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Emergency Tips
- Emergency responders will get to you as fast as they can in an emergency. But it’s critical for each of you to be prepared for disasters.
- Water is the safest liquid to drink during heat emergencies. Avoid drinks with alcohol or caffeine in them. They make the heat’s effects on your body worse.
- If you have a family member who doesn’t speak English, prepare an emergency card written in English indication that person’s identification, address, and any special needs, such as medication or allergies. Be sure that person carries the card with him/her at all times.
- Most homeowner’s and rental insurance policies don’t offer protection against flood losses. For information about flood insurance, call your local insurance agent or the National Flood Insurance Program at (888) 379-9531.
- Stock up on at least a three-day supply of food water, clothes, medical supplies and other necessary equipment for everyone in your home. Make sure everyone knows where to find them.
- Choose a person outside the immediate area to contact if family members are separated. Long distance phone service will probably be restored sooner than local service. Do not use the phone immediately after a disaster unless absolutely necessary.
- If your home has sustained flood or water damage, and you can safely get to the main breaker or the fuse box, turn off the power.
- Know the policies of the school or daycare center your children attend. Make plans to have someone pick them up if you are unable to get them.
- Make copies of vital records and store the originals in a safe deposit box. Store your copies in a fire & waterproof container in your home.
- Equip your home with a weather radio. It’s like a smoke detector for severe weather & hazardous conditions. You can find them at most electronics stores.
- Know which motels in your region that will allow pets in the event you need to evacuate your home. Red Cross shelters cannot handle pets.
- If you have a special needs or senior individual in your family, work with him/her to establish a support network to help them plan for and respond to emergencies.
- If you have special equipment that you cannot live without, make sure that you have an alternative power supply in the event of a lengthy power outage.
- If you have a particular need to receive immediate for help in an emergency, contact your county Public Health office to register your condition and needs.
- You have the potential to experience a lengthy power outage at any time the year no matter where you live. Make sure to have a well-stocked three-day supply of essentials to keep you relatively comfortable and safe during such an emergency.
- Check your neighborhood for people that may need particular assistance in a time of emergency and offer your support in helping them make the necessary plans.
- Prepare a pet emergency supply kit and be sure to include a photo of you with your pet in case you get separated.
- Don’t forget to pack toys and games in your kits for your children to occupy themselves during emergencies.
- When thunder roars, go indoors. Lightning often strikes outside the area of heavy rain and may strike as far as 10 miles from any rainfall.
- Don’t resume activities until 30 minutes have passed since you last heard thunder.
- Don’t try to walk or drive through a flooded roadway or intersection. Only six inches of fast-flowing water can knock an adult off their feet. And it takes just two feet of moving water to float a vehicle. Turn around, don’t drown!
- Dam failures have played a deadly role in the history of flash flooding. Be aware of dams upstream from your location. Earthen dams and associated embankments are more easily compromised by heavy rainfall.
- When camping or hiking near a stream or river, listen to the latest weather forecasts and keep away from the water if thunderstorms are expected.
- Urban areas have a risk for flash floods due to increased runoff from buildings, roads and parking lots. Low spots, such as underpasses and basements, can become death traps.
- Mobile homes, even if tied down, offer little protection from tornadoes. You should leave a mobile home and go to the designated storm shelter or the lowest floor of a sturdy nearby building.
- On vacation, always bring along a NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards and have a place of safety in mind in case severe weather threatens.
- All thunderstorms produce lightning and are dangerous. In an average year, lightning kills over 60 people in the U.S.—more than either tornadoes or hurricanes.
- If you hear thunder, you’re in danger! Anytime thunder you hear thunder, the thunderstorm is close enough to pose an immediate lightning threat to your location.
- Don’t try to outrun a tornado in your vehicle. Instead, leave it immediately for a safe shelter. If a shelter is not available, lie flat in a nearby ditch or depression and cover your head with your hands. Don’t shelter under an overpass.
- If you’re planning an outdoor event, have a lightning safety plan. Designate a safe location before the event starts. Have specific guidelines for suspending the activity so that everyone has the time to reach safety.
- All thunderstorms produce lightning and are dangerous. In an average year, lightning kills over 60 people in the U.S.—more than either tornadoes or hurricanes.
- Lightning fatalities have been reported in Wisconsin in each of the last two years.
- Urban areas have a risk for flash floods due to increased runoff from buildings, roads and parking lots. Low spots, such as underpasses and
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