HOW TO GET PREPARED FOR FLOOD BEFORE , DURING AND AFTER AND BE SAFE.
According to report gathered and reported by FEMA, about 30,000 people have been rendered homeless and will need temporary shelter ,apart from this ,about 450,000 people also will actually or may have to seek for federal disaster aid, what a pathetic situation, oh you can imagine people who were living comfortably and enjoying their lives and going all about with their daily activities, never thought of flood disaster ,just woke up in a day ,seeing rain falling thinking that very soon it will stop so that normal business will continue as usual . Alas ! The rain continued and reaching about four feet which was reported that the Harvey broke the national record of a single tropical storm.
Apart from this recent flood in Houston, all over the world, flood is a common occurrence which we know but most people don't prepare for it and that is the major challenge in flood disaster, the reason why lives are lost and properties destroyed is because people are caught unaware and unprepared for .
How I wish Houston Texas actually prepared for the flood, probably the damage done to lives and properties may have been minimised to a minimal level, hence there is need for preparation at all time especially at the arrival of rain.
I will also mention Nigeria, one of the countries in Africa that has been experiencing a lot of flood disaster over the years.It's gradually becoming every raining season menace in some part of the country.
Every year ,you must hear about flood disaster in some part of the country, some states that have experienced flood this year include Lagos, Benue, Cross River that I have heard ,it may be more.In these states ,lives have been lost and properties worth millions of naira gone, many businesses gone and houses destroyed and people rendered homeless.
Irrespective of which part of the world are you and you are reading this article, take your time to go through this article for it's going to open your eyes to what you can do to be safe during flood ,you can choose not to be a victim, or reduce the impact of flood on you and your family.
1) WHAT ARE THE THINGS YOU ARE TO DO BEFORE THE FLOOD
* Don't build on flood plain area or around the river banks especially if it's suggestive of flooding
* Ensure the drainage system is not blocked to prevent easy flow of water.
* If you are prone to flood in your area, always tune your radio or television to weather forecast and be aware if there could be possibility of having flood in that area of yours
* If your area is prone to flood ,seal your basement walls with water proofing materials to prevent seepage.
* Ensure you make ,build or construct some barriers such as beams ,flood walls ,levees to stop flood water from entering your house.
2) WHEN FLOOD WATCH OR WARNING COMES ,WHAT DO YOU DO
* Be following the flood updates from your radio or television stations (weather forecast )
* Gather as much as you can of emergency supplies such as Drinking water – Fill clean containers.
Food that requires no refrigeration or cooking ,Cash , Medications and first aid supplies, Clothing, toiletries ,Battery-powered radio, Flashlights , Extra batteries and every important documents e.g insurance papers, medical records, bank account numbers , all your academic certificates.
* Be ready to leave the area and quickly identify suitable area to go, ensure you identify an alternative road which is not prone to flooding, if you are the type who has pet ,you will also plan for them ,also ensure you go ahead to fill your car gas tank and finally be absolutely ready to leave the moment you are to do so.
* Have a well disaster plan with your family which it will include where everybody will meet in case of emergency flood leaving everyone member of the family scattered,it will also involve having someone's contact information that can be reached by every member of the family in case the flood separate every member of the family.
* Importantly, you will need to protect your property, you can do this by moving them from the first floor to place higher ,not easily be reached by flood water, chemicals or materials that are hazardous should also be kept on higher places.
* All your electrical appliances should be turned off and then ensure that electricity into the house is put off from the source.
C) WHAT TO DO AT THE ARRIVAL OF THE FLOOD
* Ensure you don't go near or touch any electrical appliances while you are wet or inside water
* Don't walk through the moving water as much as you can avoid it ,you can actually fall if you do so and it can be dangerous when you fall into the floodwater.
* On no occasion should you try to drive through the flooded road,if the water as covered your car ,abandon it and come to a higher place if you can get there safely .
* If you will have to walk through the water ,then pass through area where the water is not moving and use a stick to check if where you are moving towards is firm not slippery.
3) WHAT ARE THE THINGS EXPECTED OF YOU TO DO AFTER FLOOD
* Don't be in haste to quickly return, wait patiently until you are sure it's now safe to return and the authorities has affirmed it that it's safe
* Constantly listening to the weather forecast on radio or television to know what is the situation like.
* When returning ,ensure you follow the recommended route has recommended by the authorities, don't do sight seeing, it may be dangerous.
* As you travel back ,ensure you are very careful and vigilant, watch out for where landslides has occurred, washed road, downed power lines and avoid them
* If your building is flooded,don't enter ,ensure you check for any foundation cracks and involve building officials to declare it safe before you enter
* When entering, ensure you wear sturdy shoes to avoid cut, check for fire hazards such as damage gas line, flooded electrical circuit. Ensure to use lamp powered by battery because there may be inflammable materials.
* Report all damaged utility lines, check for leak gas pipe and check for damaged electrical circuit, if you can reach the main electrical circuit or source of the electricity to the building without torching water ,go and switch it off.
* Check for cracks on the walls, doors , windows , ceiling which may lead to building collapse.
* Seek the help of the professionals for fixing damages such as damaged electrical circuits ,gas lines etc seek medical help ,don't ignore those minor injuries.
* If you insured your property, take the pictures and take it to your insurance company for claims
* When you move in, know that your home is not completely safe ,discard every medicine, foods and water that had contact with the flood water.
* Ensure you disinfect every material that had contact with the flood water ,and open your building for constant ventilation for fresh air .
* Your children should not be allowed to play in those places that were flooded
* Your sewage system needs urgent service ,contact the professionals to check it for you.
* In case of future protection from flood ,as you do your repairs .ensure to lift up your utilities above the flood level ,all electrical circuit and gadgets should be elevated above the flood level also,if possible use flood resistant material in your home.
* Don't forget that it is very important to follow the building code in your area in case of building house.
In conclusion, flood disaster is a life threatening occurrence ,flood comes with a lot of damages even after it has occurred, the impact left is terrible, lives can still be lost from outbreak if diseases such as cholera. Many even die because of the irreparable lost to their lifetime investment, dying of depression and hypertension.
You can avoid all these and be safe by simply adhering to what has been discussed here.
Copyright : ALL SAFETY AND SECURITY TIPS
All rights reserved, this material is not allowed to be reproduced ,published, rewritten, broadcast or redistributed in part or whole without prior written permission to ALL SAFETY AND SECURITY TIPS
Contact : arisetayo@gmail.com
Don't forget to share, love is in sharing.Kindly click the buttons to share on social media
For World and Nigeria Breaking News & Updates,Health News,Sport News ,Latest Jobs & Scholarships,Tech News and Your Favorite Daily Devotionals . Download All In One App.
No comments