In support of National Preparedness Month (September) — and every day of the year for that matter — CableOrganizer® is raising awareness in this article about the importance of disaster preparation. This is to encourage each community, especially at-risk ones prone to catastrophic weather and disasters, including hurricanes, floods, wildfires, tornadoes, earthquakes, and treacherous snow and ice storms, to take every safety measure possible.
Preparedness with the appropriate supplies enables residents not only to survive natural disasters but recover from them as quickly as possible. FEMA.gov and the Ready.gov websites help equip and empower people within the United States with the tools and knowledge they need, when disasters happen. FEMA additionally offers a phone app that centralizes weather alerts, tips to prepare for an emergency, and how to recover in the aftermath. While FEMA features individualized preparation directions for each type of weather condition or hazard, we’ve compiled a basic general checklist below that applies to many of them:
CREATE A FAMILY PLAN
Be ready within your household to know what each person must do if emergency alerts come in, and the plans if you must shelter in place, or evacuate your home.
EMERGENCY ALERTS
Sign up for emergency alerts, as well as alerts through your municipality, that will provide information about the storm, local shelters, evacuations, and available provisions during the weather event. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) sends out daily weather forecasts and storm warnings through NOAA Weather Radio (NWR), which is aired on local radio stations. Ready.gov provides further information on alert systems.
FOOD & WATER
Keep a minimum of three days’ worth of non-perishable, shelf-stable foods, and bottled water for each person in your family, and your pets. Each person will approximately need one gallon of water per day. Disposable plates, cups, and utensils are also a good idea, should there be difficulties in washing dishes.
SANITATION SUPPLIES
Stock up on personal and household sanitation supplies, like alcohol-based hand sanitizer, soaps, liquid detergents, toilet paper, disinfectant cleaners, and heavy-duty garbage bags.
CLEAN LAUNDRY
Have several days’ worth of clean clothes and linens available should there be no power to wash items, especially if the water supply gets contaminated during the storm or event.
FIRST AID KIT
A fully loaded first aid kit can help with cuts, scrapes, sprains, insect bites, and other conditions that could arise during the emergency.
PRESCRIPTION MEDICINES
Daily prescriptions should be refilled for anyone in your household who takes one. Occasional-use medicines like pain relievers and asthma inhalers, should additionally be replenished ahead of time, so they are ready if needed.
Below are some products you can find at CableOrganizer® that can help you be ready, in case of an emergency.
FLASHLIGHTS
As soon as the power goes out, the first thing you'll want to reach for is a flashlight. Make sure to have several on hand to cover all (or at least most) of the members of your household. Shop here for flashlights from CableOrganizer®, with versatile and compact varieties that range from sizes small enough to fit in a purse or bag, clip to a hat, or hang for hands-free use.
EMERGENCY CHARGERS
It doesn't matter if both electricity and land-based phone lines are down — communication is one thing you can't do without during and after a storm. While most people have the luxury of just picking up their cell phones, you need to make sure your phone battery remains strong, even when you can't recharge it from a wall outlet. CableOrganizer® has several charger types available, that can even help you power up your phone from your vehicle.
EXTENSION CORDS
Should you need to start up a generator, you may be looking for an extension cord. You don’t want to search high and low for one in an emergency, especially if stores are closed. Visit CableOrganizer® here to find outdoor, weather-resistant cords. Some feature flaps to keep dirt, water, and debris away. The Angel-Guard® Cord Connect™ Extension Cord Protector adds extra temporary security to keep dust, dirt, and liquids from cable ends.
WEATHERPROOF OUTLET COVERS
Keeping outdoor outlets covered can protect your electrical connections during the weather event, in both rainy or snowy conditions. Arlington Industries Dri-Box® Weatherproof Outlet Covers are easy to install whether the building is new or an existing structure, for any standard plastic or metal wall plate.
SURGE PROTECTORS & UPS SYSTEMS
When power spikes occur during extreme thunderstorms, or if power loss happens when there is excessive snow, surge protection steps in to help save the day — and your valuable electronics. Many surge protectors feature a button to power down all items at once, which you may also want to do for safety during a storm. At CableOrganizer® you can find standard surge protectors, like the 6 outlet WireRun® Grouper™. And there are hospital-grade surge suppressors, like the Tripp-Lite outlet strip that keeps medical equipment safeguarded from power spikes. Uninterrupted Power Supplies (UPS) provide backup electrical power that will enable you to safely shut down your equipment, should the power go out. Tripp-Lite makes a personal mini desktop UPS to safeguard from brownouts, blackouts, surges, and other power issues. From 800 to 1500 volts, the Omni VS Series UPS is a suitable choice for small business applications.
CABLE MANAGEMENT
You may need to organize your cords, and there are several types of cable management products that can accomplish it. There is a generous selection of Techflex® Braided Sleeving and Heatshrink that can be used depending on each storm or disaster, ranging from general coverage, to types built for tough environmental conditions. Standard wrap-around sleeves can be used for temporary coverage, even on extended lengths of wire. There are additionally flame retardant varieties like FireFlex®, Flexo® F6® Flame Retardant, Flexo® TightWeave FR, and Nomex® Flame Resistant Braided Sleeving. The Techflex® Flame Retardant Expandable Braided Sleeving helps protect electronic and high tech applications exposed to high heat situations. This flame retardant polypropylene wire loom works in higher temperature and flame sensitive environments, protecting wires, cables, tubing, and hoses with flame retardancy. Hook and loop wraps and fasteners additionally organize wires and cables, and can stand strong in most types of weather conditions. And should cable coverage be needed outdoors, such as in temporary shelters, there are full coverage cable cover protectors that ranges from the lightest to highest capacities. Yellow Jacket® Cable Protectors, for example, are available with up to 5 channels, and connectors to customize the setup. These can handle up to 48,000 pounds per axle of traffic and feature a low-profile design for vehicles to easily proceed over the protector.
Explore even more products here at CableOrganizer®.
