Survival Plan

Preparation for Hurricane, Tropical Storms, Earthquake, Power loss, Water loss and any natural event/disaster/emergency

As part of the home schooling we need to make a plan for any atmospheric and other natural events that we may face in order to develop skills for survival. We hope that our lists in here and our detailed description could give you an idea and/or help you out to create a plan for you and yours that is unique and serve the purpose of keeping all safe.
Big Giant

Based: Ponce, P.R.

Steps to get ready: Post list on the wall at home/work:

Place lists on your bulletin board (wall) that contains plans and actions to take in case of emergency. If by any chance you get nervous or anxious during a natural event/disaster, having your plans ready ahead of time will make it easy for you and for all, it will save you time as well.

These lists should be protected with plastic and permanently kept on the board, update as necessary. You can grab the lists with you during an event or have a copy on your back pack. Make numbers of copies as family members so each one have the same information, during emergencies, good communication is important.

All family members should know about the plans and each of them should have responsibilities according to their capacities. Each family member should have their own back packs with their personal items. Prepare simulations, regularly, at home or work place so each member of your group have an idea of what to do at any given event.

1)      List of agencies contact numbers of your area, which will give you information or assistance.

2)      List of the back packs you will take with you in case of emergency (evacuation) or on daily basis back and forward from your car; because you never know when an emergency will take place, especially during flood and earthquake. You can be as ready as you can at home but if every time you go out you don’t take stuff with you, you are not ready at all. The same for your work place, or wherever you need to be on daily basis. Have a specific place for your back packs or items ready to grab. If you live in an area that is too hot, don’t keep your bags for too long in your car, the heat will damage first aid items and medicine as well.

3)      List of your food items for emergencies and the expiration dates so you can keep updating easily. Make sure each personal back pack have at least two bottles of water.

4)      List of evacuation plan.

5)      List of family contacts.

Emergency plan for evacuation/safety:

1)      Have the emergency plan that might work for you and your group members.

2)      Go thru your plans a few time during the years and simulate any possible events.

3)      This plan should be for the home, for the work place or for when outside in public areas.

4)      Also plan for when all members of your group are in their respective duties or responsibilities away from each other.

5)      Contact the school of your children, child care, home for elders, family members hospitalized  and ask for any plan they (the institutions) have in case of emergencies, their evacuation and safety rules and how to proceed to pick up your child,  family member, or not to proceed if it will be a greater danger.

6)      Make sure that all your contact numbers are updated at your children’s schools, your work place, your family members, hospitals, your neighbors, etc.

7)       Plan with neighbors.

Documents:

_ID, Birth certificates, Social Security cards, bank cards, hospital cards, other cards

_Insurance documents

_Property documents, Pet documents

_Bank documents

_Whatever documents important for you.

_Storage of photos of all your house items (before events)

_Storage of photos of your property, all angles, the outside, the roof.

_Copy of telephone numbers of your family and others.

Tip: You can send copies of all your documents and photos to your email.

What to have in my back pack:

1)      ID, personal documents all in plastic. The copies of the list already made with contact numbers.

2)      Copy of the plan for your group.

3)      Cash

4)      At least two bottles of water beside the 1 gallon per day/person/pet.

5)      Extra clothing, rain jacket, boots, water shoes, hat, sunglasses, your reading/prescribed glasses.

6)      Personalized containers with sunblock, mosquito repellent, shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, favorite seasonings, tooth brush, tooth paste, toilet paper, wipes, menstrual pads, condoms.

7)      Power bars, candies, sweet drink, chocolate. Your choices.

8)      Fun activities with crayons, paper, pen, markers, small scissors, book.

9)      First aid: bandage, antibiotic cream, alcohol, acetaminophen, Benadryl, cough drops, diarrhea, vitamins.

10)   A whistle.

11)   A small blanket/tiny pillow.

Note: You don’t need to have all these items as posted, you make the choices that will work for you.

List of some items you may need:

What to have ready: Each family will decide what to have according to size, needs and resources. The early you start collecting all these items, the better. Some of them can be collected thru the years, day by day and with the help of friends and institutions. Ask around for support.

_Back packs for each family members. Consider the physical ability to carry a back pack in the middle of an emergency. Chose right size.

_Back pack for your pet with all his/her belongings-food, toys, blanket, medicine, water, eating bowl, leashes, clothing, flee shampoo, collar, brush, vet information, and immunization information.

_Maps of your area, high level areas, safety areas, shelters.

_First aid kit.

_Cash

_A whistle. One for every one.

_Dust mask for each member of your group.

_Tools: wrench/screw drivers/hammer/ax/knives

_Heavy duty rope

_Heavy duty tape

_Scissors 

_Permanent markers

_Soft and heavy glue

_Portable pet bed/cage/bag

_Inflatable mattresses and air pump or sleeping bags.

_Personalized tent (according to the size of your family), compact is better.

_NOAA radio and batteries

_Portable radio

_Flash lights and batteries

_Extra batteries

_Small gas stove. Gas bottles for the stove.

_Gas grill and gas for the grill.

_Maybe carbon and oil for a fire grill.

_Cooking utensils: Spoons, knives, forks-metal. Eating utensils could be plastic (plates, spoons, forks, cups). Pan to cook, cover. Cups for hot liquids. Oven mitts. Pan resistant to fire. 

