Hurricanes: How to Prepare (or Not)

So now that we've all sung "Goodnight, Irene" and bid a fond farewell to the big news-making hurricane, Cranky Fitness is all set to tell you what you should and shouldn't do in a hurricane!

(Whoops, where did that naughty horse run off to? Guess I better go lock the barn door!)


However, since no one would take a bunch of safety suggestions from a blog dedicated to whining seriously anyway, I figure now is as good a time as any for a list of Do's and Don'ts of Preparing for and Surviving Hurricanes.

1. DON'T blow off hurricane warnings or evacuation orders. Hurricanes are often over-hyped, plus they generally take forever to arrive.  This can lead to an overly casual "screw it" type attitude.

What hurricane? Time for a nap.

I grew up in earthquake country (oh wait I forgot... now everywhere is earthquake country) so it seems to me like hurricanes are relatively luxurious, as far as natural disaster preparation goes.  When an earthquake hits, your house can crumble around you with no warning.  With a hurricane, you often have days and days to ponder your options, make preparations, and if it looks bad, get the hell out of the way. (Unless you are a heroic public health/safety worker, or are otherwise required to stay.) We learned from Katrina that things can suddenly turn ugly, so don't be so sure that every hysterically dire hurricane prediction is full of crap just because most of them are.

2.  DO gather supplies you might need in the event you are cut off from the outside world, and have no access to medical care, electricity, water, grocery stores, gas stations, pharmacies, coffee purveyors, personal trainers, child care providers, etc.

First Aid? Er.. vodka's an antiseptic, right?

3. DON'T leave loose objects around your house and yard; remove or tie down objects like garbage cans, lawn furniture, or family members you'd rather not lose to high winds.

I did untie the Lobster...eventually.

4.  If you actually want real hurricane advice, DO visit a site that has serious and practical tips, like Ready.gov or the NHC's hurricane preparedness website.

5. DO stay informed by checking in to the news as conditions change. But DON'T pay much attention to those bozo newscasters who go out into the middle of a hurricane, frolic playfully in front of the camera, oooh and awww over the big waves or bendy trees, direct the camera over to other sightseers enjoying the spectacle, and then tell us "But authorities say you must stay inside for your own safety--even though we get to be out here watching this amazing newsworthy event and you don't! Neener, neener, neener!"  They imply there's something both fun and heroic about standing outside like an idiot getting buffeted by high winds and make you want to come down and look too.

Instead of standing outside in slickers, perhaps they should just report the news from safe locations? And then just keep playing the clip of the eight hurricane Irene on-lookers getting washed off the pier, over and over and over until people get the message that it's not smart to seek out dangerous vantage points during natural disasters.



6. DO use hurricanes and other natural disasters as an excuse for not getting things done!  What else are natural disasters good for, except for tv ratings and bottled water sales? Might as well make the most of it. For example, this post was originally going to be way longer and a lot more informative. Instead of sending you elsewhere for real tips, it was going to have a comprehensive list of everything you might to know about hurricane preparedness! But, so sorry--I was writing it during hurricane tropical storm Irene yesterday and we lost power from 2pm to 10pm, which I never could have anticipated! That hardly ever happens in Provincetown, unless someone uses an air conditioner in summer or a heater in winter or sneezes. I swear it was going to be an awesome post. Curse you, cruel Irene!

So are you guys prepared for the next natural disaster? Got any thoughts, stories, or tips?

Disaster Strikes Cranky Fitness!

Oh my God, what was THAT!

Do you feel it? The earth is shaking!

Oh dear... That roaring noise? Is that the howl of a mighty tornado getting closer?

Whoa, is our plane losing altitude? Uh oh, I smell smoke--our building's on fire! Holy Cow, come look--the dam has burst and the floodwaters are rising!

Yikes, lets get out of heeeere!

...

Um, so--does anyone know where we're supposed to go? Did anyone happen to pay attention to that pamplet/lecture/drill/tv special that told us what we're supposed to do now?

Oops.



So, like many other worrywarts who torture themselves by pondering Worst Case Scenarios, I spend precious little time actually preparing for them. (Fortunately, the Lobster is much more practical, so we have many of the bases covered).

But it was interesting to read a New York Times article about a new book, “The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes — and Why,” and discover how much one can increase one's chances of survival in a disaster with just a little preparation. And, of course, by not Acting Like a Freakin' Idiot. (Note: there is also an interesting interactive quiz, but if you wanna take it, do so before reading this post as there are SPOILERS below).

The book is by Amanda Ripley, a reporter for Time magazine who has covered, well, lots of disasters. You can also read this NPR summary and excerpt if you're curious.

Some highlights:


1. Fire Drills are Not Just Designed to Torment You.

They actually really help! So don't skip 'em. "Your brain will perform best in a stressful situation if you have already put it through a few rehearsals. ...It’s important to get into the stairs and actually go down them. Your brain relies on that memory and responds to it much more quickly and fully than words."


