tiny-stark:

hurricane help from a katrina survivor:

1. if your area is under mandatory evacuation, you NEED to leave. there will no no emergency services when the storm hits, this includes 911. there are no hospitals, you will be on your own. if you are under mandatory evacuation and choose to stay, write your full name and social security # on your arm so that you can be identified if you are found unresponsive.

2. fill the tubs/sinks with water, the power will be out for 2-3 days at least. fill bowls and cover them so they don’t get dust or debris in them.

3. don’t go to the attic. floods are scary, and your first instinct may be to get to higher ground once water enters your home. if you have a second floor, go there. if not, get to the ROOF. DO NOT TAKE SHELTER IN YOUR ATTIC!! the water may rise and trap you in there. always be in a place where you can escape if the water gets too high.

4. buy spray paint. this saved lots of lives in nola. if you get to the roof, you can write a message so that rescue crews can see. keep it simple, ex: “4 survivors. 1 elderly diabetic. 1 child.” if/when you escape your home, cross your message out and/or write “rescued” so that emergency crews know you don’t need help anymore. (if you have enough paint try to include your last name)

5. don’t go in the water, please. you don’t know what’s in there, you don’t know how deep it is. turn around, don’t drown. under NO circumstances should you drive a vehicle through flood waters.

6. mail important documents to relatives and take pictures of everything, and make insurance claims early. take EVERYTHING off the floor and put it on a table.

7. charge your phones, and buy an old fashioned radio and program it to the weather center.

i know it’s scary. it’ll be ok, this happened before and it’ll happen again. stay safe, don’t take any chances out there.