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Today we're going to discuss Mindset and how you can prepare on a mentally and physically and what should you expect in an emergency from local, state and federal government.

Associated Press

Damascus, Syria - Syria rejected Israel's demand that Damascus cut its ties with Iran and Arab militant groups as a condition for a peace agreement, a state newspaper said Saturday.

The announcement comes even as Syrian ally Hamas, a sworn foe of the Jewish state, cast doubt on the Israeli government's ability to even deliver on a peace agreement due to the weakness of its prime minister.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,357947,00.html

Associated Press

North Korea is extremely close to producing a long-awaited accounting of its shuttered nuclear program, a senior U.S. official said Friday. The documentation would be a major step toward a disarmament deal with the reclusive communist regime.

Although there is no date agreed yet, the documentation is expected within the next month. That would clear the way for a high-stakes meeting as soon as the end of June between the top U.S. and North Korean diplomats, along with the other four nations involved in a deal to put North Korea out of the nuclear weapons business.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the six-nation diplomatic consultations are confidential, says the U.S. insists it be able to verify that North Korea's documentation is complete.

The official says that weeks of preparation with North Korea, South Korea, Japan, China and Russia are coming to a close.

The administration's top negotiator for North Korea will travel to China and Russia next week for the final preparatory meetings before the North hands over its paperwork.

Senior U.S. officials said that while in China, Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill will meet with his North Korean counterpart.

China is the North's closest ally and the host of the six-nation talks. As host, China is the nation to which the North will formally present the documentation.

The Bush administration rejected a Clinton-era nuclear deal and diplomatic outreach to Pyongyang, and has shunned the North for much of President Bush's time in office. The expected meeting between U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and North Korea's top diplomat would mark a major turnaround in relations with a state Bush once labeled part of an "axis of evil."

North Korea said it needed a strong deterrent to ward off a possible U.S. invasion, and exploded a nuclear device in 2006, before agreeing to trade away is nuclear weapons program for economic and political concessions from Asia and the West.

One of the first requirements for the North was a detailed technical accounting of its plutonium program, including the amount of weapons-grade plutonium produced at a now-shuttered reactor.

The United States says the North missed a Dec. 31, 2007 deadline to come up with that paperwork. U.S. officials say the North produced only a partial accounting last fall but is now ready to turn over all the information that the United States and its partners need.

The United States has promised that after the accounting is in and checked it will remove North Korea from a State Department list of nations that sponsor terrorism. Lifting the terror stigma is a special goal of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il. Under the schedule U.S. officials expect, the United States could grant that concession in June.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,357647,00.html

Live Science

Pasadena, California - The Myanmar cyclone. The earthquake off the coast of Japan. The Chilean volcano. Has Earth gone bonkers?

Not at all. This level of natural activity is normal for Earth, scientists say.

"Mother Nature is just reminding us that she is in charge," Bill Patzert, a climatologist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., told LiveScience.

A look back at events in 2007 serves to remind just how wild this world routinely is. EM-DAT, the OFDA/CRED International Disaster Database, tracks natural disasters in which either 10 or more people were killed, 100 or more people were affected, a State of Emergency was declared, or there was a call for international assistance.

In the United States in 2007, EM-DAT tallied four such tornado disasters, five winter storms, seven floods, two wildfires and a drought in various locations.

Non-EM-DAT events included six U.S. hurricanes and 2,789 earthquakes of which 80 were 5.0-magnitude or greater, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Tornadoes are an American affliction primarily, it's true, but that is a result of geography, Patzert said. About 80 percent of tornadoes in the world happen in the United States because cool Canadian air mixes with warm moist air coming from the Gulf of Mexico, he said.

It might look and feel like the recent disasters worldwide are a cluster of events that could be related, but scientists say they aren't.

"It's totally random," said Peter Kelemen, a geologist at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory in New York.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,354692,00.html?sPage=fnc/specialsections/naturaldisaster

Associated Press

Bangkok, Thailand - A cyclone with winds up to 120 mph. A low-lying, densely populated delta region, stripped of its protective trees.

When Cyclone Nargis struck Myanmar's Irrawaddy delta and pushed a wall of water 25 miles inland, it had all the makings of a massive disaster.

Forecasters began tracking the cyclone April 28 as it first headed toward India. As projected, it took a sharp turn eastward, but didn't follow the typical cyclone track in that area leading to Bangladesh or Myanmar's mountainous northwest.

Instead, it swept into the low-lying Irrawaddy delta in central Myanmar. The result was the worst disaster ever in the impoverished country.

It was the first time such an intense storm hit the delta, said Jeff Masters, co-founder and director of meteorology at the San Francisco-based Weather Underground. He called it "one of those once-in-every-500-years kind of things."

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,354670,00.html?sPage=fnc/specialsections/naturaldisaster

Associated Press

Rangoon, Burma - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the junta in Burma, also known as Myanmar, agreed Friday to allow all aid workers into the country after weeks of refusing access to foreign relief experts seeking to help cyclone survivors.

Ban said the government also agreed to let in aid "via civilian ships and small boats," wording suggesting that U.S., British and French warships waiting off Burma's coast with relief supplies would not be allowed to dock.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,357423,00.html

Associated Press

Yingxiu, China - China's earthquake death toll jumped to more than 60,000 and Premier Wen Jiabao said it could rise to more than 80,000 as he and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visited the disaster area Saturday.

Wen's estimate was a sharp increase in the number of expected deaths from the disaster almost two weeks ago, and could signal that the government is giving up hope of finding most of the roughly 30,000 it had listed as missing.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,357928,00.html

Associated Press

Cuidad Juarez, Mexico - Nobody seems to know who wrote the e-mail, which says gunmen will fire at malls, restaurants and other public places in "killings all over the city." But many have forwarded it to friends.

Ciudad Juarez Police Chief Roberto Orduna says the threats must be taken seriously. He issued a news release Thursday assuring residents that police would be more vigilant.

Officials say more than 200 people have been killed so far this year in Juarez, a city of 1.3 million people across from El Paso Texas. Most of the deaths are blamed on battling drug cartels.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,357803,00.html

Associated Press

Acapulco, Mexico - A southern Mexican town's 15-member police force has quit for fear of being assassinated in retaliation for a shootout with gunmen, a security official said Thursday.

Zirandaro was the second town in less than two weeks to be left without its police force as Mexico's drug cartels wage increasingly bold attacks against security forces. On Monday, the military took over a town near Texas after all 20 of its police officers were either killed, run out of town or quit.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,357761,00.html

USA Today

Mexico City, Mexico - One of Mexico's biggest drug cartels has launched a brazen recruiting campaign, putting up fliers and banners promising good pay, free cars and better food to army soldiers who join the cartel's elite band of hit men.

"We don't feed you Maruchan soups," said one banner in the border city of Nuevo Laredo, referring to a brand of ramen noodles.

The recruiting by the Gulf Cartel reflects how Mexico's fight against traffickers increasingly resembles a real war, nearly 17 months after President Felipe Calderón ordered the army into drug hot spots.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2008-04-24-mexicocartels_N.htm

Associated Press

Gilroy, California - Firefighters continued to fight a persistent wildfire in the Santa Cruz Mountains that has chewed through acres of centuries-old redwoods, destroyed at least 17 homes and displaced hundreds of people.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,357141,00.html

Associated Press

Windsor, Colorado - Residents awoke Friday to find debris-strewn neighborhoods, houses torn to pieces and trees stripped bare of their spring leaves after a large tornado swept through northern Colorado, killing one person and injuring dozens.

