What to Do After a Tsunami

After a tsunami, you should:
• Continue using a NOAA Weather Radio or staying tuned to a Coast Guard
emergency frequency station or a local radio or television station for updated
emergency information. The tsunami may have damaged roads, bridges, or other
places that may be unsafe.
• Check yourself for injuries and get first aid if necessary before helping injured or
trapped persons.
CORE ACTION MESSAGES
• Stay informed.
• Climb to higher ground.
If you cannot escape a wave, climb onto a roof or
up a tree, or grab a floating object and hang on until
help arrives. Some people have survived tsunami
waves by using these last-resort methods.
CORE ACTION MESSAGES
• Stay informed.
• Take care of yourself and help others.
• Watch for hazards.
Tsunamis
July 2004
Talking About Disaster: Guide for Standard Messages
Produced by the National Disaster Education Coalition, Washington, D. C.
TN-7
• If someone needs to be rescued, call professionals with the right equipment to
help. Many people have been killed or injured trying to rescue others in flooded areas.
• Help people who require special assistance—infants, elderly people, those without
transportation, large families who may need additional help in an emergency situation,
people with disabilities, and the people who care for them.
• Avoid disaster areas. Your presence might hamper rescue and other emergency
operations and put you at further risk from the residual effects of floods, such as
contaminated water, crumbled roads, landslides, mudflows, and other hazards.
• Use the telephone only for emergency calls. Telephone lines are frequently
overwhelmed in disaster situations. They need to be clear for emergency calls to get
through.
• Stay out of a building if water remains around it. Tsunami water, like floodwater, can
undermine foundations, causing buildings to sink, floors to crack, or walls to collapse.
• When re-entering buildings or homes, use extreme caution. Tsunami-driven
floodwater may have damaged buildings where you least expect it. Carefully watch
every step you take.
• Wear long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, and sturdy shoes. The most common injury
following a disaster is cut feet.
• Use battery-powered lanterns or flashlights when examining buildings. Batterypowered
lighting is the safest and easiest to use, and it does not present a fire hazard
for the user, occupants, or building. DO NOT USE CANDLES.
• Examine walls, floors, doors, staircases, and windows to make sure that the
building is not in danger of collapsing.
• Inspect foundations for cracks or other damage. Cracks and damage to a foundation
can render a building uninhabitable.
• Look for fire hazards. There may be broken or leaking gas lines, flooded electrical
circuits, or submerged furnaces or electrical appliances. Flammable or explosive
materials may have come from upstream. Fire is the most frequent hazard following
floods.
• Check for gas leaks. If you smell gas or hear a blowing or hissing noise, open a
window and get everyone outside quickly. Turn off the gas using the outside main valve
if you can, and call the gas company from a neighbor's home. If you turn off the gas for
any reason, it must be turned back on by a professional.
• Look for electrical system damage. If you see sparks or broken or frayed wires, or if
you smell burning insulation, turn off the electricity at the main fuse box or circuit
breaker. If you have to step in water to get to the fuse box or circuit breaker, call an
electrician first for advice. Electrical equipment should be checked and dried before
being returned to service.
• Check for damage to sewage and water lines. If you suspect sewage lines are
damaged, avoid using the toilets and call a plumber. If water pipes are damaged, contact
the water company and avoid using water from the tap. You can obtain safe water from
undamaged water heaters or by melting ice cubes that were made before the tsunami
hit. Turn off the main water valve before draining water from these sources. Use tap
water only if local health officials advise it is safe.

Posted by Aneka Tips on 17.30. Filed under Books, Earthquake, Tsunami . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Feel free to leave a response