2. Leave Your Shit Behind And Get Out--FAST.

Note: This is true even if you have to leave behind valuable items stashed in your belongings, like wallets or passport or even CUPCAKES!

Actually, as much as I would hate to part with important documents or tasty baked goods, doesn't this seem like kind of an obvious suggestion in a life-threatening disaster?

But the author noted that during emergencies "people often move surprisingly slowly and find reasons to delay evacuation. ...Even on burning planes, where passengers have only minutes to act before smoke becomes toxic, passengers routinely open overhead bins to retrieve their bags."

But being aware of this "gathering instinct" can help you. "You need to move quickly, but it won’t be your first impulse."


3. Before the plane takes off: Look for exits and read those Stupid Airline Safety Cards.

When was the last time you read one of those thingies in the seat back next to the barf bag? Or counted the number of rows to the nearest emergency exits? (I'm usually too busy engaging in important rituals designed to keep the plane from crashing in the first place. These rituals may involve closed eyes, tight clutching of the armrests, and possibly the sacrifice of a cheap domestic candy bar or a plastic cup full of Chateau de Crappo Airline Merlot).

Think there's no chance of surviving a plane crash anyway, so why bother?

Well, it says that approximately 60% of people involved in serious plane crashes do survive--and those tend to be the ones who know what to do and where to go to get themselves the heck out. So you're supposed to read the safety card every time so your brain is programmed to respond.


4. Panic is less of a problem than "group think," especially if you're with a leisurely group.

This was a surprise to me, as I am someone hard-wired to panic at the hint of any sort of emergency.

But most people become passive, not frantic, and tend to like to be ordered around. "People stick together, follow one another and are civilized and painfully slow during evacuations."

The excerpt was silent, however, as to the etiquette involved in rushing past these painfully slow civilized people and getting the hell out. If they're calmly making their way out at a snail's pace, down perhaps dozens of flights of stairs, how do you speed them up or get around them? Is sprinting, elbowing, shoving, cursing, cursing some more, and slapping considered bad form?


5. Prepare at Home, Too

Why save all that disaster preparation for work and for airplanes when you could be having tedious evacuation drills at home?

Sigh. You also gotta replace smoke detector batteries, have a plan for where to meet, keep emergency supplies on hand, blah blah blah.

What are the things people in actual disasters wished they'd had handy?

Fresh water, information sources, necessary medication, and cash. (The list doesn't even mention coffee, cookies, pizza or tequila. Who the heck did they ask???)


6. Know your neighbors

It's probably best if you don't routinely piss 'em off, either. In major disasters, it's usually a while until "outside" help is available. Close, friendly, non-homicidal neighbors may be a tremendous resource, both physically and psychologically, if something terrible happens and you're stuck for days waiting for help.


7. If a hurricane or flood hits, you're best off acting like a chick, not a dude.

More men perish in hurricanes and floods--not only because they spend more time outside, but because they take more time to evacuate, and are more likely to try to drive or walk through water. ("Honey, stop worrying, will ya?! You can see the water's only a few inches dee... ahhggggghhhh!)


Feeling paranoid now?

Here's another helpful article on how to save your own life in a variety of emergency situations.


Need some emergency-related cheering up?

Our friend the Anxious Exerciser reminded me about these hilarious interpretations of the ambiguous graphical warnings the Homeland Security Department uses for various emergencies, like, for example, nuclear blasts.

"After exposure to radiation, it is important to consider that you may have mutated to gigantic dimensions: watch your head."
(More here).

So, anyone else worry about disasters? Do you prepare for them?

Southern California Fires

This is just a brief post to send good wishes out to all those who have suffered losses or fled from their homes as a result of the fires in Southern California.

So no smart-assed remarks for once, or speculation, or second-guessing, or getting up on a soap box and opining about things; just a sincere hope that the last of the flames are extinguished soon; that losses are as minimal as possible; and that recovery is relatively quick and uncomplicated for those affected.

For those who would like to send more than good wishes, here's the Red Cross link to Donate to Fire Victims; no doubt there are other good charitable organizations that could use your support too.

This is an unfortunate reminder that disasters can happen almost anywhere, any time. Have you had that dorky but important safety planning talk with your family yet? Here's one random emergency planning resource to get you started; however, some of the information you may need will be local--like evacuation routes or emergency broadcast stations.

Let's hope the Southern California Cranky Fitness readers are all OK and have safe homes to sleep in tonight!

And if anyone has any good emergency preparedness tips to share, please do. As well as any other thoughts about disasters or harrowing experiences or near misses or kind strangers or good wishes. (As to prayers--Crabby refers you to TK's post on the subject).

As it happens, there will be another Cranky Fitness post later today. This blog does not excel at combining the Serious and Silly, so we won't even try.

UPDATE: (Oops! Crabby just realized there probably WON'T be a second post today; however, tomorrow is Random Friday, so see you then!)