If you need to evacuate due to a wildfire or other life-threatening emergency, bring a light “travel bag” with you.Photo via the Oregon Fire Marshal’s Office.AP
When evacuating due to a wildfire or other life-threatening emergency, you cannot take everything with you.A lightweight “carry bag” isn’t like the emergency supplies you maintain at home in case you have to shelter in place for a few days.
A travel bag has the essentials you need – medicine for a portable phone charger – and you can take it with you if you have to escape on foot or use public transport.
“Keep your yard green, plan to leave and take your valuables gathered in one place,” said Portland Fire and Rescue spokesman Rob Garrison.
It’s hard to think clearly when you’re told to evacuate.This makes it essential to have a duffel bag, backpack or rolling duffle bag (a “carry bag”) ready to take with you when you run out the gate.
Assemble essentials in one place.Many must-haves may already be in your home, such as hygiene products, but you’ll need replicas so you can quickly access them in an emergency.
Pack a pair of long cotton pants, a long-sleeved cotton shirt or jacket, a face shield, a pair of hard-soled shoes or boots, and wear goggles near your travel bag before you leave.
Also pack a light travel bag for your pet and identify a place to stay that will accept animals.The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) app should list open shelters during a disaster in your area.
Consider the colors of a portable disaster kit.Some want it to be red so it’s easy to spot, while others buy a plain-looking backpack, duffel, or rolling duffle that won’t draw attention to the valuables inside.Some people remove patches that identify the bag as a disaster or first aid kit.
The NOAA Weather Radar Live app provides real-time radar imagery and severe weather alerts.
The Eton FRX3 American Red Cross Emergency NOAA Weather Radio comes with a USB smartphone charger, LED flashlight, and red beacon ($69.99).The Alerts feature automatically broadcasts any emergency weather alerts in your area.Charge the compact radio (6.9″ high, 2.6″ wide) with solar panels, hand crank or built-in rechargeable battery.
The Portable Emergency Radio ($49.98) with real-time NOAA weather reports and public emergency alert system information can be powered by a hand-crank generator, solar panel, rechargeable battery, or wall power adapter.Check out other solar or battery powered weather radios.
Here’s what you can do now to stop fumes from invading your home and polluting the air and furniture.
If it is safe to stay at home in the event of a wildfire in the distance, use an alternative power source to prevent arcing of voltage lines and tripping offline due to fire, smoke, and particulate matter.
Install weatherseal around gaps and plan to keep you and your pet in a room with the fewest windows, ideally without fireplaces, vents, or other openings to the outside.Install a portable air purifier or air conditioner in the room if you need it.
First Aid Kit: The First Aid Only Store has a Universal First Aid Kit for $19.50 with 299 items totaling 1 lb.Add a pocket-sized American Red Cross emergency first aid guide or download the free Red Cross emergency app.
The American Red Cross and Ready.gov educates people on how to prepare for natural and man-made disasters (from earthquakes to wildfires), and it recommends that every household have a basic disaster kit with three days’ worth of supplies if you run into you Your family and pets will be evacuated and have two weeks of supplies if you are sheltering at home.
You probably already have most of your key items.Supplement what you’ve used or add what you don’t have.Renew and refresh water and food every six months.
You can buy off-the-shelf or custom emergency preparedness kits, or build your own (here’s a checklist in case a core service or utility fails).
Water: If your water mains burst or your water supply becomes contaminated, you will need a gallon of water per person per day for drinking, cooking and cleaning.Your pet also needs a gallon of water a day.The Portland Earthquake Toolkit explains how to store water safely.Containers should be certified free of BPA-containing plastics and designed for drinking water.
Food: According to the American Red Cross, it is recommended that you have enough non-perishable food for two weeks.Experts recommend non-perishable, easy-to-prepare foods, such as canned instant soups, that aren’t too salty.
Here are tips for tackling the tug-of-war between saving water and keeping your landscape green as a fire prevention measure.
Portland Fire & Rescue has a safety checklist which includes making sure electrical and heating equipment is in good working order and does not overheat.
Fire prevention starts in the yard: “I didn’t know which precautions would save my house, so I did what I could”
Here are chores big and small you can do to reduce the risk of your home and community burning in wildfires.
Redfora’s car kits are stocked with roadside essentials and core emergency items to help deal with highway breakdowns or have emergency essentials ready in the event of a wildfire, earthquake, flood, power outage.With every purchase, donate 1% through Redfora Relief to a suddenly homeless family, a disaster relief agency in need of support or a smart prevention program.
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Post time: May-21-2022