Disaster Preparedness Guide for Elders
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
20072007--20082008 DISASTER PREPAREDNESS GUIDE FOR ELDERS E. DOUGLAS BEACH • SECRETARY Florida Department of Elder Affairs Volume 16 • Number 4 • June 2007 • Special Issue 2006 Hurricane Season A MESSAGE AMESSAGE lthough anticipated to be From the From the “worse than 2005,” the A2006 hurricane season had SECRETARY GOVERNOR no hurricanes that made landfall By E. Douglas Beach, Ph.D. by Governor Charlie Crist within the United States. The lack of major, destructive s Florida embarks on another hurricane elflessness, teamwork and a sense of com- hurricanes in 2006 should not lull season, it is important to remember munity have helped Florida through one into complacency. Forecasts Athat most natural disasters do not give Snatural disasters time and time again. for the 2007 season are for nine advanced warning before disrupting our During this time of preparation, I encourage hurricanes, of which five will be everyday lives. Over the last few months, all Floridians to check-in with friends, major (category 3, 4, or 5). There is thousands of residents have been affected by neighbors and local emergency management a 74 percent chance that at least tornadoes, lightning storms and wildfires, centers to find out how you can best help one major hurricane will make none of which gave any warning. It is more before, during and in the immediate aftermath landfall along the entire U.S. coast, important than ever that citizens, especially of a storm. a 50 percent chance for the U.S. elders and their caregivers, take the vital The more prepared you are for an emer- east coast including the Florida steps to prepare for a natural disaster. gency, the safer you will be during a natural Peninsula, and a 49 percent The first step in protecting yourself and disaster and the quicker you will recover in its chance for the Gulf Coast from your family is to establish a plan. Once you aftermath. First, protect your home. Take steps the Florida Panhandle westward have decided what actions you will take in to make your home more resistant to damage to Brownsville, Texas. Floridians case of an emergency, it is important to share caused by a hurricane and check your insur- must continue to be prepared, that information with other family members. ance policy to make sure you have enough have well-thought-out emergency With a plan in place, you will be able to coverage. Second, protect your family. Create plans, and have an emergency organize a disaster preparedness kit that will an emergency plan, determine if you need to supply kit. sustain your family for three to five days. evacuate and where you will go, and stock up The reduced hurricane activity Many residents have specific medical needs, on supplies, including food, water, medicine, during 2006 resulted mainly from a which need to be considered when organizing flashlights and batteries. Finally, make sure rapidly developing El Niño event. your kit. I encourage you to use the disaster your friends and neighbors have a plan too. Continued on page 22 preparedness kit checklist, provided on page This guide has information that will help 12. It is also important to have up-to-date you and your loved ones get better prepared DISASTER PREPAREDNESS 2007-2008 information during and after a disaster. for natural disasters. Together, we can weather English Continued on page 19 the storm. CONTENTS Disaster Supply Kit ............................12 Elder Helpline ...................................23 DISASTER PREPAREDNESS 2007-2008 Elders with Special Needs...................21 Disaster Kit Guidelines .......................13 Moving? Address Change? Receiving Multiple Copies? Disaster Safety Tips............................11 Please let us know! We want to cut unnecessary postage costs. Family Emergency Information ...........14 Allow 8 to 10 weeks for your address to be changed. Floods ................................................5 Send this label with your corrections in a stamped envelope to: Government and Voluntary Agencies ....24 Database Manager Hazardous Materials ............................9 The Florida Department of Elder Affairs Heat Stress .......................................20 P.O. Box 6750, Tallahassee, FL 32314-6750 Home Repair Fraud ...........................16 Corrections: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Hurricane Information .................2-4,22 Lightning, Thunderstorms and Hail ........7 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Manufactured Home Safety.................17 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Pandemic Influenza ............................10 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Pets and Disasters..............................15 Safety Tips for Motorists.....................16 In order to update your mailing address, please include your old Tornadoes ...........................................6 mailing address and your new mailing address in its entirety. Home Fires and Wildfires.....................8 Elder Update 2 DISASTER PREPAREDNESS June 2007 Special Issue Hazardous Weather / Hurricane Notification - E-mail Alert System Atlantic Basin Seasonal The Saffir-Simpson The American Red Cross has Hurricane Scale designed the Hazardous Weather/ Hurricane Forecast for 2007 Hurricane Notification System to By Philip J. Klotzbach and William M. Gray with special assistance Category 1 keep you informed when there is a from William Thorson / Colorado State University Winds 74-95 mph hazardous weather condition for your county. This system also pro- Tropical Cyclone Seasonal Forecast for 2007 Minimal damage: vides information on tropical storms (As of May 31, 2007) Unanchored mobile homes, Predictions: or hurricanes in the Atlantic and vegetation and signs. Gulf of Mexico throughout the (Average in Parentheses) Storm surge: 4-5 feet hurricane season. To be added to Named Storms (9.6).............................................................................17 the Hazardous Weather/ Hurricane Named Storm Days (49.1)...................................................................85 Category 2 Notification System, please visit the Hurricanes (5.9).......................................................................................9 Winds 96-110 mph following Web site: Hurricane Days (24.5).......................................................................... 40 Moderate damage: http://www.tallytown.com/ Intense Hurricanes – Category 3, 4, 5 (2.3)........................................5 All mobile homes, roofs, small redcross/hwns.html Intense Hurricane Days (5.0)..............................................................11 crafts, flooding. Net Tropical Cyclone Activity (100.0%)................185% of average Storm surge: 6-8 feet PROBABILITIES FOR AT LEAST ONE MAJOR (CATEGORY 3-4-5) HURRICANE Category 3 LANDFALL ON EACH OF THE FOLLOWING COASTAL AREAS: (USPS 403-710/ISSN 1060-4545) Winds 111-130 mph Elder Update is a bimonthly publication Entire U.S. coastline ........................................................................................74% mailed in-state to Florida residents at (average for last century is 52%) Extensive damage: no cost to recipients. Out of state, Small buildings, low-lying Elder Update can be accessed at U.S. East Coast including Peninsula Florida.............................................50% roads cut off. http://elderaffairs.state.fl.us. (average for last century is 31%) Storm surge: 9-12 feet Disaster Gulf Coast from the Florida Panhandle westward to Brownsville........49% Preparedness (average for last century is 30%) Category 4 GUIDE FOR ELDERS Above-average major hurricane landfall risk in the Caribbean. Winds 131-155 mph Source: http://hurricane.atmos.colostate.edu/forecasts Extreme damage: 2007 Roofs destroyed, trees down, Charlie Crist Governor roads cut off, mobile homes Jeff Kottkamp Lieutenant Governor ✃ NEW SUBSCRIPTIONS ONLY!! destroyed. Beach homes E. Douglas Beach, Ph.D. Secretary If you are not currently receiving Elder Update, flooded. Fran Brooks Chief Emergency you may do so by completing the form below and mailing it to Storm surge: 13-18 feet Operations & Disaster Preparedness Elder Update, P.O. Box 6750, Tallahassee, FL 32314-6750 Martha Billings Emergencey Please allow 8-10 weeks to receive first issue. Category 5 Coordinating Officer & Disaster Elder Update is distributed at no cost to elder Floridians. Winds greater than 155 mph Preparedness Guide Coordinator Catastrophic damage: Title (Mr./Mrs. /Dr., etc.) ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Liz Jameson Acting Communications Most buildings destroyed. Director and Copy Editor First Name _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ M. Initial _______________________________ Vegetation destroyed. Major Kassie Elekes Editor and Database roads cut off. Homes flooded. Manager Last Name ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Storm surge: > 18 feet Peter Denes Layout