• Designate a contact person outside of the area that probably will not be affected by the same disaster. Instruct your family members within the affected area to get in touch with this person indicating their state after a disaster. This person will act as a liaison among the affected family members and others that need to be informed about your family’s status.
• Keep at least one standard landline at your home; cordless phones depend on electric power and will not work during a blackout.
• Place emergency numbers next to each phone.
• Learn how to use the text message feature in your cell phone. Text messaging uses a different part of the network and you might be able to send and receive text messages when the cell phone voice channels and landlines are congested.

FOOD

• Store enough food for the entire family for 3 days.
• Store familiar food, instead of buying special "emergency” food.
• Consider any dietary restriction you may have.
• Ideal food does not require refrigerating or cooking (e.g. canned fruit and vegetables, peanut butter, bread, cookies, cereal, dry fruit, jam, canned soup or meat, juices and powdered milk.)
• Mark a rotation date in any food container that doesn’t already have an expiration date in the package.
• Include baby food, infant milk formula or other special dietary elements for children and the elderly.
• Store the food in sealed containers, plague resistant in a fresh and dark place.
• Most canned foods can be safely stored for at least 18 months. Foods low in acid such as meat products, fruits or vegetables will usually last at least 2 years. Use dry products, such as boxed cereals, cookies, powdered milk and dry fruit in a six month period.
• Do not consume food from cans that show any sign of deterioration (rust or dents).
• After a power failure, refrigerated food will keep cold longer if you keep the door shut. Food should usually be consumed within a 4 hour period. Foods in the freezer will be usually safe during 2 days.

WATER

In a disaster, water supplies may be shut down or contaminated. Store enough water for the entire family for at least 3 days.

• Store at least a gallon of water per person, per day. This amount will be enough to drink. Three gallons of water per day will provide enough water for cooking and limited personal hygiene. Remember to plan for your pets.

If storing tap water:

• Tap water from the county system may be stored safely without any additional treatment.
• Store the water in plastic food containers, such as clean plastic soda bottles. (1 gallon = approx. 4 liters). Resistant and reusable plastic water containers are also available in sporting goods stores.
• Empty milk bottles are not recommended since their caps don’t seal well and the bottles may generate leaks.
• Replace the water at least once every six months. If you buy commercially bottled “spring” or “drinking” water:
• Keep the water in its original container and do not keep the bottle once opened.
• Label the bottles with their replacement date and store them in a fresh and dark place.
• Replace the water at least once a year if the bottles are not marked with the manufacturing expiration date.

Water treatment after a disaster:

If you run out of drinking water, filter and treat the water in your water heater or toilet water tank (except if you use cleaners at the toilet tank). You can’t drink water from the pool or SPA, but you can use it to clean the toilets or wash.

Treatment process:

Begin from filtering the large particles by pouring the water through a couple of paper towel or clean fabric layers.

Then, purify the water using one of these two methods:

• Boiling – boil it for 3 -5 minutes. Once the water has boiled, pour it once or twice between two clean containers to add the oxygen; this will improve its taste.
• Disinfect – If the water is clean, add 8 drops (1/8 tbsp.) of domestic chlorine for each gallon of water. If it is turbid, add 16 drops (1/4 tbsp.) per gallon.  Ensure you use normal bleach – 5.25% of sodium hypochlorite – instead of “ultra” or “color friendly” bleach. Shake and let it sit for 30 minutes. A slight bleach taste and odor is normal.

UTILITIES

Gas

Natural gas leaks may cause fires and explosions in a building.

• If you smell gas, hear a gas leak, see a burst pipeline or suspect a leak, shut off the main valve and open the windows.
• If you suspect a gas leak, never use candles or matches and don’t light switches or electrical devices
• Identify the main valve, located at the gas pipe entering the main gas meter. It is usually outside your home or building or in an external cabinet.

The main valve may have this appearance:

• To shut off the gas, turn the valve one quarter in any direction. When the lever crosses the pipe direction (see Utilities) next the gas is shut off.
• Keep handy a wrench or tool to turn the lever.
• Once the gas valve is off, never attempt to reopen it yourself. Wait until your utility company does so, but have in mind that it may take several days.

Electricity

Electrocution may be produced by direct contact with power cables or anything that may have received energy from these cables.

• Locate the main switch at your home, which is normally the garage or outside, where the power lines enter the home. The panel may have a bascule switch or handle in a large automatic switch.

Shut off the power when:

• Sparks or combustion in electrical devices is produced.
• There is a significant fire or water leak.
• You smell burning wire insulation.
• The area around switches or outlets is blackened and/or hot to the touch.

Complete power loss goes along burnt material color.

Water

Water leaks can cause property damage and shock hazards.

• Shut the water off if there is a leak in the building.
• The water valve is usually located at the basement, garage or where the pipe enters the home. The water valve is usually located at the vertical pipeline and is usually a red or yellow knob. Turn it clockwise to close.

Sewage service

A disaster interrupting all or a part of the drinking water pipelines and/or the City wastewaters may affect the way human disposals are treated.

• If your toilet has no water, but the sewage lines are intact, pour 3-5 gallons of water in the toilet to flush it. You can use saltwater, bathroom, washing or pool water.
• If you suspect the pipelines are damaged, DO NOT flush the toilet. Shut off the water at home so the contaminated water does not enter the drinking water system.
• If wastewater lines are leaking, cover the toilet with double plastic bags to collect human waste. Before disposing of the bag, add a small amount of bleach; then seal the bag and place it in a well-covered container, away from people.
• If the toilet is out of service, use a resistant bucket with a well adjusting lid and line it with double plastic bags.