Your Family Disaster Plan
       Disaster can strike quickly and without warning. It can force you to evacuate your neighborhood or confine you to your home. What would you do if basic services--water, gas, electricity, telephones--were cut off? Local officials and relief workers will be on the scene after a disaster, but they cannot reach everyone right away.

        Families can--and do--cope with disaster by preparing in advance and working together as a team. Follow these steps to create your family's disaster plan.

1. Find out what could happen to you. Contact your local emergency management or civil defense office to gather information on what types of disasters happen in your area, what are the common warning signals, and what steps they believe you should take to stay safe.
2. Create a disaster plan. Meet with your family and discuss why you need to prepare for disaster. Explain the dangers of fire, severe weather and earthquakes to children. Plan to share responsibilities and work together as a team.
3. Complete a checklist. Make a list of important emergency steps you should complete to be prepared for disasters. Some steps might be posting emergency numbers, take a Red Cross first aid and CPR class and find safe spots in your home for each type of disaster.
4. Practice and maintain your plan. Quiz your family, run drills, and test all of your emergency supplies. Practicing for a real event will help you and your family stay safe and calm.

Food & Water in an Emergency
In a disaster, you might be cut off from food, water and electricity for days. By preparing emergency provisions, you can turn what could be a life-threatening situation into a manageable problem.

• Know of the hidden water sources in your home. If you are caught without a stored supply of clean water, you can use the water in your hot-water tank, pipes and ice cubes. To use may of these supplies you must know the location of your incoming water valve, how to turn off your pipes and how to turn off your hot-water tank.
• When food supplies are low, food can be rationed for many extra days, unlike water. Healthy people can survive on half their usual food intake for an extended period and without any food for many days. Try to limit salty foods or foods high in protein and fat. Stock canned foods that don't require cooking or special preparation.
• When stocking foods take in to account your families special needs and desires. Try to include foods they enjoy and high in calories and nutrition. Make sure to include a manual can opener and disposable utensils.
• For emergency cooking you can use a fireplace, or a charcoal grill or camp stove. Most canned food can be eaten out of the can, but be sure to open the can first and remove the label.
• Contaminated water not only tastes bad, but it can cause diseases such as dysentery and  hepatitis. There are three methods to purify water. Boiling is the safest method; boil water for 3-5 minutes, let water cool, and then put oxygen back into the water by pouring the water back in forth between two containers. A second method you would use would be disinfection, which is using household bleach to kill microorganisms. Adding 16 drops of bleach to one gallon of water should kill most active bacteria, do not use scented or color-safe bleach. A final method is distillation, this includes boiling the water and then collecting the vapor that condenses back to water.
• If an emergency strikes it is best to have a supply kit ready to take if you have to quickly leave your home. Packed in it should be items listed in the disaster supply kit listed below.
• If the electricity goes off, first use perishable foods from the refrigerator, then use foods from the freezer, finally use non-perishable items.

Your Family Disaster Supplies Kit
Your family will cope best by preparing for disaster before it strikes. One way to prepare is by assembling a Disaster Supplies Kit. Once disaster hits, you won't have time to shop or search for supplies. But if you've gathered supplies in advance, your family can endure an evacuation or home confinement. There are six basics you should stock in your home, in a large, easy to carry container such as a trash container or duffel bag. These items include:

1. Water Keep water in plastic containers such as soft drink bottles. Store one gallon of water per person per day. Keep at least a three-day supply of water for each person in your household.
2. Food Store at least a three day supply of non-perishable foods. If you have to heat food make sure to pack a sterno. Some foods that are best include ready-to-eat canned foods, vitamins, high-energy foods, and comfort/stress foods.
3. First Aid Kit Assemble a first aid kit for your home and one for each car. A first aid kit should include items such as band-aids, gauze, tweezers, thermometer, and cleansing agent. You might also want to include non-prescription drugs such as aspirin, laxative, and Syrup of Ipecac.
4. Tools and Supplies These items include mess kits, matches, signal flare, whistle, and sanitation items.
5. Clothing and Bedding Include at least one complete change of clothing per person, rain gear, hat and gloves, and blankets or sleeping bags.
6. Special Items These items are for people with special needs such as babies or the elderly. This also includes entertainment items and important family documents.

For a complete list of items for a Disaster Supplies Kit please call 335-9471 or visit the Southeast Missouri Chapter at 2430 Myra Drive.