What should we do if we're faced with a natural disaster?

Many local governments produce disaster guides in both hardcopy and on the net. Here is an example from my home county in the US. It covers just about everything except earthquakes because they don’t have them there.

I find that the best way to get through a disaster is to pitch in and help with any skills you may have. Once you’ve put your own family and property in order, helping keeps you occupied, keeps you in the info loop even before the news agencies and is very rewarding on many levels. You will meet some very good people in the process and there is no better way to serve your community. And it beats sitting around waiting for relief to come to you.

This is how you get on the team: Emergency response and local government is often overwhelmed and need help during a disaster. The Red Cross and other organizations in your area give classes in various forms of disaster response and relief. Once you get certified in one or two of these disciplines, you are put on an on-call list and you’re on the team. In the process, you learn more about disasters and how to handle them than other citizens. After handling a few local disasters, you might be asked to join a team to go to naional and international disasters.
During a disaster, they need medical people of course, but they also need many other types of people.

They need property management, insurance, mortgage, engineering and real estate people in general to do property damage assessments for relief level purposes.

Anyone with childcare experience is needed.

They need people with people skills to get families out of their destroyed homes and into special shelters.

They need people to do paperwork and assess reports from the field.

Food service people to run emergency food service programs in the field and in shelters.

They need people with good management skills to manage everything from shelters to staff.

They need internet people to put up and man minute-by-minute emergency info sites, lost persons sites that bring the lost and their families back together.

They need people with good teaching skills to teach these courses to everyone else.

The need is great as are the rewards as are your fellow volunteers. Even the most unskilled person has something to offer in a large disaster, boots on the ground so to speak, and it is an excellent way to pick up new skills and test one’s mettle.

When I first got involved with disaster orgs, I was an unskilled, 21 year-old college student /waiter.with no real skills that I thought would be helpful in a disaster. It was summer break—hurricane season—and I took the courses out of boredom. It was one of the best things I’ve done in my entire life.

Western, NY. Our natural disasters are ice storms and snow that paralyzes the area and knocks out power.
Here is my checklist:
At least 20 gallons of gasoline in the barn.
Cars and truck are full.
At least one full tank of heating oil I have two 275 gallon 1000 liter tanks.
Enough food for at least 2 weeks
Water (no problem since I am on a well and have town water)
Generators working. (I have two. One in barn, one in garage for back up )
Electronics charged.

Then I wait. There is no need to run to the store and fight crowds. I am ready.

When I lived in Japan we were told to stand in a doorway or get under a strong table when an earthquake was starting. Schools had cushioned fire hoods at each desk so the kids could could put them on when the shaking started.

@Espiritus_Corvus That was how I felt about serving on the Volunteer Ambulance service. I took the courses and did the ride-alongs. When I actually did something that helped someone in need I was hooked.

First thing you have to realize is that you cannot really rely on outside help. If Katrina was not evidence enough in a big disaster rescue and aid efforts are quickly overun.
You have to determine your level of need for emergency prep. At minimum two weeks of non preishable food and water a couple of emergency radios and med kits. Basically anything you need for a couple of weeks. If need goes beyond that it’s quite an ordeal. I keep about a month, I have several good water filters because it’s just not practical to store more than a couple of weeks of drinking water. We are overdue in the eastern US for the new madrid fault to come back to life. Food, water and a means to keep warm is the bare minimum. If something happened here I’m going to be fine for several months. Having some sensible preparations is a smart thing. If you don’t have it when x or y happens you won’t get it. This is not “prepping” like the doomsday type it’s just called knowing the risks and being ready.

After 9/11, we had a stepped up Emergency Response at the employer work for (local government). We had drills and trainings where we’d discuss possibilities. One man who came to discuss some things told us he had a plan in place, should there ever be a wide scale terrorist attack in the future. We are in southern NY, where if something happened to NYC we’d probably be affected. This man said he had family in rural Pennsylvania. The plan was for the entire family to meet at the Pennsylvania family’s house, no matter how long it took to get there (days, weeks, whatever). Presumably, if communications were wiped out, he and the wife and other family members knew that the plan was to make their way down, however they’d have to, and reunite there.

