Staying Safe In An Emergency Shelter

In order to increase your chance of survival during a severe storm you need to take action quickly. A storm could include the following:

tornado

hurricane

severe thunderstorm

flood

Acting quickly increases your chance of survival. The first step is to go to the nearest shelter. A safe room on your home, a basement, or public shelter would be the safest places to go.

Depending on the nature of the storm, you will have a variety of safety procedures to follow. Below are examples of safety tips to keep in mind when staying at an emergency shelter:

Be sure to prepare in advance. You most likely will not have to stay in the storm shelter for long. However, it is possible to end up there for several hours. In case of this possibility you need to be prepared. Depending on the type of shelter you stay in, you may need the following:

Plenty of warm clothes

Pillows and blankets

Sturdy shoes

A battery operated radio and extra batteries

Medication and person items

Extra clothes, socks, shoes, and sweaters

A warm coat

Adequate supply of food and water

List of emergency contacts

First aid kit that includes prescription medications

To prepare for the possibility of moving to a public shelter, do to the following:

Plan on taking the safest and shortest route to the destination. Also, you should know how long it will take you to get there.

Carpool with others in your neighborhood. This should be planned as far in advance as possible.

Lock up important legal documents, valuables and other items in a safe. You can hide this underground somewhere, or in a basement.

Inform friends, neighbors, and family members of your whereabouts.

While you are at the shelter you may have to sit in one spot for a couple of hours. This is where the pillow you brought along will come in handy. Also, in the case of a hurricane or tornado, you may need to sit a certain way to protect yourself from the possible flying debris. To protect yourself from flying objects you will need to do one of the following:

Stay low to the ground, and put the back of your hands over your head

Stay underneath a sturdy piece of furniture, such as a large table

Stay away from any windows.

Pay attention and follow the instructions of the people who manage the shelter

Listen to the radio or TV, on a station of the shelter's choice

Do not move from your spot unless instructed to do so.

If you are staying in your own private storm shelter you should consider building a trap door on the outside of the location, in case you have to exit underground. You also may want to build a storm proof cabinet with supplies in it. Those supplies would include:

First aid materials

Non-perishable foods and water

Emergency phone numbers

A safe with important papers, family heirlooms, and money

Extra set of car keys

You may also want to put a trap door on the outside of your home basement. This will help you exit underground in case the house falls down. In addition, you may want to add a portable toilet, or a bathroom in your storm shelter.

Please follow all the above procedures carefully. If you do, you will have a greater chance of surviving a storm. Also, please also inform your friends and neighbors of the proper way to stay safe during a storm. You and your neighbors can pool together and offer rides to senior citizens and mentally challenged people. Furthermore, be sure not to forget about the physically disabled people in your neighborhood. They may need rides to shelters also.

Also, if you have a family, remember to include additional emergency supplies needed for all of them. For example, if you have an infant, you may need to put baby food, formula, and diapers on your emergency supply shelf. You may also need to include pet food and medications in this cabinet as well.

This information is not necessarily an exclusive list. Please contact your local emergency center before a storm hits. They can educate you on how to further prepare for a storm.