Talking About Disaster: A Guide for Standard Messages

Table of Contents Introduction and Purpose Acknowledgements What Is in This Guide Using This Guide Hazard Messages Chemical Emergencies Drought Earthquakes Fires, Residential Fires, Wildland Floods and Flash Floods Hazardous Materials Incidents Heat (Heat Wave) Hurricanes and Tropical Storms Landslides Nuclear Power Plant Incidents Terrorism Thunderstorms, Severe Tornadoes Tsunamis Volcanoes Winter Storms Special Populations Messages Talking to Children About Disasters Preparedness Action Messages Family Disaster Plan Disaster Supplies Kit Emergency Supplies for your Vehicle First Aid Kit Contents First Aid Kit for Pets Stocking and Storing Food and Water Smoke Alarms Carbon Monoxide Alarms Fire Extinguishers Arc-Fault Circuit Interrupters (AFCIs) Home Fire Sprinkler Systems Portable Generators Evacuation, Sheltering, and Post-Disaster Safety Messages Evacuation, Sheltering, and Post-Disaster Safety What to do if Evacuation is Necessary Because of a Storm What to do When There is Flooding “Wind Safe” Room How to Shelter-in-Place (Chemical Incidents) Factors for Protection from Radioactive Fallout Food and Water Safety During/Post Disaster Emergency Sanitation How to Recognize and Treat Heat Emergencies Frostbite and Hypothermia

Wind Safe Room A "wind safe” room is a reinforced area of a home designed to withstand severe windstorms. While basements offer some protection from damaging winds, the level of protection can be increased greatly by building a reinforced shelter area in a basement, or constructing a shelter in an above-ground room such as an interior closet or a small study room. An effective “wind safe” room must be strong enough to survive extreme wind speeds and the impact of airborne debris, sufficiently affordable to appeal to homeowners, and accessible quickly in the event a severe storm approaches. “Wind safe” rooms are easiest to install when a home is being built; however, they can also be added to many existing homes. A variety of options exists for homes with basements, homes built on a "slab-on-grade" foundation, and homes with a "crawlspace" foundation. Typical costs range from $2,000 for a simple "lean-to" shelter in a new-home basement, to $6,000 or more for an above-ground, steel-sheathing shelter. Get more information from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) about building a “wind safe” room. Also for more information, check out the Institute for Business and Home Safety at www.ibhs.org. Detailed construction plans and information related to safe rooms can be found at http://www.fema.gov/plan/prevent/saferoom/.

Acknowledgments
Initial development of this guide was made possible by a grant from the Home Safety Council, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to helping prevent the nearly 21 million medical visits
that occur on average each year from unintentional injuries in the home. Through national programs and partners across America, the Home Safety Council works to educate and empower families to take actions that help keep them safe in and around their homes. This guide is the product of the hard work and collaboration of many professionals affiliated with the organizations partnering with the American Red Cross, which represents the expertise and commitment of the following organizations:

• American Geological Institute • Disability Preparedness Center • Home Safety Council • The Humane Society of the United States • Institute for Business & Home Safety • International Association of Emergency Managers • National Fire Protection Association • National Interagency Fire Council • National SafeKids Campaign • National Science Foundation • U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission • U.S. Department of Agriculture -Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service -Extension Disaster Education Network -Food Safety and Inspection Service • U.S. Department of Commerce - NOAA/National Weather Service • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Food and Drug Administration • U.S. Department of Homeland Security -Federal Emergency Management Agency -U.S. Fire Administration • U.S. Department of Interior - U.S. Geological Survey
From: Talking About Disaster: Guide for Standard Messages. Washington, D.C., 2007.

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