The twister skipped through several towns in Weld County on Thursday, damaging or destroying dozens of homes, businesses, dairies and farms. The storm system pelted the region with golf-ball-size hail, swept vehicles off roads and tipped 15 rail cars off the tracks in Windsor, a farm town about 70 miles north of Denver.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,357704,00.html

Associated Press

Kansas City, Missouri - Emergency workers were picking through debris after tornadoes rampaged in western and central Kansas and northern Oklahoma for a second night in a row.

The city of Protection in Commanche County took a direct hit from a tornado Friday, although the damage seemed mostly limited to overturned trees and power lines. The worst destruction occurred at a manufacturing plant, a Commanche County Sheriff's dispatcher said.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,357932,00.html

Associated Press

Bartlett, Tennessee - A gasoline tanker has overturned near Memphis and led to the evacuation of a suburban nursing home.

William Hiner, deputy chief of the Shelby County Fire Department, says nursing home residents were evacuated as a precaution Friday because the overturned tanker was believed to be leaking.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,357662,00.html

And now for our topic, Your Mindset and What Should You Expect from Local Authorities.

Do you have the guts? The guts to survive a bad situation? The guts to overcome overwhelming odds?

So many of us do it everyday. Chronic pain, joblessness, homelessness, natural disasters, heart-wrenching stories of sadness in the news and still people persevere. And so many of us don't do it - depression, sadness, no gumption, no get up and go, procrastination, laziness, boredom.

So what makes people so different and how do you fix it?

We give up too easy anymore and we expect or demand that someone else fix it, take care of it, drug it, make it go away. It's under OUR control. Where is our fight?

Don't let someone tell you that if you have a condition then your life is over, that you're less of a person. Fight for control of yourself, take your meds, get help. In terrible situations you have to have the WILL TO SURVIVE.

When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in August of 2005 there was a huge failure of the emergency management programs there. But why?

"The scenario of a major hurricane hitting New Orleans was well anticipated, predicted and drilled around," said Clare Rubin, an emergency management consultant who also teaches at the Institute for Crisis, Disaster and Risk Management at George Washington University.

Computer models developed at Louisiana State University and other institutions made detailed projections of what would happen if water flowed over the levees protecting the city or if they failed.

In July 2004, more than 40 federal, state, local and volunteer organizations practiced this very scenario in a five-day simulation code-named "Hurricane Pam," where they had to deal with an imaginary storm that destroyed over half a million buildings in New Orleans and forced the evacuation of a million residents.

At the end of the exercise Ron Castleman, regional director for the Federal Emergency Management Agency declared: "We made great progress this week in our preparedness efforts.

"Disaster response teams developed action plans in critical areas such as search and rescue, medical care, sheltering, temporary housing, school restoration and debris management. These plans are essential for quick response to a hurricane but will also help in other emergencies," he said.

In light of that, said disaster expert Bill Waugh of Georgia State University, "It's inexplicable how unprepared for the flooding they were." He said a slow decline over several years in funding for emergency management was partly to blame.

But LSU engineer Joseph Suhayda and others have warned for years that defenses could fail. In 2002, the New Orleans Times Picayune published a five-part series on "The Big One," examining what might happen if they did.

It predicted that 200,000 people or more would be unwilling or unable to heed evacuation orders and thousands would die, that people would be housed in the Superdome, that aid workers would find it difficult to gain access to the city as roads became impassable, as well as many other of the consequences that actually unfolded after Katrina hit this week.

Craig Marks who runs Blue Horizons Consulting, an emergency management training company in North Carolina, said the authorities had mishandled the evacuation, neglecting to help those without transportation to leave the city.

"They could have packed people on trains or buses and gotten them out before the hurricane struck," he said. "They had enough time and access to federal funds. And now, we find we do not have a proper emergency communications infrastructure so aid workers get out into the field and they can't talk to one another."

Most of those trapped by the floods in the city of some 500,000 people are the poor who had little chance to leave.

Ernest Sternberg, a professor of urban and regional planning at the University of Buffalo, said law enforcement agencies were often more eager to invest in high tech "toys" than basic communications.

"It's well known that communications go down in disasters but people on the frontlines still don't invest in them. A lot of the investments that have been made in homeland security have been misspent," he said.

Several experts also believe the decision to make FEMA a part of the Department of Homeland Security, created after the Sept. 11 attacks, was a major mistake. Rubin said FEMA functioned well in the 1990s as a small, independent agency.

"Under DHS, it was downgraded, buried in a couple of layers of bureaucracy, and terrorism prevention got all the attention and most of the funds," she said.

Former FEMA director James Lee Witt testified to Congress in March 2004: "I am extremely concerned that the ability of our nation to prepare for and respond to disasters has been sharply eroded.

"I hear from emergency managers, local and state leaders, and first responders nearly every day that the FEMA they knew and worked well with has now disappeared. In fact one state emergency manager told me, 'It is like a stake has been driven into the heart of emergency management,"' he said.

Underlying the situation has been the general reluctance of government at any level to invest in infrastructure or emergency management, said David McEntire, who teaches emergency management at the University of North Texas.

"No one cares about disasters until they happen. That is a political fact of life," he said.

"Emergency management is woefully underfunded in this nation. That covers not only first responders but also warning, evacuation, damage assessment, volunteer management, donation management and recovery and mitigation issues."

So what did we learn? That we know about these disasters but didn't properly plan. That people lived in a dangerous area with no training or information. That those people, in the absence of local, state and federal authorities who were unable to get to them were responsible for their own safety until authorities could reach them. That YOU should prepare for yourself, NOW, before a disaster strikes.

Now that said, since your mindset is under control and we have an understanding that you are responsible for yourself, get training. Our federal government has spent so much money on preparedness information that's FREE that I don't understand why more people don't take advantage of it.

Contact your local American Red Cross and go to the Citizen Corp website and get training called CERT - Citizen Emergency Response Team. They have classes, they give you some gear after you pass the class and the information and training is worth the time.

Our government gives you all this information at no charge. They want you to be prepared because they know that they can't take care of every single person in a disaster situation. You have to be responsible for yourselves and your family. There are even neighborhood groups.

Every week I tell you to get to know your neighbors in case of an emergency. Here in Pierce County, Washington we have a program called PC-NET which stands for Pierce County Neighborhood Emergency Team. Everyone in the neighborhood who wants to participate takes the class together, usually at someone's house or rotating houses each week for 6 weeks.

According to the PC-NET website, major disasters stretch county resources to their
limits. It is estimated that regular emergency services will be unable to respond to most calls during the first 72 hours following a major disaster, such as a severe earthquake. Recent events have also taught us that individuals are the first lines of defense when it comes to our nation’s homeland security. It’s time to get to know our neighbors and make our hometowns secure.

If individuals and their neighborhoods are prepared to mutually assist each other, lives can be saved, property can be spared, and emergency services can be freed to respond to the most devastated areas. This will be accomplished by organizing block groups into a variety of disaster response teams, each of which has a simple one-page list that clearly outlines necessary tasks. No special skills or equipment are required to participate – and only a minimal time commitment is needed.