A few years ago, there was a big snowstorm coming. A good friend who has a lot of time at a nationwide time share resort lives not far from me (she’s in southern CT, I’m about 20 minutes away). When it started to snow, on a Saturday, she told me she was heading to Newport Rhode Island (normally about 2½ hours away), to the time share resort. She told me since power was likely to be getting knocked out at home, if I wanted to join her, I was welcome to. Hopefully by Monday, everything at home would be restored but even if it meant a few days off work, I wouldn’t be freezing at home. I threw some clothes in a bag and I set out in the snow from my house. She set out from her house. It was a tough ride and I was thinking I was nuts for attempting it. Once I was driving, I had no choice but continue since the roads were so bad that if I stopped, I’d just have to get a hotel in the middle of nowhere and stay put. I finally got to Newport around 7 pm. She arrived around the same time. We had a nice dinner and that night the storm raged. The next morning, we awoke to no power at the resort. She called her home and her husband answered and said there was power at home. I called my house and the voicemail came on, which indicated that there was power at home. How ironic that we drove hours in anticipating of there being no power at home and the power at home stayed on but in the entire island of Newport, there was no power.

I grew up and live again in Hurricane and Winter Storm Land. I lived for awhile in Tornado Land. I’ve lived in Volcano Land (which, to be honest, nobody thought of until Mount Saint Helens blew). I can go a long time without power, I always have enough food for weeks, a supply of fuel for the wood stove, and water (not enough if there is a serious catastrophe). Oil lamps and candles, stuff like that. I’m OK.

Oh! I forgot to mention something important! I have 2 wood burning stoves and always have enough wood to last at least one season. Usually I am about 2–3 seasons ahead.
The house is warm no matter what is going on outside.

I live in Northern California, about five miles from the Hayward Fault.

Loma Prieta in 1989 demonstrated to us in San Francisco/Oakland that an earthquake thirty miles away can have a devastating effect.

Since then many long time residents have earthquake kits, with food, water, spare clothes, first aid and medicine, and cash, small bills and coins.

Emergency preparation experts advise us to be completely on our own without government assistance for three days.

I think a lot of it has to do with the mindset both of the individual and the community.

I recall after Ike hit Galveston in 2008 a person on TV said something along the lines of; Yes, we as a community have been devastated but we will rebuild. We have already started, we are not waiting on anyone else. This is Texas, not Louisiana.

My country is plagued by storms every year. Thankfully most of them aren’t serious, only bringing unusual cold and heavy rain. It doesn’t mean there is no big storm. The most common thing to do in that case is to try to secure your roof. Putting heavy objects, nailing your roof… anything you can do for your roof. The roof is everything during a big storm, once it flies away your house is done for. Also you need to buy water, candles and canned food in case there is an extended period of power cut and damaged traffic ways. I have never been to places more vulnerable to storms though. I only hear from TV that people are even evacuated in some cases.

In 2006 there was the biggest storm ever hit my place. Many roads were blocked and buildings destroyed by fallen tree. The electric supply was cut for 2 weeks. During the time my family could only stay home. It was the only time when canned food became a necessity. At night there was nothing to entertain other than the candles and chit chat. It was a fun time in some way though.

I haven’t read the answers above in full.

When the natural disaster is eminent, and there is warning, all you have to do is listen to local news and radio and they tell you what to do. Florida spends about 72 hours before a hurricane with constant coverage regarding how severe the hurricane is and what to do. The governor usually gets on TV when it’s a day or two away to emphasize shelters available, evacuation zones, the last hour people will be allowed to cross bridges, and the approximate time emergency workers will no longer be allowed out anymore. Meaning, there will be zero help from officials during part of the course of the storm. In Florida the message is supplemented in sign language, Spanish, and Creole.

