How to Stay Safe During Natural Disasters

CRISIS: The power’s out​

Steve Sanford

A blackout caused by an ice storm or blizzard can quickly turn deadly, due to hypothermia or the dangerous mistakes people make while trying to stay warm.

“The cold can make people do things they should know better than to attempt,” says retired Deputy Assistant Chief John Norman, a firefighter for nearly 50 years, including 27 with the New York City Fire Department. “I’ve seen people start a large fire in a bathtub and in metal barrels on wooden floors, which promptly ignite.”

One of the most common hazards is carbon monoxide buildup in homes when people use electricity generators placed too close to the house, Norman notes. A high concentration of the colorless, odorless gas can kill within five minutes. ​​​

Save yourself before the blackout …

• Stock an emergency box with flashlights, batteries, first aid supplies (including prescription medications), blankets, water and food.  
• Wrap water pipes with insulation to keep them from freezing, and know how to shut off the main water line in case of a burst pipe.
• Fill your tank. Gas pumps run on electricity. 
• Make sure your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors work. Install them, if necessary.

During the blackout...​

• Don’t bake. ​And never use your stove or oven to heat your home. This can lead to a fire or a buildup of carbon monoxide.​​
• Keep generators away from the house. Aim for at least 20 feet, for safety. Never run a generator in your garage, even with the door open.  ​​
• Drip it. Allow a trickle of water to run from at least one faucet, to keep the water moving so it won’t freeze and cause the pipes to burst. ​

CRISIS: There’s a fire in your chimney

Steve Sanford

​It can sound like a freight train roaring through your living room, or gunshots, popping or crackling. Or you may hear nothing at all, even though there’s a blaze halfway up the inside of your chimney. Walk outside and look up; you’ll likely see dense black smoke billowing unnaturally out of your house. ​​​

Save yourself 

​“Slow-burning, long-lasting chimney fires can generate more than 2,100 degrees of heat,” notes Russ Dimmitt, educational director of the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA). Once a chimney fire has started, there’s little you can do besides hustle out of your house and call the fire department. But there are steps you can take to avoid this emergency. ​​

Be prepared

• Always use well-seasoned wood. Cooler smoke generated by burning wet wood condenses on chimney walls, leaving a tarlike substance of highly flammable chemicals. 
  
• Keep your wood dry. Even seasoned wood left in the rain can have a high moisture content. Check the dryness with a wood moisture tester (about $35). 
• Use your nose. If you can smell smoke while burning wood or detect a smoky scent coming from your fireplace when it’s not in use, your fireplace isn’t working properly. Have your chimney inspected annually by a CSIA-certified chimney sweep.

CRISIS: You (or someone else) fell through the ice​

Steve Sanford

If you see that someone has plunged into a frozen lake or river, don’t rush to the rescue. The last thing you need is to become victim number two, which is what will happen if you run onto the ice. Instead, call 911. Then:

Save yourself

• Find a bridge. Look for a long branch or other objects you can extend to the victim, or throw something to use as a float, suggests Jackie Lundstrom of the North Dakota Game and Fish Department. In a pinch, have everyone remove their jackets, and tie the arms together to form an impromptu rope.
• If you fall through, swim. Don’t try to push yourself up vertically, as you would in a pool. Flutter kick to get your body horizontal, and pull yourself onto the ice like a seal, says Gordon Giesbrecht, director of the Laboratory for Exercise and Environmental Medicine at the University of Manitoba, in Winnipeg.

Be prepared

Never venture onto ice unless you’re sure it’s 4 to 5 or more inches thick. Even when you think it’s thick enough to hold you, anticipate falling through, says Gordon Giesbrecht, and have a plan for how you’ll manage if you do. 

CRISIS: You’re caught in a flash flood​

Steve Sanford

The top causes of flood-related drownings are driving into floodwater and walking in or near floodwater. Here’s why: Six inches of running water can knock someone off their feet, 12 inches of running water can move a vehicle, and 2 feet of still water can float a vehicle. If your tailpipe gets submerged, your car will stall. If your battery gets submerged, it will fail in 10 to 15 minutes. 

And it’s very difficult to estimate the depth of water, especially at night. “No matter the size and weight of the vehicle, when water gets more than halfway up the tires, you’ve overcommitted,” says Michael Berna, a Maryland-based swift-water trainer for Rescue 3 International. “I’ve seen fire engines float away.”

If the road ahead is submerged, don’t take the risk of trying to forge through. Instead:

Save yourself ​

• Find and stay on high ground. This should always be your first choice.
• If your vehicle gets swamped, Berna advises the following: Climb out your window and remain on the roof of the vehicle. If you can’t do that, stay in the vehicle as long as possible. Notify 911 with your location and vehicle description. Lower your windows several inches while you still have battery power, which will make it easier for first responders to break the window, if necessary. 
• If your car starts to float, or if water fills the passenger area, it’s time to get out and swim for safety as best you can (this is the last resort and the best reason not to be in the flood to begin with). ​