PC-NET goes beyond conventional community preparedness and crime prevention efforts of simply raising awareness – PC-NET means taking action. People and neighborhoods that are prepared will know what to expect during times of disaster, what to do, and how to come together in an organized, timely response.

The Citizen Corps website tells us that, "Following the tragic events of September 11, 2001 and the recurring reminders of the powerful force of natural phenomenon, we become reminded of our vulnerabilities, more appreciative of our freedoms, and more understanding that we have a personal responsibility for the safety of our families, our neighbors and our nation."

Orange County, New York's website tells us, "Improving our national preparedness is not just a job for the professionals - law enforcement, firefighters and others. All Americans should begin a process of learning about potential threats so we are better prepared to react during an attack.

While there is no way to predict what will happen, or what your personal circumstances will be, there are simple things you can do now to prepare yourself and your loved ones."

Other countries like Australia and New Zealand expect their citizens to take care of themselves in a disaster.

The Ministry of Civil Defense & Emergency Management announced that it recorded
204 weather and geological events in the first quarter of the year, 1 January 2008 to 31 March 2008.

The Ministry’s Director, John Hamilton, said that the breakdown of events highlights what we should expect in New Zealand – almost half the events were earthquakes and about a quarter were heavy rain warnings.

“We live on a group of isolated islands, in the roaring forties on the edge of tectonic plates,” Mr Hamilton said. “That means we are likely to get rain and wind, and earthquakes and volcanoes.”

Historically, flooding is by far the most common emergency in New Zealand, while earthquakes, most too small to be felt, occur every day.

What does all this information tell us? That at some point in an emergency or disaster we are responsible for our own survival. Our government is telling us that they can't help every single one of us.

They've outlined the possible & potential threats. They tell us what to stock up on and
give us lists. They provide free training. They can only do so much but they're telling us that they definitely can NOT hold our hands and provide for every single one of us and the sooner that you realize that the better off you'll be in an emergency.

So, mitigate the dangers to you and your family by knowing and avoiding unnecessary risks. Assess potential problems to personal/family health and to personal property.

Prepare for potential problems in your area constructing shelters or safe rooms, rehearse evacuation plans, create a disaster supplies kit for evacuation and stockpile supplies for sheltering-in-place. The preparation of a survival kit, commonly referred to as a "72-hour kit", is advocated by authorities. These kits may include food, medicine, flashlights, candles and money.

Be prepared to respond to an emergency by preparing as above. Response can take the shape either of a home confinement or an evacuation. In a home confinement a family would be prepared to fend for themselves in their home for many days without any form of outside support. In an evacuation, a family leaves the area by automobile (or other mode of transportation) taking with them the maximum amount of supplies they can carry, possibly including a tent for shelter. If mechanical transportation is not available, evacuation on foot would ideally include carrying at least three days of supplies and rain-tight bedding, a tarpaulin and a bedroll of blankets being the minimum.

And when the immediate threat to human life has passed be educated and prepared to recover.

The most extreme home confinement scenarios include war, famine and severe epidemics and may last a year or more. Then recovery will take place inside the home. Planners for these events usually buy bulk foods and appropriate storage and preparation equipment, and eat the food as part of normal life. A simple balanced diet can be constructed from vitamin pills, whole-meal wheat, beans, dried milk, corn, and cooking oil. One should add vegetables, fruits, spices and meats, both prepared and fresh-gardened, when possible.

This is all under your own control.

http://www.citizencorps.gov/ready/

http://www.co.pierce.wa.us/pc/abtus/ourorg/dem/pcnet.htm

http://www.co.orange.ny.us/orgMain.asp?orgid=79&storyTypeID=&sid=

http://www.ema.gov.au/agd/EMA/emaInternet.nsf/AllDocs/19353533747CB74ACA256F01002468DA?OpenDocument

http://www.civildefence.govt

But first we'll begin with the news:

Associated Press

Moscow, Russia - Missiles, tanks and other heavy weaponry rolled through Moscow's Red Square in the Victory Day parade Friday, the first time since the collapse of the Soviet Union that they have appeared in the annual event. Russia has nearly quadrupled its defense spending in recent years, aiming to resuscitate the military forces that deteriorated in the post-Soviet period.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,354685,00.html

Associated Press

Yangon, Myanmar - Myanmar's junta seized U.N. aid shipments headed for hungry and homeless survivors of last week's devastating cyclone, prompting the world body to suspend further help on Friday.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,354665,00.html

Associated Press

New York, NY - United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and his top lieutenants on Monday are convening the first meeting of the U.N.’s Task Force on the Global Food Crisis. Ban says it will “study the root causes of the crisis,” and propose solutions for “coordinated global action” at a summit of world leaders in June.

Ban might want to consider convincing the oil-rich nations of the Middle East to provide more than the near-invisible amount of money they currently give to the World Food Program (WFP), the U.N.’s food-giving arm, which is charged with alleviating the food crisis.

WFP internal documents show that the major oil producing nations of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) gives almost nothing to the food organization, even as skyrocketing oil prices and swollen oil revenues contribute to the very crisis that the U.N. claims could soon add 100 million more people to the world’s starving masses.

The overwhelming bulk of the burden in feeding the world’s starving poor remains with the United States and a small group of other predominately Western nations, a situation that the WFP has done little so far to change, even as it has asked for another $775 million in donations to ease the crisis.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,354677,00.html

Associated Press

Seoul, South Korea - North Koreans are dying because of food shortages in rural areas, and a massive famine is just a matter of time, a South Korean aid group said Friday.

The food situation was as bad as the famine that hit the country in the mid-1990s, which left as many as 2 million people dead, Seoul-based Good Friends - a Buddhist-affiliated group that sends food and other aid to the North - cited an unidentified North Korean official Friday as saying.

"So far, mass deaths have not occurred as people have become more used to (starvation) than in the 1990s, but famine is a matter of time," the official was quoted as saying by the aid group.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080509/ap_on_re_as/nkorea_famine

Telegraph UK

London, England - The global free market for food and energy is facing its biggest threat in decades as a host of countries push through draconian measures to hold down prices, raising fears of a new "resource nationalism" that could endanger world food security.

India shocked the markets yesterday by suspending trading in futures contracts for a range of farm products in a bid to clamp down on alleged speculators and curb inflation, now running at 7.6pc.

The country's Forward Markets Commission said contracts for soybean oil, chana (chickpeas), potatoes, and rubber had been banned for four months, even though a report by the Indian parliament last month concluded that soaring food costs had almost nothing to do with the futures contracts. Traders in Mumbai slammed the ban as an act of brazen political populism.

The move has been seen as a concession to India's Communist MPs - key allies of premier Manmohan Singh - who want a full-fledged ban on futures trading in sugar, cooking oil, and grains.

As food and fuel riots spread across the world, a string of governments have resorted to steps that menace the free flow of food and key commodities. Argentina has banned beef exports, while Egypt and India have stopped shipments of rice.

Kazakhstan has prohibited wheat exports. Russia has slapped a 40pc export duty on shipments, and Pakistan a 35pc duty.

