and pet food, and a three day supply of bottled water.Figure on 1 gallon of water per person per day plus a few gallons of bleach and and eye dropper to purify water. You'll also need a manual can opener,plastic and paper utensils, a latern, candles, matches, a hand crank radio, dust masks, flashlights and batteries, heavy gloves, rope, fire extinguisher, a first aid kit and manual, toiler paper, a bucket and hand and power tools. You should also call your utility company before disaster strikes so you can learn how to stuff off the gas, the water and the electric in five minutes. Most gas valves are located outside and require a wrench for shutoff. Its a good idea to locate your main water valve and mark it so you can shut it off in an emergency. To shut off your electric, locate the circuit box and shut off the main breaker. If there is standing water near the service panel or circuit box , DO NOT TOUCH IT! Communication Keep a card with an updated list of family contacts in your wallet, backpack and car at all times. Make sure each family member carries the number of a familly member or trusted friend 50 miles away in case the phones are out. If your family members get seperated, you can form a circle or hub of communication by keeping in touch through a 3rd party. Technology Scan bank, medical,tax, property, ID, marriage, birth, military, insurance and other important records on your home computer. Then burn this info onto a CD ROM or DVD. Then keep back up copies of the CD ROM or DVD in a safe deposit box with the original documents or with a trusted family member. Also, keep a copy of the CD in your emergency backpack or car. Hidden Water Hidden water can be collected from your home pipes. Close the main water valve and open a top floor faucet to let the air out. Then draw water from the lowest faucet in the house. Another source of water is the hot water heater. A 30 gallon tank holds enough water to supply a family of 4 for one week. Keep in mind a natural disaster can sometimes foul up the water supply. So make sure you filter any water before you drink it. Purifying Water To treat contaminated water, rain water, moving stream or clear lake water, filter it through a paper towel, clean cloth or coffee filter to remove debris. Then boil it or sterilize it with 16 drops of household bleach per gallon of water. Wait 30 minutes before drinking. Power When the electric goes out, an unpowered frig can keep food up to 4 hours. Frozen food will last up to 2 days. If you have doubts about freshness, use a food thermometer. Anything above 41F should be trashed. Fruit can last at room temeprature up to 7 days. If unopened, dried pantry foods can last about six months and canned and jar goods can last up to one year. A 900 watt generator will run a dorm frig and seven 60 watt bulbs and burn 2.5 gallons of gas per 24 hours. A 4000 watt generator will run a full size frig, some lights , a coffee maker or a well pump. It will burn 12 gallons of gas per 24 hours. An 8000 watt generator will run a well pump, coffee maker, full size frig , lights, sump pump or the central air unit. It will burn 26 gallons of gas in 24 hours ! Always keep a generator at least 10 feet from the house. Also, because of carbon monoxide poisoning, never run a generator in a garage, under a deck, or enclosed. Also, you should have an electrican install a transfer switch on your generator to prevent electric going back on the grid. This will prvent utility workers from getting harmed when trying to repair a local line. Survival Supplies A good source of survival supplies at reasonable prices is: www.QuakeKare.Com