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| Chestnut Ridge Chapter Lower Burrell Office 1816 Lincoln Avenue 2895-A Leechburg Road Latrobe, Pennsylvania 15650 Lower Burrell, Pennsylvania 15068 Phone: (724)-537-3911 Phone: (724)-337-6595 Fax: (724)-539-9502 Fax: (724)-337-6599 E-Mail: crcredcross@covad.net E-Mail: newken@redcross.nidhog.net |
Evacuation Planning
Local government officials, not the Red Cross, issue evacuation orders
when disaster threatens. Listen to local radio and television reports when
disaster threatens. If local officials ask you to leave, do so immediately!
If you have only moments before leaving, grab these things and go!
If local officials haven't advised an immediate evacuation:
If there's a chance the weather may get worse or flooding may happen,
take steps now to protect your home and belongings. Do this only if local
officials have not asked you to leave.
Protect your home.
Bring things indoors. Lawn furniture, trash cans, children's toys, garden
equipment, clotheslines, hanging plants, and any other objects that may fly
around and damage property should be brought indoors.
Leave trees and shrubs alone. If you did not cut away dead or diseased
branches or limbs from trees and shrubs, leave them alone. Local rubbish
collection services will not have time before the storm to pick anything up.
Look for potential hazards. Look for unripened fruit and other objects in
trees around your property that could blow or break off and fly around in
high winds. Cut them off and store them indoors until the storm is over.
Turn off electricity and water. Turn off electricity at the main fuse or
breaker, and turn off water at the main valve.
Leave natural gas on. Unless local officials advise otherwise, leave
natural gas on because you will need it for heating and cooking when you
return home. If you turn gas off, a licensed professional is required to turn it
back on, and it may take weeks for a professional to respond.
Turn off propane gas service. Propane tanks often become dislodged in
disasters.
If high winds are expected, cover the outside of all windows of your
home. Use shutters that are rated to provide significant protection from
windblown debris, or fit plywood coverings over all windows.
If flooding is expected, consider using sand bags to keep water
away from your home. It takes two people about one hour to fill and place
100 sandbags, giving you a wall one foot high and 20 feet long. Make sure
you have enough sand, burlap or plastic bags, shovels, strong helpers, and
time to place them properly.
Remember. Houses do not explode due to air pressure differences.
Damage happens when wind gets inside a home through a broken window,
door, or damaged roof.
Cover the outside of windows with shutters or plywood. Tape does
not prevent windows from breaking. All tape does is prevent windows from
shattering. Using tape on windows is not recommended.
Protect your valuables.
Move objects that may get damaged by wind or water to safer areas
of your home. Move television sets, computers, stereo and electronic
equipment, and easily moveable appliances like a microwave oven to
higher levels of your home and away from windows. Wrap them in sheets,
blankets, or burlap.
Make a visual or written record of all of your household
possessions. Record model and serial numbers. This list could help you
prove the value of what you owned if those possessions are damaged or
destroyed, and can assist you to claim deductions on taxes.
Do this for all items in your home, including expensive items such as sofas,
chairs, tables, beds, chests, wall units, and any other furniture too heavy to
move. Store a copy of the record somewhere away from home, such as in a
safe deposit box.
If it's possible that your home may be significantly damaged by impending
disaster, consider storing your household furnishings temporarily elsewhere.
Gather essential supplies and papers.
You will need the following supplies when you leave your home;
put them all together in a duffle bag or other large container in
advance:
Important papers to take with you:
Local government officials, not the Red Cross, issue evacuation orders
when disaster threatens. Listen to local radio and television reports when
disaster threatens. If local officials ask you to leave, do so immediately!
If you have only moments before leaving, grab these things and go!
- Medical supplies: prescription medication information and dentures.
- Disaster supplies: flashlight, batteries, radio, first aid kit, bottled water
- Clothing and bedding: a change of clothes and a sleeping bag or
bedroll and pillow for each household member - Car keys and keys to the place you may be going (friend's or
relative's home)
If local officials haven't advised an immediate evacuation:
If there's a chance the weather may get worse or flooding may happen,
take steps now to protect your home and belongings. Do this only if local
officials have not asked you to leave.
Protect your home.
Bring things indoors. Lawn furniture, trash cans, children's toys, garden
equipment, clotheslines, hanging plants, and any other objects that may fly
around and damage property should be brought indoors.
Leave trees and shrubs alone. If you did not cut away dead or diseased
branches or limbs from trees and shrubs, leave them alone. Local rubbish
collection services will not have time before the storm to pick anything up.
Look for potential hazards. Look for unripened fruit and other objects in
trees around your property that could blow or break off and fly around in
high winds. Cut them off and store them indoors until the storm is over.
Turn off electricity and water. Turn off electricity at the main fuse or
breaker, and turn off water at the main valve.
Leave natural gas on. Unless local officials advise otherwise, leave
natural gas on because you will need it for heating and cooking when you
return home. If you turn gas off, a licensed professional is required to turn it
back on, and it may take weeks for a professional to respond.
Turn off propane gas service. Propane tanks often become dislodged in
disasters.
If high winds are expected, cover the outside of all windows of your
home. Use shutters that are rated to provide significant protection from
windblown debris, or fit plywood coverings over all windows.
If flooding is expected, consider using sand bags to keep water
away from your home. It takes two people about one hour to fill and place
100 sandbags, giving you a wall one foot high and 20 feet long. Make sure
you have enough sand, burlap or plastic bags, shovels, strong helpers, and
time to place them properly.
Remember. Houses do not explode due to air pressure differences.
Damage happens when wind gets inside a home through a broken window,
door, or damaged roof.
Cover the outside of windows with shutters or plywood. Tape does
not prevent windows from breaking. All tape does is prevent windows from
shattering. Using tape on windows is not recommended.
Protect your valuables.
Move objects that may get damaged by wind or water to safer areas
of your home. Move television sets, computers, stereo and electronic
equipment, and easily moveable appliances like a microwave oven to
higher levels of your home and away from windows. Wrap them in sheets,
blankets, or burlap.
Make a visual or written record of all of your household
possessions. Record model and serial numbers. This list could help you
prove the value of what you owned if those possessions are damaged or
destroyed, and can assist you to claim deductions on taxes.
Do this for all items in your home, including expensive items such as sofas,
chairs, tables, beds, chests, wall units, and any other furniture too heavy to
move. Store a copy of the record somewhere away from home, such as in a
safe deposit box.
If it's possible that your home may be significantly damaged by impending
disaster, consider storing your household furnishings temporarily elsewhere.
Gather essential supplies and papers.
You will need the following supplies when you leave your home;
put them all together in a duffle bag or other large container in
advance:
- Flashlight with plenty of extra batteries
- Battery-powered radio with extra batteries
- First aid kit
- Prescription medications in their original bottle, plus copies of the
prescriptions - Eyeglasses (with a copy of the prescription)
- Water (at least one gallon per person is recommended; more is
better) - Foods that do not require refrigeration or cooking
- Items that infants and elderly household members may require
- Medical equipment and devices, such as dentures, crutches,
prostheses, etc. - Change of clothes for each household member
- Sleeping bag or bedroll and pillow for each household member
- Checkbook, cash, and credit cards
- Map of the area
Important papers to take with you:
- Driver's license or personal identification
- Social Security card
- Proof of residence (deed or lease)
- Insurance policies
- Birth and marriage certificates
- Stocks, bonds, and other negotiable certificates
- Wills, deeds, and copies of recent tax returns
