The news media and government agencies keep reminding us that we will have a flood or other disaster and should be prepared now.  You cannot see experiencing a flood unless you win the lottery and move to the beach or buy lakefront property.  Those people have floods.

Actually, all homes can flood.  Growing up I can remember an upstairs neighbor who let their bathtub overflow and a whole line of apartments had water damage and flooding.  A friend of mine recently moved his family into a trailer next to their home because they had a flood.  Their upstairs washing machine water hose disconnected and while everyone was at work and school water ran through the walls and pooled in the kitchen and basement damaging 75% of their home.

Driving is a time we all are likely to experience flooding.  Our aging infrastructure increasingly floods.  Pot holes turn into lakes when it rains and the trenches next to roads are overgrown with weeds forcing water onto roadways.

In fact we are all at risk for flooding.  Be especially careful when driving during heavy rain or near swollen rivers.  The National Weather Service has a campaign called Turn Around  Don’t Drown.

“Each year, more deaths occur due to flooding than from any other thunderstorm related hazard. Why? The main reason is people underestimate the force and power of water. Many of the deaths occur in automobiles as they are swept downstream. Of these drownings, many are preventable, but too many people continue to drive around the barriers that warn you the road is flooded.  Whether you are driving or walking, if you come to a flooded road, Turn Around  Don’t Drown. You will not know the depth of the water nor will you know the condition of the road under the water.”[1]

Help your customers, friends and your family be prepared for a flood or other disaster by giving them the gift of safety.  All of our Ready Gift Boxes include educational information and essential supplies that can be immediately applied to lessen their impact of any disaster.  Plus, you really do not need to be the person who gives another bottle of wine.

[1] NOAA National Weather Service information

Power lines tend to come down in severe winter storms, hurricanes, tornadoes and other high wind events.  Even though a power line is on the ground it may still be energized.  NO TOUCHING! The best thing you can do is call your local energy company or local Department of Public Works.  You can also call the police or fire departments.

Is it safe to drive over power lines?

No.  It is not safe to drive over power lines.  Your car may become energized.  I recommend finding an alternate route or waiting for help to arrive and clear the road.

If a power line touches your car[1] (This information comes from Puget Sound Energy)

• If you are in a car when a power line falls on it, STAY IN THE CAR.
• Warn other people to stay away. Ask them to call 911 and the local electric utility for help.
• Stay there until rescue workers arrive. You are safer inside the car because the rubber tires help prevent electricity from going to the ground.
• If you must leave the car because of fire or other danger, DO NOT STEP OUT of the car. If you touch the car and the ground at the same time, you will be shocked. Instead, JUMP away from the car so no part of you touches the car and the ground at the same time. Land with your feet together, and shuffle away keeping both feet on the ground.

Note: Once you jump from a car with a power line on it, the danger may not be over. Electricity can spread out through the ground in a circle from any downed line. The voltage drops as you move away from the point of contact. If one part of your body touches a high-voltage zone while another part of your body touches a low-voltage zone, you will become a conductor for electricity. This is why you should shuffle away from the line, keeping your feet close together.

• Do not try to help someone else from the car while you are standing on the ground. If you do, you will become a path for electricity and could be hurt or killed!

A great resource online for more information: http://www.powerlinesafety.info/RightPanel-001.php

[1] http://www.pse.com/safetyReliability/electricsafety/pages/electricSafety.aspx?tab=1&chapter=5

However, reading a bit more carefully I see that 7,000 people died from weather-related incidents, billions of dollars in economic damage were caused and the impact of extreme weather will affect larger numbers of people, especially those living on the coast, in the future.  Global warming may be one of the biggest reasons we see an increase in the number of coastal incidents.

You can read the Reuters article here.  To view the International Disaster Database (EM-DAT) click here.

Seems to me that the best thing to do with the information from this report is to be thankful for the decline in 2009 and, like FEMA is reminding us, “Resolve to Be Ready” in 2010.