2023’s Safest Cities from Natural Disasters

How can residents create an effective emergency evacuation plan, and what two additional proactive measures should they take to prepare for natural disasters?

Know to which potential threats you and your home are susceptible, and plan accordingly. Given it is hurricane season in North Carolina and that has historically caused the most damage I’ll lean into that type of prep more. Plan evacuation routes, multiple options would be great. Make sure you have a way of getting in contact with your support system to ensure everyone’s safety.

What items are often overlooked but crucial in a disaster preparedness kit?

Assemble disaster supply kits with enough essential items for each member of your family for at least 3 days. Check the batteries on everything you put in that kit when a disaster is approaching. Protect important documents and take them with you if you evacuate. Plan for your pets also; food, medicine, a leash or a carrier to keep them safe.

What are your top three tips for residents to secure their homes against natural disasters, such as earthquakes, hurricanes, or floods?

Again, know your home’s weak points. Is your home in a flood zone? Reinforce any weak points, perhaps this means adding hurricane clips to your roof joists. You should always secure loose items that may get lost or worse cause more damage. Finally, if you’re able to get insurance for disasters that you’re likely to encounter is a good option to look at.

Following a natural disaster, what are the top three essential actions that victims should take?

Get in contact with your support network. Assess damages, with photos if you’re able. There may be assistance available to you so be ready to apply for disaster assistance, through either federal, state, local or non-profit entities. If uninsured or underinsured, apply for FEMA individual disaster assistance once declared. Contact relief organizations for further help meeting immediate needs until insurance payments or federal aid arrives.

What training or community outreach programs could boost public awareness and action on disaster preparedness?

Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Training may be a positive educational avenue to pursue. Adding some basic information to school curriculum is always positive, and community alert systems with inclusive and multilingual messaging are crucial. Social media can be a very positive tool if utilized correctly.

How can residents create an effective emergency evacuation plan, and what two additional proactive measures should they take to prepare for natural disasters?

The practical side of preparing an effective emergency plan is to inform the participants of what exactly your expectations are and where to meet first in order to follow through with a plan. For example, if a hurricane is expected, an announcement of at least 96 hours of an impending threat will be made by local, state, and federal authorities.

Prior to that, residents should already know the timing, direction, and means to evacuate. Some may desire to move on their own or follow designated highway evacuation routes. By anticipating the flow of traffic and the movement of other citizens, an evacuation plan can be useful. This may require an assessment of secondary routes and local news will point out where bottlenecks may be ready to occur should contraflow be activated.

1. For other natural disasters, families should have a rally point where they can meet once the event is over, such as a twister. Knowing what to do ahead can be vital for accounting for the whereabouts of such family members. Make sure that neighbors and family members outside the event area have knowledge of your intentions and when they should expect a call once you move on — and be sure to take your phone charger.

2. Make sure you have plenty of gas ahead of the event. Also, as automated teller machines will be offline due to no electricity, plan on getting as much money as you may need to survive for two weeks.

What items are often overlooked but crucial in a disaster preparedness kit?

A flyaway container like a sturdy hard plastic box and lid is a great way to have everything located in one place. As each natural disaster is anticipated, you can be sure to include enough items to sustain you for two weeks.

This may include:

• Money to survive on (mentioned above).
• Medicines.
• A first aid kit.
• Gun and/or knife for protection or cutting things.
• Survival gear, including water purification tablets, a shovel, waterproof matches, and water.
• A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration radio should also be in the preparedness kit in order to ascertain where the event is and where mid-course corrections to your plans may be necessary.

What are your top three tips for residents to secure their homes against natural disasters, such as earthquakes, hurricanes, or floods?

1. Be sure to have your home alarm on to track movement outside your home.

2. Be sure to have sandbags, if available, to divert the flow of water in low places where it may find its way inside the house.

3. If you can afford one, get a portable generator or buy a generator to supply you with electricity until the power company can return your home to the power grid.

Following a natural disaster, what are the top three essential actions that victims should take?

1. Ensure that family and neighbors are safe and gather information on safety issues such as structural damage, downed wires, or breaks in natural gas lines that may be in contact with nearby fires.

2. Look to see who in your area needs assistance, including first aid.

3. Be sure to have access to bottled water and non-perishable food to survive on if gas or electricity is cut off. However, having a camping stove would be of major benefit during this time.

What training or community outreach programs could boost public awareness and action on disaster preparedness?

The American Red Cross can be helpful to assist in training citizens on how to prepare for potential threats. By knowing how citizens can assist their neighbors, the American Red Cross can meet expectations on how to teach first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR, and planning for natural disasters.

In addition, the Federal Emergency Management Agency supports the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program which is designed to train and educate volunteers in emergency preparedness. The fields of training are tailored for those expected hazards. CERT training includes basic disaster response skills, such as safety, light search and rescue, and team development.

Expert bio: Dr. Eduardo Martinez is a Senior Instructor at Angelo State University involved in Intelligence and Security Studies. Prior to this, he was a Crisis Manager for the Latin America and Caribbean Bureau in the Agency for International Development. Following that, he served in the US Navy for 30 years reaching the rank of Captain. During that time, he served four Commanding Officer tours and was a Navy Emergency Preparedness Liaison Officer where he participated in relief efforts involving tornadoes, and Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Wilma, and Gustav. In 2010, he was the Navy’s representative as a Liaison Officer for Fleet Forces Command at the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. Dr. Martinez still contributes articles on transportation security and legal aspects of homeland security.