Natural Disaster and Weather-Related Preparedness

1
Natural Disaster and Weather-Related
Preparedness

• What to Plan For

This material was produced under grant number
SH-17035-08-60-F-11 from the Occupational Safety
and Health Administration, U.S. Department of
Labor. These materials do not necessarily
reflect views or policies of the U.S. Department
of Labor, nor does mention of any trade names,
commercial products, or organizations imply
endorsement by the U.S. Government.
2
Preparedness is Still Preparedness

• Still need
• ICS/Chain of Command
• Warning communications - including non-electric
  means
• Plans for alternate locations
• Accommodations for special needs staff and
  students

3
LIGHTNING The Underrated Weather Hazard!

• 2 Storm Killer In U.S.
• Kills more than tornadoes and hurricanes combined
• Can strike as much as 10 miles away from the rain
  area in a thunderstorm
• If you can hear thunder, youre within striking
  distance!

4
High Risk Areas at School

• Open Fields (45)
• Sports Fields
• Playgrounds
• Recess Outdoors
• Marching Band
• Extra Concerns
• Metal Bleachers
• Long Metal Fences
• Playground Equipment

5
FLOODS

• Most common natural disaster in the United States
• Tropical storms
• Flash flooding
• Overland flooding

6
Flood Damages
7
HURRICANES

• Form in the eastern Pacific Ocean, the Caribbean
  Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, or the southern Atlantic
  Ocean.
• The storms center is about
  20 to 30 miles wide.
• The storm around the eye can extend outward 400
  miles with winds in excess of 74 mph.

8
HURRICANES

• An average of five land on the U.S. coastline
  every 3 years.
• Coastal population of the United States will
  double between 1995 and 2010. 

9
TORNADOES

• Most frequent in the United States
• 1,200 tornadoes
• 70 fatalities
• 1,500 injuries
• Can occur at any time of the year
• Most often times Between 300 P.M and 900 P.M.

10
Main Problems for Schools in a Tornado

• Forces caused by winds and the airflow around the
  building.
• Forces caused by other objects (debris) impacting
  school walls.
• "Wind Tunnel Effect
• Gas leaks, chemical exposures, and electrical
  hazards after the storm.

11
Planning is Key

• Path of destruction can be more than one mile
  wide and 50 miles long and can devastate a
  neighborhood in seconds.
• You may have little warning, so preparation and
  planning are key to reducing injuries.

Schools need to develop a good tornado safety
plan tailored to building design and ability to
move people.
12
WINTER STORMS

• Blinding wind-driven snow
• Extreme cold
• Icy Roads
• Downed trees/power lines
• Limited access to emergency and medical services
• Communications disruptive

13
Severe Weather Checklist

• Who is responsible for activating the plan? Is
  there a back-up person?
• What is/are the primary means of receiving severe
  weather information?  NOAA Weather Radio with an
  alert feature is recommended!
• What method employed to alert teachers and
  students?  Is there a back-up that does not
  require electricity?

• Have provisions been made for the following
  problem areas
• Mobile classrooms away from the main building and
  disconnected from an intercom system.
• People in cafeteria or gymnasium during the
  storm.
• Students/staff with disabilities who may be in a
  position to either not hear the warning or be
  able to respond to it on their own accord.
• Students who are outside, including after-school
  activities.

14
General Safeguards

• Have safe areas and/or shelters in each school
  building been identified?
• How are staff and students accounted for?
• Have staff and students been trained in emergency
  procedures for each type of potential situation?
• Have drills been practiced?

15
EARTHQUAKES

• Each year 12,000-14,000 earthquakes are reported
• Forty-five states and U.S. territories are at
  moderate to high risk for earthquakes. ??

16
Being Prepared with a Good Plan is Essential in
Natural Disaster Situations

• Lets Look At Whats in Your Plans .