China, Cambodia, Malaysia, Philipines, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam have all imposed export controls or forms of rationing to ease the crisis.

"The bottom line is that countries with resources, particularly in food and energy are becoming more protective of these resources," it said.

Nationalist policies are making the crisis worse. Governments are blocking foreign investments in sensitive sectors, imposing arbitary taxes, or meddling in details.

UBS said political intervention in the African Copper Belt, Kazakhstan, and Mongolia was already taking its toll on copper output, while oil companies are being shut out of key markets such as Russia - with damaging effect on oil production.

Even the US and Europe are falling prey to some of these populist impulses. A group of top Democratic senators on Capitol Hill this week called for draconian measures to halt speculative trading on oil futures, widely blamed for pushing crude prices to $124 a barrel.

They have drafted the Consumer-First Energy Act mandating higher margin requirements on oil futures contracts, as well as revoking $17bn in tax concessions for oil companies and imposing a 25pc windfall tax on oil profits.

The UN's Food and Agriculture Organization says the global food bill has risen 57pc in the last year. Soaring freight rates have compounded the effect.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=A1YourView&xml=/money/2008/05/08/bcnfood108.xml

Associated Press

San Francisco, CA - A survey of bee health released Tuesday revealed a grim picture, with 36.1 percent of the nation's commercially managed hives lost since last year. Last year's survey commissioned by the Apiary Inspectors of America found losses of about 32 percent.

As beekeepers travel with their hives this spring to pollinate crops around the country, it's clear the insects are buckling under the weight of new diseases, pesticide drift and old enemies like the parasitic varroa mite, said Dennis vanEngelsdorp, president of the group.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080507/ap_on_re_us/disappearing_bees

And for news about today’s topic:

Associated Press

Washington, DC - The world still faces a substantial threat of a flu pandemic and countries need to speed up preparations for a global outbreak, health experts said Tuesday.

"We can't delude ourselves. The threat of a pandemic influenza has not diminished," said Keiji Fukuda, coordinator for the World Health Organization's Global Influenza Program.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,354378,00.html

Associated Press

A virus that has sickened close to more than 11,000 children in China is not a threat to the Olympians who will be heading to the country, the World Health Organization has said.

Although the outbreak is another headache for China's Communist government as it prepares to host this summer's Olympic Games, WHO's China representative, Hans Troedsson, said the disease was not a threat to the Beijing Olympics because the disease mostly sickens young children.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,354264,00.html

Associated Press

Washington, DC - Should doctors be allowed to play God?

In the case of a flu pandemic — yes, say government officials in a new report.

Doctors know some patients needing lifesaving care won't get it in a flu pandemic or other disaster. The gut-wrenching dilemma will be deciding who to let die.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,354135,00.html

Associated Press

Chicago, IL - Doctors know some patients needing lifesaving care won't get it in a flu pandemic or other disaster. The gut-wrenching dilemma will be deciding who to let die.

Now, an influential group of physicians has drafted a grimly specific list of recommendations for which patients wouldn't be treated. They include the very elderly, seriously hurt trauma victims, severely burned patients and those with severe dementia.

http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2008May05/0,4670,PandemicRationingCare,00.html

And how timely was this situation?

City News Canada

Timmins, Canada - Early Friday morning, a Via Rail train was quarantined outside Timmins. One woman died and at least 10 others have flu-like systems, though police believe the two events are unconnected.

While it's not known what caused the woman's death, a Toronto doctor outlines what he thinks happened to the 10 passengers. Dr James Brunton is an infectious disease at Mount Sinai Hospital. In a telephone interview, he explains what may have happened.

http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_22546.aspx

And now for today’s topic – Outbreak – How to Prepare for a Pandemic.

Historically there have been epidemics for as long as beast and man had contact. Some caused by bacteria, some by viruses.

The most famous episode of plague in Europe, the Black Death, seems to have originated in Central Asia; it arrived in Milan in 1348, carried by ship-borne rats. By 1351, all of the European world was affected. In some areas, two-thirds to three-quarters of the population died, perhaps as many as 25 million overall.

Though far less contagious than plague, leprosy has also left deep and painful impressions on historical memory. Caused by Mycobacterium leprae, this disease destroys nerve endings, blood vessels, ligaments, skin tissue, and even bone and can cause marked deformations of the extremities, face, and voice.

Mass destruction and social condemnation also characterized two epidemics of the Renaissance, smallpox and syphilis, diseases that may well have sprung into prominence as a direct result of the explorations of the age. Smallpox had existed in Asia, and then in Europe, for centuries but was apparently unknown in the Americas until Europeans arrived there in the fifteenth century.

Meanwhile, syphilis was first recorded in Europe in 1493, which was, perhaps coincidentally, immediately after Christopher Columbus and his sailors returned to Spain. Far more virulent a disease than it is today, syphilis spread furiously through Europe. Meanwhile, every nation tried to categorize it as a disease brought from outside, by foreigners, with the Russians calling it Polish, the Poles ascribing it to Germans, and the Germans, English, and Italians calling it the "French sickness." The Dutch and Portuguese ascribed it to the Spanish, while the Japanese blamed the Portuguese.

Memorable epidemics in the following centuries included the European smallpox pandemic of 1614, outbreaks of plague in London in 1665 and Marseilles in 1720, and an epidemic of yellow fever in the new American capital, Philadelphia, in 1793.

The nineteenth century was marked by four pandemics of cholera, one of which started in 1826 in India and had spread by 1832 to Russia, Persia (Iran), Continental Europe, Great Britain, and North America. Cholera, which can kill within a day, is caused by fecal contamination of food and water; it brings on severe cramps, vomiting, fever, dehydration, and sudden death. Because cholera often afflicted the overcrowded and malnourished poor, the New York Times in 1866 called it "the curse of the dirty, the intemperate, and the degraded."

Similar views of the relationship between social conditions and disease characterized the construction of tuberculosis (TB), the nineteenth century's most devastating chronic disease. TB is typically a chronic disease whose symptoms include fatigue, weight loss, chills, aches, fevers, and a characteristic violent cough that sometimes brings up bloody sputum. It most commonly affects people, such as the urban poor, whose nutrition is inadequate and who live and work in crowded conditions. By the eighteenth century, physicians and the lay public believed that climate and "dissolute and immoral" living made people susceptible to the disease. Tubercular patients were often urged to take up physically active lives in areas with salubrious weather. Rest cures in sanatoriums were common, and treatment often varied according to the gender and class of the sufferer. Only when Robert Koch discovered in 1882 that TB is caused by a bacterium did the stereotypes that its sufferers were inherently weak or tainted begin to fade away.

The early twentieth century was marked by epidemics such as those of influenza and poliomyelitis, or polio. 

And here's where we come to the one most of us remember, not because we were there but because our families were.

The great influenza pandemic of 1918 began when the "Spanish flu" struck Chungking in July, Persia in early August, and France two weeks later; in two months it had covered the entire globe, taking 500,000 lives in the United States, 12,000,000 in India, and 22,000,000 overall -- nearly twice as many as World War I.

Throughout history, influenza viruses have mutated and caused pandemics or global epidemics. In 1890, an especially virulent influenza pandemic struck, killing many Americans. Those who survived that pandemic and lived to experience the 1918 pandemic tended to be less susceptible to the disease.

