Emergency Plans for Extreme Weather, Large Volcanic Eruptions, Earthquakes, and Pandemic Influenza
Click on the hyperlinks below for good reference sources of emergency plans and information for weather extremes (ice-cold, snow, floods, drought), large magnitude volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and pandemic influenza. Use Google Translate Web to translate hyperlinked emergency-related website pages into more than 100 languages (hyperlink).[i]
In New Zealand our government via the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management provides excellent information and plans on preparing for extreme weather events (i.e., storms, floods, tsunamis, landslides) and volcanic and earthquake emergencies (hyperlink).[ii] Please click on the following hyperlinks for important information on a “Household Emergency Plan” (hyperlink),[iii] “How to Get Ready” (hyperlink),[iv] and “Emergency Survival Items and Getaway Kit” (hyperlink).[v]
The US government also has one of the best public emergency information websites covering almost every natural disaster, and gives great practical advice and links to information and plans for cold-snow, drought, flooding, storms-hurricanes, and volcanic and earthquake events, etc. (hyperlink, hyperlink).[vi]
If you live in a volcanic region, a gas mask could be a wise investment. Information on volcanic ash impacts, and what to do in the event of a volcanic eruption, can be found at one of the following websites: The New Zealand Crown Research Institute (hyperlink); Auckland Engineering Lifelines Project (hyperlink); the US Government’s Volcanic Ash Impacts & Mitigation website (hyperlink); and the International Volcanic Health Hazard Network (hyperlink).
Important emergency information pertaining to the heightened risks for a pandemic flu outbreak and the vaccine debacle that’s basically just waiting to happen during this grand solar minimum are detailed in the next chapter.
For a pandemic flu emergency plan, your first port of call should be WHO’s Public Health Preparedness website,[vii] which is a must for pandemic-related information. This site will provide you with the current global situation and planning information for government and municipal levels of disease control.
Likewise, the US government’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website and the US Government’s Ready website (hyperlink),[viii] and New Zealand Government websites for pandemic flu preparedness (hyperlink) are useful sources of public information.[ix]
What are you going to do if there is a sudden freeze and deterioration in the overall weather and the power goes out? The US Government has a great website for helping you understand your best options (hyperlink).[x] A sudden freeze is when having a special warm room in the house will be especially useful. Make sure everyone has thermal clothing and warm hats, gloves, socks, shoes, and sub-zero temperature-rated sleeping bags.
Have water filters, a water-purification system, and a means for treating water at hand. Remember too that homemade water stills can be cheaply made to purify dirty water (i.e., greywater or water from streams and ponds), and for desalinating sea water if you live on the coast.[xi],[xii],[xiii],[xiv]
[i] Google Translate Web. http://itools.com/tool/google-translate-web-page-translator.
[ii] New Zealand. Ministry of Civil Defense and Emergency Management. Household Emergency Plan. This link covers; Disaster Category Links to Earthquakes, Storms, Floods, Tsunamis, Volcanic explosions, Landslides, and Other. http://getthru.govt.nz/how-to-get-ready/household-emergency-plan/.
[iii] New Zealand. Ministry of Civil Defense and Emergency Management. Household Emergency Plan. This link covers; Disaster Category Links to Earthquakes, Storms, Floods, Tsunamis, Volcanic explosions, Landslides, and Other. http://getthru.govt.nz/how-to-get-ready/household-emergency-plan/. http://getthru.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/GRG-Checklist.pdf to be completed with all members of your household.
[iv] New Zealand. Ministry of Civil Defense and Emergency Management. Household Emergency Plan. This link covers; 1). Learn about disasters and how to keep safe. 2). Create and practice a household emergency plan. 3). Assemble and maintain emergency survival items. 4). Have a getaway kit in case you must leave in a hurry. http://getthru.govt.nz/how-to-get-ready.
[v] New Zealand. Ministry of Civil Defense and Emergency Management. http://getthru.govt.nz/how-to-get-ready/emergency-survival-items/.
[vi] US Government. Be Informed, https://www.ready.gov/be-informed. Make a Plan, https://www.ready.gov/make-a-plan. Take Action-Get Involved, https://www.ready.gov/get-involved.
[vii] Conduct a Google search, “WHO Public health preparedness.”
[viii] US Government. Pandemic Flu Outbreak. https://www.ready.gov/pandemic. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/index.htm.
[ix] New Zealand Ministry of Health. https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/emergency-management/pandemics. Pandemic planning and response: Prepare yourself for a pandemic, Health sector pandemic influenza guidance. New Zealand Influenza Pandemic Plan. Pandemic influenza legislation.
[x] US Government. Be Informed. https://www.ready.gov/winter-weather.
[xi] Manchanda and Kumar, A comprehensive decade review and analysis on designs and performance parameters of passive solar still. Renewables (2015) 2:17. DOI 10.1186/s40807-015-0019-8.
[xii] Rasika R Dahake et al., “A Review on Solar Still Water Purification.” International Journal for Innovative Research in Science & Technology Volume 3 Issue 9 2017 59-63.
[xiii] Hikmet Ş. Aybar, “A review of desalination by solar still.” May 2007. NATO Security through Science Series C: Environmental Security. In book: Solar Desalination for the 21st Century. DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4020-5508-9_15.
[xiv] A.Z.A. Saifullaha et al., “Solar pond and its application to desalination.” Asian Transactions on Science & Technology (ATST ISSN: 2221-4283) Volume 02 Issue 03.
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