HOME MITIGATION AND PREPAREDNESS

INTRODUCTION

 Disasters can strike at any moment,

with little notice.
 In order to protect your home and
family, it is important to be prepared
and have a plan in place. The family
preparedness plan contains four steps
that families should take to be ready
for any disaster
ROLE OF NURSE IN FAMILY DISASTER PREPAREDNESS

 Should be in the form of manpower,

money, materials.
 Evaluation from past experience about risk.
 Identify Location of disaster-prone areas.
 Organization of communication,
information, & warning systems.
 Ensuring Co-ordination & response
mechanisms.
 Development of Public education Program.
 Coordination with media.
 Keeping stocks of foods, Drugs, & other
essential commodities.
 1. IDENTIFY HAZARDS

• Identify what types of disasters

are most likely to happen in your area, and
learn about how to prepare for
• Learn about your community’s
warning system and signals
(sirens, text messages, etc.).
1. IDENTIFY HAZARDS

 Consider purchasing a National

Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration weather radio.
 This radio broadcasts official
warnings, watches, advisories,
forecasts and other hazards 24 hours
a day, seven days a week.
1. IDENTIFY HAZARDS

 Identify local organizations that

perform emergency
management
 (Red Cross/Red Crescent,
nonprofits, etc.) and know how to
contact them.
1. IDENTIFY HAZARDS

 Educate yourself on any disaster

plans in place
 at your workplace, children’s school
or other places you and your family
spend time.
2. HOLD A FAMILY MEETING

 Meet with your family to discuss why it

is important to be prepared.
 Review the types of disasters that are most
likely to occur, and explain what to do in
each situation.
 Assign responsibilities to each family
member, and plan to work together as a
team.
2. HOLD A FAMILY MEETING

 Decide on locations where you will

meet in case a disaster strikes:
 Outside your home and neighborhood in
case of a sudden emergency, such as an
earthquake or fire.
 Outside your city in case you cannot
return home.
2. HOLD A FAMILY MEETING

 Discuss what to do in an evacuation

and create a family evacuation plan.
 If a family member is frequently away
from home, plan how you will respond
if he or she is away when a disaster
strikes.
2. HOLD A FAMILY MEETING

• Document how your family will

communicate if a disaster strikes, and
create a family communications plan.
• If anyone in your family has a
disability or special needs, adjust your
plan accordingly.
• Be sure to include your family pets in
your plan
3. PREPARE

• Assemble a disaster supply kit.

• Locate safe places in your
home for each type of disaster.
• Determine the best evacuation
routes from your home.
• Become trained in first aid and
CPR.
3. PREPARE

• Show each family member how and

where to shut off utilities (water, gas,
electricity).
• Make a complete inventory of your
home and property.
• Teach each family member how to use
a fire extinguisher and where to find
one.
• Post emergency contacts (friends,
family, neighbors, police, fire, etc.) on the
refrigerator.
4. PRACTICE YOUR PLAN

• Practice your plan with your

family on a regular basis (every six
months).
• Check your disaster supply kit
every three months.
• Replace stored water and food
every three months.
• Update any emergency contact
info as changes occur
 HOME MITIGATION

 Mitigation is the effort to reduce the

loss of life and property by lessening
the impact of disasters. Stated plainly,
mitigation can keep natural hazards,
like flooding and hurricanes, from
having catastrophic impacts.
 - Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY (FEMA)

 “FEMA’s mission is to support our

citizens and first responders to ensure
that as a nation we work together to
build, sustain, and improve our
capability to prepare for, protect
against, respond to, recover from, and
mitigate all hazards.”
 FLOOD MITIGATION OPTIONS

 Purchasing flood insurance

 Elevate your home’s lowest floor above
the Base Flood Elevation (BFE)
 Install flood vents in foundation walls,
garages, and other enclosed areas
 Use flood-resistant materials in areas of
your home below the BFE
FLOOD MITIGATION OPTIONS

 Anchor any fuel tanks to the floor and make

sure vents and fill line openings are above
the BFE
 Install a backflow valve on your sewer
system to prevent sewage back up in your
home.
 • Add waterproof veneer to exterior walls to
prevent shallow flooding from damaging
your home
WIND MITIGATION

 Install hurricane shutters to protect windows

and glass doors.
 Gable end roofs are more susceptible to high
wind than other roof types. If you have a
gable end roof, add bracings to reinforce the
roof.
 • Consider fastening the roof to the walls
with hurricane straps.
 • Reinforce garage doors and double-entry
doors to prevent failure under wind pressure.
WIND MITIGATION

 Garage doors can be reinforced with girts and by

strengthening the glider wheel tracks.
 Double-entry doors can be reinforced with a
heavy-duty dead bolt, adding slide bolts on one
of the doors, and using longer hinge attachments
on the door and frame.
 Maintain your property. Anything from loose
shingles to trees can become a windborne
missile.
 The distance between your home and any tree
should be greater than a full-grown tree’s height.
INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT HOW TO MITIGATE?

 FEMA produces mitigation guidance for communities, businesses, and homeowners,

including:
 • Building Science Publications: Flood and Wind
 • Protecting Your Home and Property From Flood Damage (also available in Spanish)
 • Homeowner’s Guide to Retrofitting
 • Mitigation’s Value to Your Community Fact Sheet
 FEMA also provides grant funding for certain kinds of mitigation projects under the
Hazard Mitigation Assistance Program. This funding must be accessed via your local
government. Contact your local emergency management agency for more
information.
THANK YOU …