In 1918, the Public Health Service had just begun to require state and local health departments to provide them with reports about diseases in their communities. The problem? Influenza wasn’t a reportable disease.

But in early March of 1918, officials in Haskell County in Kansas sent a worrisome report to the Public Health Service. Although these officials knew that influenza was not a reportable disease, they wanted the federal government to know that “18 cases of influenza of a severe type” had been reported there.

By May, reports of severe influenza trickled in from Europe. Young soldiers, men in the prime of life, were becoming ill in large numbers. Most of these men recovered quickly but some developed a secondary pneumonia of “a most virulent and deadly type.”

Within two months, influenza had spread from the military to the civilian population in

Europe. From there, the disease spread outward—to Asia, Africa, South America and, back again, to North America.

What is believe now is that in late August, the influenza virus probably mutated again and epidemics now erupted in three port cities: Freetown, Sierra Leone; Brest, France, and Boston, Massachusetts.

In Boston, dockworkers at Commonwealth Pier reported sick in massive numbers during the last week in August. Suffering from fevers as high as 105 degrees, these workers had severe muscle and joint pains. For most of these men, recovery quickly followed. But 5 to 10% of these patients developed severe and massive pneumonia and died. Death often followed.

Public health experts had little time to register their shock at the severity of this outbreak. Within days, the disease had spread outward to the city of Boston itself. By mid-September, the epidemic had spread even further with states as far away as California, North Dakota, Florida and Texas reporting severe epidemics.

This outbreak of the Spanish Flu occurred in three waves in the United States throughout 1918 and 1919.

The first wave had occurred when mild influenza erupted in the late spring and summer of 1918. The second wave occurred with an outbreak of severe influenza in the fall of 1918 and the final wave occurred in the spring of 1919.

In its wake, the pandemic would leave about twenty million dead across the world. In America alone, about 675,000 people in a population of 105 million would die from the disease.

World War I had left many communities with a shortage of trained medical personnel. As influenza spread, local officials urgently requested the Public Health Service to send nurses and doctors. With less than 700 officers on duty, the Public Health Service was unable to meet most of these requests.

Entire families became ill. In Philadelphia, a city especially hard hit, so many children were orphaned that the Bureau of Child Hygiene found itself overwhelmed and unable to care for them.

As the disease spread, schools and businesses emptied. Telegraph and telephone services collapsed as operators took to their beds. Garbage went uncollected as garbage men reported sick. The mail piled up as postal carriers failed to come to work.

State and local departments of health also suffered from high absentee rates. No one was left to record the pandemic’s spread and the Public Health Service’s requests for information went unanswered.

As the bodies accumulated, funeral parlors ran out of caskets and bodies went uncollected in morgues.

In many communities, quarantines were imposed to prevent the spread of the disease. Schools, theaters, saloons, pool halls and even churches were all closed. As the bodies mounted, even funerals were held out doors to protect mourners against the spread of the disease.

Public officials, who were unaware that influenza was a virus and that masks provided no real protection against viruses, often demanded that people wear gauze masks. Some cities even passed laws requiring people to wear masks. Enforcing these laws proved to be very difficult as many people resisted wearing masks.

Advertisements recommending drugs which could cure influenza filled newspapers. Some doctors suggested that drinking alcohol might prevent infection, causing a run on alcohol supplies. Some folk healers insisted that wearing a specific type of amulet or a small bag of camphor could protect against influenza.

States passed laws forbidding spitting, fearing that this common practice spread influenza.

In November, two months after the pandemic had erupted, the Public Health Service began reporting that influenza cases were declining.

Communities slowly lifted their quarantines. Masks were discarded. Schools were re-opened and citizens flocked to celebrate the end of World War I.

Communities and the disease continued to be a threat throughout the spring of 1919.

By the time the pandemic had ended, in the summer of 1919, nearly 675,000 Americans were dead from influenza. Hundred of thousands more were orphaned and widowed.

No one knows exactly how many people died during the 1918-1919 influenza pandemic. During the 1920s, researchers estimated that 21.5 million people died as a result of the 1918-1919 pandemic. More recent estimates have estimated global mortality from the 1918-1919 pandemic at anywhere between 30 and 50 million. An estimated 675,000 Americans were among the dead.

The pandemic which occurred in 1918-1919 was not the only influenza pandemic of the twentieth century. Influenza returned in a pandemic form in 1957-1958 and, again, in 1968-1969.

These two later pandemics were much less severe than the 1918-1919 pandemic. Estimated deaths within the United States for these two later pandemics were 70,000 excess deaths from the Asian Flu (1957-1958) and 33,000 excess deaths from the Hong Kong (1968-1967).

1976: Swine Flu Threat

When a novel virus was first identified at Fort Dix, it was labeled the "killer flu." Experts were extremely concerned because the virus was thought to be related to the Spanish flu virus of 1918. The concern that a major pandemic could sweep across the world led to a mass vaccination campaign in the United States. In fact, the virus--later named "swine flu"--never moved outside the Fort Dix area. Research on the virus later showed that if it had spread, it would probably have been much less deadly than the Spanish flu.

1977: Russian Flu Threat

In May 1977, influenza A/H1N1 viruses isolated in northern China, spread rapidly, and caused epidemic disease in children and young adults (< 23 years) worldwide. The 1977 virus was similar to other A/H1N1 viruses that had circulated prior to 1957. (In 1957, the A/H1N1 virus was replaced by the new A/H2N2 viruses). Because of the timing of the appearance of these viruses, persons born before 1957 were likely to have been exposed to A/H1N1 viruses and to have developed immunity against A/H1N1 viruses. Therefore, when the A/H1N1 reappeared in 1977, many people over the age of 23 had some protection against the virus and it was primarily younger people who became ill from A/H1N1 infections. By January 1978, the virus had spread around the world, including the United States. Because illness occurred primarily in children, this event was not considered a true pandemic. Vaccine containing this virus was not produced in time for the 1977-78 season, but the virus was included in the 1978-79 vaccine.

Are we due for another?

Seasonal (or common) flu is a respiratory illness that can be transmitted person to person. Most people have some immunity, and a vaccine is available.

Avian (or bird) flu (AI) is caused by influenza viruses that occur naturally among wild birds. Low pathogenic AI is common in birds and causes few problems. Highly pathogenic H5N1 is deadly to domestic fowl, can be transmitted from birds to humans, and is deadly to humans. There is virtually no human immunity and human vaccine availability is very limited.

Pandemic flu is virulent human flu that causes a global outbreak, or pandemic, of serious illness. Because there is little natural immunity, the disease can spread easily from person to person. Currently, there is no pandemic flu.

In 1997, an outbreak of a new, deadly strain of influenza A (H5N1) occurred in poultry in Hong Kong. Since that time, the virus has mutated and has passed from sick poultry to over 300 humans worldwide of which nearly 60% have died. So far, human-to-human transmission has been very limited and not sustained.

The H5N1 virus continues to change and poses a significant potential threat as the cause of the next pandemic.

The Centers for Disease Control, World Health Organization and other leading public agencies all agree that the threat of another flu pandemic is real and it’s not a question of IF anymore but WHEN.