We know to fill our gas tanks. Have cash on hand. Fill bathtubs with water, and plug drains with extra putty if the drain stop doesn’t hold well. Put up window shutters if you don’t have hurricane windows. Make or buy a lot of ice. Buy or bottle up drinking water. Buy foods that do ok in the pantry. Buy extra medication. Spend the worst of the storm in an interior room of your house. Have a battery operated radio and flashlights. Have a car charger for your cell phone. Empty a foot or two of water out of your pool prior to the storm. Cut down any dead branches on trees and coconuts. Anything outside that can move around from the windows should be brought a inside, like patio furniture and garden displays. Never go out during the eye of the storm, the back side of the eye comes on suddenly and fiercely and the new wind direction can break loose things that were holding on previously.

As far as earthquakes, that too is something you can look up for what is best to do during a quake, and I’m sure cities that experience them a lot have all sorts of avenues of information. Even if massive quakes started around the various continents, there would be areas that would remain relatively stable. For example, one of the worst earthquakes in US history was in the middle of the country north of Memphis, TN. Supposedly, eventually there will be another very bad one along the fault there. Just 20 miles away from Memphis schools and other public building would be turned into shelters. When I lived there they were shaping up their earthquake emergency plans.

In Italy, with the recent quake, hotels are opening their doors to people who lost their homes. I don’t know what will happen long term for them. I’m so upset about that earthquake.

This isn’t a very disaster prone area here in the West of Scotland however in the unlikely event we have to evacuate our homes we are advised to put together a ’grab bag’ with the following items:

• Any medication that may be required by family members.
• Glasses or contact lenses.
• Essential keys including house and car.
• Cash, credit and debit cards.
• A change of clothing, footwear, and sleeping attire.
• Washing, shaving and sanitary supplies.
• Any special items for babies, children, elderly and disabled people.

DURING AN EVACUATION IF YOU CANNOT EVACUATE YOURSELF BECAUSE YOU ARE ELDERLY OR INFIRM AND HAVE NO ONE TO HELP, PLACE THE YELLOW SIGN IN YOUR WINDOW AND DIAL 999. ARRANGEMENTS WILL BE MADE TO HELP YOU.

It is also suggested that we store contact details of next of kin in our mobile phones prefixing the number with ICE (In Case of Emergency). And that’s it.

Here in my neck o’ the woods it is forest fires that pose the largest threats. A San Francisco Bay area earthquake is unlikely to effect us up here. Likewise the Los Angeles area.
There are faults in Nevada as well but unlikely to heavily impact this area.

My biggest concern for the western U.S. is the Yellowstone Caldera super volcano.
Though I don’t think about it much this would be an epic natural disaster. It’s only about 630,000 years overdue for a major eruption.
The best preparation is having enough food and water available, critical personal belongings on the ready to be grabbed on short notice and an evacuation plans for yourself and, of course, pets and livestock.

I have already done what I need to do in the event of a disaster. Years ago, I placed my head firmly between my legs and kissed my ass goodbye.

First you need to know the types of natural disaster that you’re most likely to face.

Hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, forest fires / brush fires, blizzards, etc. are not exclusive to any particular area, of course, but people in Southern California are not as apt to encounter blizzards as they are earthquakes, and folks in New England are more likely to see blizzards than tornadoes or forest fires.

Which doesn’t mean that folks can relax because “we never get…” one type or another of natural disaster.

So you have to be aware – wherever you live, wherever you travel, whenever you travel or visit – “what are the likely hazards of this area? this climate? this time of year?”

Once you know the priority list of potential / most likely disasters for your area and circumstances, then you can identify the likely hazards and deal with them – in planning, anyway, depending on the resources available to you.

Central Florida:

Should a hurricane show up in the Gulf or close enough on the Atlantic side to be an issue, you follow the news and wait for it to be called a CAT 3 before you call and ask your boss whether they’re closing the office the next day.

Then you go to the liquor store and load up, and find your friend who lives the furthest inland and with the most reliable roads, and throw a party. Leave the generator outside. This is critical. You’ll have your Hurricane Box in your car, naturally, just in case you’re in need of those canned goods and extra medication.

Then you wait for it all to blow over. Not much else you can do.

@Seek So true about the Cat 3. Anything less and I’m not too worried, and I’m not doing too much to prepare.