_Light for the cooking area.

_Can opener

_Cooler

_Paper towels, plastic paper and aluminum paper

_Plastic gloves, working gloves.

_Dish detergent

_Hand sanitizer 

_Bleach and dropper

_Matches- protected by plastic.

_Long lasting candles.

_Garbage bags

_Fill up your vehicle gas tank.

_Extra gasoline in proper containers in a safe place. 

_Blankets for each member including pet.

_Extra clothing-water shoes, boots, long pants, long sleeves 

_2 towel per person (1 big/1 small)

_Medicine and prescription

_Your glasses: sun and prescribed

_Menstrual pads/panty liners

_Condoms

_Deodorant, tooth brush, tooth paste, hair brush, skin lotion, bar soap, shampoo/conditioner

_Toilet paper/Wipes

_Sunblock and Mosquito Repellent

Tip: Avoid perfumes when outside or near fire.

_Cell phones, cameras, portable computers and chargers all charged before the power goes off, protect these items in plastic.

_Book, notebook, markers, crayons, glue, games, playing cards, pen/pencils,

Food Items: (3 to 7 days)

_When the electricity is gone, try to use food that will spoil first.

_Don’t consume too much salt, then you will consume too much water, and you need to save as much as you can, this is not an ordinary day. 

_1 gallon of water per person/day for 3 to 7 days. 

_1 gallon of water/Pet/day for 3 to 7 days.

Tip: Water should be change every 6 months

_Canned food: Fruits, vegetables, beverages, milk, tuna

_Your Pet food

_Your favorite seasonings

_Hard candy

_Sweetened cereal

_Boxed milk

_Sugar cookies

_Popcorn-avoid giving it to small children

_Citrus

_Carrot

_Apples

_Peanut butter

_Unsalted peanut/nuts

_Jelly

_Can crackers/bread

_Toast

_Trail mix

_Power bars

_Powdered drinks

_Instant coffee

_Powder cream

_Sugar

_Tea

_Juice boxes

_Soft drinks

_Other-your choices of food. 

_Do not use tap water after a hurricane, storm or after service comes back.

_Avoid alcohol and drugs during the emergency, you are the one caring for you family members.

Refrigerator tips:

Put the temperature in high during the storm, avoid opening, in case of loss of power food will last a little bit longer.

To keep your food cold after a power loss, have plastic bottles full of water placed in your freezer days before so they can become blocks of ice.  I suggest the 2 little soft drinks ones. You should do this like, now, and if you have space in your freezer, place as many bottles as you can so you could bring at least one to be placed in each area, the refrigerator, the freezer and extra for your cooler.

When you start noticing that the refrigerator is losing the cold, remove food items and place it in a cooler if you have ice. The freezer and fridge will start growing bad stuff on your food and you need to trash it.

After removing the food from your refrigerator, clean it very well. You can use a baking soda solution or solution of bleach (1 teaspoon per gallon). You can also place an open bowl with cotton balls with vanilla extract or citrus. Coffee is also a good absorbent of odor, place some in a bowl. If its possible leave the door open until power comes back. Clean after power comes back with the solution I mentioned before placing new food in it.

Put the temperature of your refrigerator in low or disconnect until power comes back to avoid damages.

Preparing the house:

_Cover your windows

_Clean garden and patios, bring stuff inside. Remove/secure furniture and other items outside.

_Place your car in a garage if you have one. Tie a car cover over it.

_Fill up your tank.

_Go shopping as soon as you can after the alert have been given, don’t wait until the last hours.

_Responsible adults should carry copies of all important documents in one place, in plastic.

_Prepare a safe room, avoid windows.

_Be creative to entertain children, teenagers and adults. Be alert, but have fun.

_Choose a family member that you will keep contact with, and have him doing the notification to other family members and friends about you, so you can safe your batteries.

_Family members should use one cell phone at a time to safe batteries and to have a mean of communication in case of emergency.

_Listen to the radio.

_Have extra water to flush the toilet.

_Follow all safety precautions inside and outside your home.

_NEVER use an electrical transformers/plant inside de house.

_Unplugged all your appliances until the power is back.

My community:

_Find out if there are shelters or services for emergencies in your community.

_Plan with your neighbors for emergencies.

_Help keeping your community clean, water spouts, streets and water drain areas.

_Check for tree branches, or trees that may damage the area.

_Help elders in your area.

_Keep in touch with family with small children.

_Keep in touch with sick neighbors.

_Offer to help, to cook, to clean, to share.

Flood areas:

_Find a shelter ahead of time.

_Leave the flooding area as soon as you are told by authorities or as soon as you think is proper to do.

_ Floating Vest for each family member.

_Floating devices for transportation. Kayak

_Consider rising belongings whenever possible and place in plastic bags.

Agencies for emergencies:

American Red Cross: 787-755-8150

FEMA: 787-296-3500

If you need shelter: Text the word Shelter with your zip code to 43362(4FEMA)

Follow-FEMA Twitter Fed

Follow-Weather Puerto Rico

Atlantic & Tropical Storm Center

Department of Natural Resources Puerto Rico: 787-852-4440

Puerto Rico Electrical Power Authority: 787-521-1139, 787-521-7926

Agency for State Emergency Management: 787-724-0124

Coast Guard: 787-729-6770

Note: Find your local numbers and double check the ones that appear on this post.