Regardless of where the outbreak starts, everyone around the world will be at risk. Especially in this day and age of global travel. If you don’t take steps to prepare before a pandemic it will be harder for you to follow important health advice when a pandemic occurs.
So how do YOU prepare?

The US Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS), the CDC and health experts are asking that you stock up on foods and other necessities, improve your health and plan ahead for how you will take care of yourself and you family during an outbreak.

Stock up on non-perishable foods, bottled water, over the counter drugs, health supplies and other necessities so that you won’t have to leave your home. You’re trying to reduce your exposure to other people during a pandemic crisis.

Over-the-counter drugs will pretty much be your lifeline. A virus isn’t “cured” by antibiotics. Part of the problem today is the overuse of antibiotics leading to the mutation of bacteria & diseases that are now a antibiotic resistant. In a virus you can treat the symptoms. Pain relievers, fever reducers, expectorants, cough syrup, decongestants, etc. I have a small problem with combination medications like cough & cold formulas, etc. because they may treat symptoms that you don’t have and can worsen other symptoms like antihistamines that dry you up when you need to really have an expectorant to get that stuff out. Educate yourself now so that you won’t panic later.

Research continues into effective antivirals, seeking medications that can reduce the severity of an influenza attack. Antivirals are drugs that are used to prevent or cure a disease caused by a virus, by interfering with the ability of the virus to multiply in number or spread from cell to cell. Recent increases in the number and promotion of antiviral drugs for influenza have increased interest in the role of specific antiviral drugs for treatment of the flu. Use of antiviral drugs does not eliminate the risk of complications, and some complications can be life threatening.

Vaccination is one of the most effective ways to minimize suffering and death from influenza. Research efforts have led to the development of a vaccine for one of the two strains of the H5N1 influenza virus in humans. In the event of a pandemic, it could take months to develop an effective vaccine. Federal officials have drafted a plan that spells out who gets priority for the first vaccinations.

DHHS recommends that you have at least a 2-week supply but as we all know here, stocking up is a good thing and you can do it over time as long as you start today. Listen to the archived shows for food storage ideas and information and read our blog here on Blog Talk Radio for lists and information. These supplies aren’t just for a pandemic. There are plenty of situations that you should stock up for and there’s no substitute for overall preparedness. FEMA and the Red Cross have upped their recommendations to 4 weeks so the more, the safer.

And stock up on cleaning supplies.

How Flu Viruses Spread

· A flu pandemic is an outbreak of illness caused by a new flu virus that spreads around the world. Because the virus is new to people, nearly everyone will be at risk of getting it.

· The main way that illnesses like colds and flu are spread is from person to person by coughs and sneezes. This can happen when droplets from a cough or sneeze of an infected person move through the air and make contact with the mouth or nose of people nearby.

· Droplets from an infected person can also make contact with environmental surfaces (like the tops of tables). The virus can then be spread from those surfaces if a person touches the droplets and then touches his or her own eyes, mouth, or nose before washing his or her hands.

· The virus also can be spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes into his or her hands and then touches a surface (like a phone, remote control, or toy) before washing his or her hands. Another person could become sick if he or she touches that surface and then touches his or her own eyes, mouth, or nose before washing. Flu viruses and other germs can live 2 hours or longer on hard environmental surfaces like tables, doorknobs, and desks. Surfaces are likely to be touched much more often than they can be cleaned and disinfected. Thus, it is important to wash your hands often, keep your hands away from your face, and keep such surfaces clean to help prevent the spread of germs.

Continued.......

We all heard about the earthquake in China last Monday. The director of NorthStar Preparedness had just landed in Beijing 2 days before on Saturday. I called his family in Iowa after not hearing from him and he's fine and due home today so we're happy to hear that.

CNN News

Chendu, China - Rainy weather and poor logistics thwarted efforts by relief troops who walked for hours over rock, debris and mud on Tuesday in hopes of reaching the worst-hit area of an earthquake that killed nearly 10,000 in central China, state-run media reported.

The earthquake was powerful enough to be felt throughout most of China. Many children were buried under the rubble of their schools. The Chinese government said the death toll was sure to rise.

An expert told CNN the 7.9-magnitude quake at about 2:28 p.m. Monday (6:28 a.m. GMT) was the largest the region has seen "for over a generation."

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/05/12/china.quake/index.html

Australia News

Beijing, China - Forty-six seriously injured people needed to be evacuated immediately in Beichuan, at the epicentre of the Sichuan quake, where the water level of a lake is rising rapidly and may burst at any time, Xinhua news agency reported, quoting warnings from soldiers at the site.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,23714869-401,00.html?from=public_rss

Associated Press

Zagreb, Croatia - Governments have changed. War erupted and ended. Neighbors had children, and then grandchildren. But Hedviga Golik never left her tiny apartment in Croatia's capital — until her mummified body was carried out this week, 35 years after she died.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,356358,00.html

Fox News

Madrid, Spain - Spanish police have arrested five people suspected of hacking into or outright disabling thousands of Internet pages, some of them run by government agencies in the U.S., Latin America and Asia, authorities said Saturday.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,356490,00.html

Fox News

Washington, DC - Electronic passports for U.S. travelers frequenting Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean soon will replace the old-style paper identification, but some think the cards could fall prey to counterfeiters, The Washington Times reported.

The State Department soon will begin making the credit card-sized ID, which has a photo of the user and a radio frequency identification chip that holds information about its owner. The first cards will be issued in July, the story reported.

But security experts warn the picture can be removed with a solvent and replaced with another, and the cards are easily duplicated, The Washington Times reported.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,356486,00.html

Northeast Intelligence Network

Rochester, NY - The FBI charged Nadire Zelenaj, a 9-1-1 dispatcher in Rochester, (Monroe County) New York with 232 counts of computer trespassing for unauthorized access of law enforcement sensitive databases containing information about terrorist suspects and related investigations.

She allegedly accessed other secure databases containing proprietary data, including but not limited to New York State drivers license data.

http://www.homelandsecurityus.com/Rochester050808

Associted Press

Pomona, CA - Small but dangerous wildfires broke out in bone-dry brushlands around Southern California on Friday as temperatures soared to triple-digit levels in some areas.

Firefighters chased outbreaks of fire in five counties as the region withered under the influence of a high- pressure system expected to last into the weekend.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,356485,00.html

Fox News

Palm Bay City, FL - A man authorities believe may have set at least some of the wildfires along Florida's Atlantic coast is in custody on suspicion of arson.

Since the fires began Sunday about 20 homes have been destroyed and 160 other structures damaged. The damage was estimated at approximately $3.5 million, said Palm Bay City Manager Lee Feldman, who said homes and outbuildings were among the damaged structures. Officials had earlier reported 40 homes destroyed.

Efforts to contain the fires that have burned about 15 square miles were improving, officials said. Still, major highways in the area were being intermittently closed because of smoke and the proximity of the flames.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,355565,00.html

Associated Press

Springfield, IL - Illinois has created a panel dedicated to preparing for earthquakes.

Gov. Rod Blagojevich (bluh-GOY'-uh-vich) on Sunday announced the formation of the Illinois Seismic Safety Task Force. It will assess preparedness in high-risk sections of the state.

