Our
main theme for today’s 101 Days of Summer Safety is Storm Preparedness. This is
especially important in light of the potential for significant storms this
weekend (see graphic below).
Please
take a moment to review the important information, via our partners in safety
at the Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security,
on what to do before, during and after a Hurricane or summer storm.
Also
take a moment to sign up for Alert Montgomery, Montgomery County’s emergency
warning system, to receive important notifications of weather watches, warnings
and other emergency information. Go here to sign up: https://alert.montgomerycountymd.gov
Storm
Preparedness Tips:
Before
a Storm
·
Build
an Emergency Supply Kit, which includes such items as non-perishable food,
water, a battery-powered or hand-crank radio, extra flashlights and batteries.
·
Make
a Family Emergency Plan. Your family may not be together when disaster strikes,
so it is important to know how you will contact one another, how you will get
back together and what you will do in case of an emergency.
·
Continually
monitor the media (radio, TV or internet) – Be aware of storms which could
impact your area.
·
Know
how you will be warned in an emergency…Alert Montgomery, (NOAA Weather radios
with a tone alert are a good option)
·
Ensure
your home is ready. Bring in or secure outdoor items that could become
projectiles in high wind.
·
Turn
the refrigerator and freezer to the coldest setting in anticipation of a power
outage. Open the door only when necessary and close quickly. Frozen food in a
half-full freezer should remain safe for up to 24 hours, and in a full freezer,
up to 48 hours.
During
a Storm
·
Follow instructions and emergency advice from
County officials or heed shelter or evacuation requests made through
announcements on radio/television.
·
Keep
an eye on the sky. Look for darkening skies, flashes of light or increasing
wind. Listen for the sound of thunder. If you can hear thunder, you are close
enough to be struck by lightning.
·
Blowing
debris or the sound of an approaching tornado may alert you. Tornado danger
signs include a dark, almost greenish sky; large hail; a large, dark, low-lying
cloud or a loud roar, similar to a freight train.
·
Gather
family members, bring pets indoors and have your emergency supply kit ready.
·
Close
outside doors and window blinds, shades or curtains. Close all interior doors.
Stay away from doors, windows and exterior walls. Stay in a shelter location
(small interior room, closet, or hallway on the lowest level) until the danger
has passed.
·
During
lightning, do not use wired telephones, touch electrical appliances or use
running water. Cordless or cellular telephones are safe to use.
·
During
a power outage use flashlights and battery-powered lanterns for light. Avoid
using candles which pose a fire risk.
·
Ensure
a supply of water for sanitary purposes such as personal cleaning and flushing
toilets. Fill a bathtub or other large container with the water. This is
particularly important for those whose water runs off of an electrical system.
·
If
your residence could flood, store valuable and personal papers in a waterproof
container.
·
Do
not walk through flowing water. Drowning is the number one cause of flood deaths.
Six inches of swiftly moving water can knock you off your feet.
·
Stay
indoors and limit travel to only absolutely necessary trips. Listen to
radio/television for updates. Do not attempt to drive through a flooded road –
you can become stranded or trapped.
After
a Storm
·
Stay
off roads to allow emergency crews to clear roads and provide emergency
assistance.
·
Help
injured or trapped persons. Do not attempt to move seriously injured persons
unless they are in immediate danger of death or further injury.
·
Use
the telephone only for emergencies.
·
Use
care around downed power lines. Assume a downed wire is a live wire.
·
Watch
out for overhead hazards such as broken tree limbs, wires and other debris.
·
Avoid
walking into flood waters. The water may be contaminated by oil, gasoline or
raw sewerage, contain downed power lines or animals.
·
Look
for hazards such as broken/leaking gas lines, damaged sewage systems, flooded
electrical circuits, submerged appliances and structural damage. Leave the area
if you smell gas or chemical fumes.
·
Clean
everything that gets wet. For food, medicines and cosmetics; when in doubt,
throw it out.
·
Make
sure backup generators are well ventilated. Never use grills, generators or
camping stoves indoors.
·
Call
311 (or 240-777-0311 from a cell phone or from a location outside of Montgomery
County) to report downed trees on public property and for help with County
services, or go to mc311.com. If wires
are involved with the downed tree, if anyone is trapped, or the tree is
blocking a roadway, call 9-1-1.
Remember to follow our 101 Days of Summer Safety on our various social media platforms using #mcfrsSOS
