Natural Disaster Risk Management

A natural disaster is the effect of any of the many forces in nature that can be very destructive and cause damage to homes and vehicles and even take lives. Risk management for these disasters involves being prepared for these events as they happen.

Preparation

• It is always good to have an emergency disaster kit available in case of a natural disaster such as a tornado, earthquake or hurricane. These kits should contain items that are essential for safety and to sustain life and health.

  The emergency kit should be kept in an area of the house that is easily accessible, and everyone in the house should know where it is. It should include canned food, bottled water, a battery/wind-up AM/FM radio, first aid kit, flashlights, extra batteries, blankets and change of clothes (for everyone in the house). You should also keep a fire-safe box with money or a credit card and personal identification. You should have a list of emergency numbers available in the emergency kit as well as in the house, possibly on the refrigerator. These should include numbers for the fire department, poison control and possibly your local sheriff's office. If you have children, they should understand the use of 911. You should include instructions on how to turn off the utilities in your home, according to TornadoProject.com.

  Your family should have a plan for what to do if you are separated or if your house has to be evacuated. You should have a place in the neighborhood that you feel safe meeting at in case of a fire. You should also have a fire exit plan for our home. This should show all of the exits in the house and what exits will be best for all the different rooms of the house. You should go over this plan with your children so that everyone knows exactly what to do. You might also practice this with your family so that they are even more prepared in case of an actual emergency.

  In case of a natural disaster that your home is not equipped to handle, such as a hurricane or tornado, you should have a plan for an alternate place to stay. If you have enough warning, as in the case of a hurricane, you should make sure that you know the city's evacuation plan and all roads that lead away from the zone where the hurricane is hitting. You should make arrangements with friends or family to stay with them in the event. In the case of a tornado you should see if you have a friend or neighbor with a cellar or basement that you could make arrangements to stay with. If you do not have enough warning you should go to an area of the house with no windows, often a bathroom or hallway. In an earthquake you can stand in a doorway, as it is a strong point in the house.

Documents

• Home or rental insurance is very important to have in case of disaster. If you live near a body of water and it is possible that flooding could occur, it is important to have flood insurance.

  Knowing where all your most important documents and personal items are can help you stay at ease in an emergency. You might want to keep your most important things in a safety deposit box at your bank. If this is not an option, then you should get a fire box and make sure that you can get to it easily in case of an emergency. The most important things in the house are yourself and your family, so rather than trying to go in and save documents when they are strewn around the house, it is better if they are all in a safe place that you can get to quickly.

Importance of Risk Management

• The best way to keep yourself and your family safe in case of a natural disaster is to be organized. This includes your family knowing what the plan is and where to go. It also includes having what you need in these situations. This is the best way to keep your head and help the people you love stay safe and secure.