Illinois was rattled last month by a magnitude 5.2 earthquake and a series of aftershocks centered in the state's far southeastern corner. The quakes caused minor damage.

http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2008May04/0,4670,MidwestEarthquake,00.html

Earthquakes continue to rattle Las Vegas and the coast of California and just about 7 hours ago a 2.3 rattled Neah Bay here in Washington. There is some incredible seismic activity going on. I suggest that everyone keep an eye on their areas and use the US Geological Survey's site to see what's going on in your area. Just in the past couple days there have been several earthquakes in Tennessee and I was surprised to see TWO in Mississippi and Alabama. A 3.1 shook Sheman, Mississippi last Saturday and 3.1 shook yesterday near Coffeeville, Alabama. There are definitely some changes going on under our surface.

Now we have another round of potential disasters that with the upcoming hurricane season.

Associated Press

San Juan, Puerto Rico - A noted hurricane researcher predicted Wednesday that rising water temperatures in the Atlantic will bring a "well above average" storm season this year, including four major storms.

The updated forecast by William Gray's team at Colorado State University calls for 15 named storms in the Atlantic in 2008 and says there's a better than average chance that at least one major hurricane will hit the United States.

An average of 5.9 hurricanes form in the Atlantic each year.

"The Atlantic is a bit warmer than in the past couple of years," said Phil Klotzbach, a member of the forecast team. "That is something we would like to keep an eye on."

Gray had projected seven hurricanes with three major storms in a preliminary forecast in December.

One of the most closely watched hurricane forecasters, Gray has been issuing hurricane predictions for more than 20 years.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/04/09/tech/main4004068.shtml?source=RSSattr=U.S._4004068

So how do you prepare?

To adequately prepare for a hurricane, you must first understand what one is. A hurricane is a type of tropical cyclone which is a general term for a circulating weather system over tropical waters. In the Northern Hemisphere they circulate counter-clockwise. They are classified as follows:

Tropical Depression - An organized system of clouds and thunderstorms with a defined circulation and maximum sustained winds of 38 mph of less.

Tropical Storm - An organized system of strong thunderstorms with a defined circulation and maximum sustained winds of 39-73 mph.

Hurricane - An intense tropical weather system with a well-defined circulation and maximum sustained winds of 74 mph or higher. In the western Pacific, hurricanes are called "typhoons" and in the Indian Ocean they're called "cyclones".

Powered by heat from the sea, hurricanes are moved by the easterly trade winds, the temperate westerlies and their own energy. From the core the winds have great velocity and as they move ashore they sweep the ocean inward giving birth to tornadoes and torrential rains and flooding.

Of the 10 tropical storms that occur each year, on the average, 6 will become hurricanes, developing over the Atlantic, Caribbean or Gulf of Mexico. While most remain over the ocean, 5 will strike the United States coastlines every 3-4 years. Of the 5 that strike, 2 will be a Category 3 or greater on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale.

Since there is little we can do to prevent hurricanes, our best defenses are understanding the storm, early warning and preparation.


HOW THE HURRICANE FORMS AND GROWS

Warm water, moisture and a wind pattern that spirals inward are the three things that a hurricane needs to grow. When thunderstorms form, moving the warm air higher into the atmosphere and the winds at these levels are light, the structure remains in tact and can strengthen.

The eye of the hurricane is the center and is very calm. The most dangerous area is the eyewall. At 50,000 feet the air is moved outward and that increases the upward motion.

When the hurricane makes landfall you get the Storm Surge. This is an area 50-100 miles wide that moves in. A combination of strong storm and shallow water creates a higher, more dangerous surge which is the greatest threat to man and structure. If the surge happens to come at high tide then the water is even higher. This is called a Storm Tide.

Hurricane force winds can topple poorly constructed buildings and mobile homes. Debris becomes flying missiles and wind gusts can down trees and power lines causing disruption in the basic utilities.

Rains moving inland can produce 10 inches or more and cause deadly flooding. This is a great inland danger, also.

Hurricanes can also spawn tornadoes from the thunderstorms on the outer bands of the hurricane and within the eyewall.

PERSONAL RISK

While warning systems have increased advance knowledge of storms and hurricanes, the roads around the urban areas have not kept pace when it comes to evacuation ability. 80-90 percent of the current coastal population has never experienced the "core" of a severe storm and have grown complacent and delay evacuation. Having gone through smaller storms, they truly don't realize the severity of a Category 4 or 5 storm.

The hurricane threat has been low over the past 20-30 years but hurricanes, like other weather patterns come in cycles. When hurricane activity returns to the levels of the 1940's through the 1960's then the increased coastal populations will be at greater risk.

Your best defense is to prepare yourself, your family and your community.

WARNING SYSTEMS AND CODES

The National Hurricane Center uses satellites, reconnaissance planes, radar and hurricane models to evaluate the potential for a tropical depression or storm to grow into a hurricane.

The National Weather Service, NOAA Weather Radio and your local weather and news stations are the best source for current storm information. Listen for the following watches and warning:

Tropical Storm Watch - This means that the conditions are possible for the formation of a tropical storm in the area of the watch. It is usually issued for a 36-hour period.

Tropical Storm Warning - Storm conditions are EXPECTED within the area of the warning, usually within 24 hours.

Hurricane Watch - Conditions for hurricane formation is possible within the specified area. It is issued for a 36-hour period. You should take this time to prepare and stock up on perishable supplies.

Hurricane Warning - A hurricane is EXPECTED in the area of the warning within 24 hours. Be sure you have completed your Disaster Preparedness Plan and be ready to evacuate.

Be sure to listen for the short-term watches and warnings that are issued. They give information on possible storm surges, floods, tornadoes, high winds, etc.

YOUR PERSONAL PREPAREDNESS

Know the risk to your area.

Know your evacuation routes.

Know where emergency shelters are.

Follow your Family Disaster Preparedness Plan.

If your are in the WATCH area, make sure you listen to the radio and local news. Fuel up your vehicles and check your maps for evacuation routes. If you live in a mobile home, make sure your tie downs are secure. Have a supply of cash and move your Grab and Go Packs near the door. Make sure your Automobile Evacuation Kit is in the vehicle and be prepared to pack a cooler so that you can evacuate. Get your pets ready to travel by putting them in pet carriers or locked in a room so that they don't run off. Check outside for any lawn furniture or lightweight objects that could become projectiles in high winds.

Be prepared to evacuate if you live in a mobile home, a high-rise building (winds are stronger at higher elevations) at or on the coastal areas.

When the WATCH has been upgraded to a WARNING, stay tuned to local weather radio and news stations. Finish all disaster preparations. If instructed to evacuate, do so immediately. Notify family and friends who are NOT in the storm area where you will be going. Make sure you have all important papers. Note that most shelters will NOT allow pets. Make other arrangements or plan on having them ride out the storm in the home or in your vehicle. Make sure you have food and water for them.

Only stay in your home if you have NOT been instructed to leave. Stay in the interior rooms away from doors and windows. Prepare by doing the following:

Turn the refrigerator up to the highest setting.

Turn off utilities like water and gas if instructed to do so.

Turn off propane tanks.

Unplug small appliances.

Fill your bathtubs and sinks with water for using if water service is disrupted.

Close all internal doors and brace all external doors.

If you live in a two-story home, stay on the first floor in an interior room.

If you live in a multiple-story building and are away from storm surges, take refuge on the first or second floors in the hallways.

Be aware of the eye of the storm. On the other side of the eye the winds will reverse direction and return to hurricane strength very quickly.

AFTER THE STORM AND DANGER HAS PASSED

Listen to the radio or local news.

Wait until the area has been declared safe to return if you evacuated.

Avoid bridges and washed out roads.

Avoid moving more than 6 inches deep since you can still be swept away. Also avoid standing water since downed power lines may have it electrically charged.

Check utilities before you use them in case they were damaged. Do not drink tap water until it has been checked for bacteria.

Don't use the telephone unless it's an emergency.

When the storm has completely passed and the danger is gone, evaluate how your family handled this emergency and update your Family Disaster Plan so you'll be more prepared for the next storm.

The same preparedness tips, kits and evacuation procedures for all emergencies follow through here.

Today, before the season starts, is when you should start preparing. Stock up on basic supplies.

Plan your evacuation route. I know that all through hurricane country there are signs showing the evacuation routes but also map another route in case those roads are jammed up. Know this route, drive it just to test it out so that you don't worry about getting turned around in an emergency.

Make sure that you have a vehicle emergency kit that is in there at all times and make sure if you already have one that you check it and rotate out foods that may be older. Eat them now and put in fresh items.

Make sure you have family bags, evacuation/bug out bags that are ready to go for each member. Take into account for infants, children and pets. Remember that most shelters will not take your animals. Either have family or friends to evacuate to or make arrangements. I would consider either a garage that's been pre-prepped with no hanging items that could fall or that's been secured to lock them in as long as you're in an area that won't be under water. Put out a bag of food and fill several pans with gallons of water and go. I love my dogs more than a lot of things but if I had to leave them I would have to leave them if I hadn't made arrangements. For that reason alone, I have made arrangements.

If you're going to stay behind then buy supplies now. Every year we see the lines out the doors with people stocking up, buying wood to cover windows, etc. Buy that stuff now. You know you'll need it eventually. Why panic and become a victim of price gouging, etc.

And when you see that a storm is coming, even if it's a week out, start preparing water jugs, keep your gas tank full, make sure you know where everything is.

Now we also had an email from Julie in Georgia. Hi Julie, thanks for listening! She would like to know more about preparing on a budget.

I promise to do a show just on that but I'd like to start you on your way with some information.

Regarding important documents. In the situation, like Hurricane Katrina, where homes were completely wiped away, even in the recent tornadoes, you need copies of deeds, land ownership, birth certificates, etc. Originals should be kept in safe-deposit boxes or a small safe that you can grab on your way. Store it in the closet with your grab-n-go kits so that it goes with you. Also, one of the adults should have photocopies of important papers in their evac bag. I don't recommend leaving these kinds of things in your car in case something gets stolen.

For your household you need to evaluate what you already have. Do an inventory and then make a list of what you need. I've worked with people who have nothing and need everything. Stress and panic won't help these things appear.

Start with the most important things, water, food, medical, shelter and work from there. Rework your weekly budget so that you can pick up extra items. Buy the cheaper items for storage, like store brand, just to start. In an emergency any food is better than no food. And shop the sales. Don't be fixed to one item each week. If tuna is on sale buy 4 cans. If spaghetti is on sale, buy 2 bags and 4 cans of sauce. Pasta and can food store well. So does rice which you have to remember doubles in size when cooked so 4 cups of rice will net you 8 cups of food once it's cooked. What a deal for storage. If canned vegetables are on sale buy extra. Try to set aside $10 each week to buy food.

For water, if you drink soda, reuse the 2 liter bottles to store water. There's free storage bottles and free water right there. Peel off the labels and wash the bottles with hot, soapy water. Rinse well and refill with tap water. If you're on well water then I do recommend adding bleach. Regular, unscented, NOT concentrated bleach. You can still buy it and a gallon of bleach will purify 3,800 gallons of water. You only need 4 drops in a 2 liter bottle of water.

If you have to buy water, buy the cheapest spring water you can find by the gallon or 2.5 gallon jug. You can get these at the big box store for about .75 cents a gallon or $2.00 for the 2.5 gallon jugs which have a spigot on them.

Medical supplies include any regular medications plus anything you know your family needs. A general first aid kit is nice but not the first thing to get.

Shelter is first and foremost your home. Plan to shelter-in-place for most situations. In this conversation though, with hurricanes, you may have to leave. Try to plan ahead and get someplace to stay. Know where emergency shelters are located.

And visit our website at www.preparednessnetwork.org/northstar for all the American Red Cross and FEMA recommendations. Remember that one disaster can be compounded by other disasters. A hurricane can trigger a flash flood, a dam or levy break like we saw in Katrina, a hazmat situation if a disaster like a hurricane, tornado or earthquake hits a refinery or chemical plant and more.

The four rules of emergency preparedness are:

Personal mitigation is mainly about knowing and avoiding unnecessary risks. This includes assessing possible risks to personal/family health and to personal property. One example of mitigation would be to avoid buying property in a flood zone, on a major fault line or on a hillside where there are potential landslides. Homeowners may not be aware of a property being exposed to a hazard until it strikes.

In areas prone to prolonged electricity black-outs installation of a generator would be an example of an optimal structural mitigation measure. The construction of storm cellars and fallout shelters are further examples of personal mitigative actions.

Unlike mitigation which is aimed at preventing a disaster from occurring, personal
preparedness focuses on preparing equipment and procedures for use when a disaster occurs. Preparedness measures can take many forms including the construction of shelters, installation of warning devices, creation of back-up life-line services (e.g. power, water, sewage), and rehearsing evacuation plans. For evacuation, a disaster supplies kit may be prepared and for sheltering purposes a stockpile of supplies may be created. The preparation of a survival kit, commonly referred to as a "72-hour kit", is advocated by authorities. These kits may include food, medicine, flashlights, candles and money.

The response phase of an emergency may commence with search and rescue but in all cases the focus will quickly turn to fulfilling the basic humanitarian needs of the affected population. This assistance may be provided by national or international agencies and organisations. Effective coordination of disaster assistance is often crucial, particularly when many organisations respond and local emergency management agency (LEMA) capacity has been exceeded by the demand or diminished by the disaster itself.

On a personal level the response can take the shape either of a home confinement or an evacuation. In a home confinement a family would be prepared to fend for themselves in their home for many days without any form of outside support. In an evacuation, a family leaves the area by automobile (or other mode of transportation) taking with them the maximum amount of supplies they can carry, possibly including a tent for shelter. If mechanical transportation is not available, evacuation on foot would ideally include carrying at least three days of supplies and rain-tight bedding, a tarpaulin and a bedroll of blankets being the minimum.

The recovery phase starts after the immediate threat to human life has subsided. During reconstruction it is recommended to consider the location or construction material of the property.

The most extreme home confinement scenarios include war, famine and severe epidemics and may last a year or more. Then recovery will take place inside the home. Planners for these events usually buy bulk foods and appropriate storage and preparation equipment, and eat the food as part of normal life. A simple balanced diet can be constructed from vitamin pills, whole-meal wheat, beans, dried milk, corn, and cooking oil.[7] One should add vegetables, fruits, spices and meats, both prepared and fresh-gardened, when possible.