Overlook Colony Civic Assn.

Hurricane Season begins June 1st... are you prepared?

Get The Basics.

• Make a plan.
• Build a kit.
• Stay informed

Your family may not be together when disaster strikes, so it is important to plan in advance: how you will contact one another; how you will get back together; and what you will do in different situations. After a major disaster, it is unlikely that emergency response services will be able to immediately respond to everyone’s needs, so it’s important to be prepared to take care of yourself and your family. Plan to be on your own for at least the first 72 hours.

Family Emergency Plan

• Identify an out-of town contact. It may be easier to make a long-distance phone call than to call across town, so an out-of-town contact may be in a better position to communicate among separated family members.
• Be sure every member of your family knows the phone number and has a cell phone, coins, or a prepaid phone card to call the emergency contact. If you have a cell phone, program that person(s) as "ICE" (In Case of Emergency) in your phone. If you are in an accident, emergency personnel will often check your ICE listings in order to get a hold of someone you know. Make sure to tell your family and friends that you’ve listed them as emergency contacts.
• Teach family members how to use text messaging (also knows as SMS or Short Message Service). Text messages can often get around network disruptions when a phone call might not be able to get through.
• Duplicate important documents and keep copies off-site, either in a safety deposit box or with someone you trust. Documents may include: passport, drivers license, social security card, wills, deeds, financial statements, insurance information, marriage license and prescriptions.
• Inventory valuables, in writing and with photographs or video. Keep copies of this information off-site with your other important documents.
• When planning, consider the special needs of children, seniors or people with disabilities, family members that don’t speak English and pets.
• Plan several escape routes in case certain roads are blocked or closed. Remember to follow the advice of local officials during evacuation situations.
• Practice and maintain your plan. Practicing your plan will help you instinctively make the appropriate response during an actual emergency. Review your plan periodically and make changes as needed.

Planning To Stay Or Go

Emergency Information

Find out what kinds of disasters, both natural and man-made, are most likely to occur in your area and how you will be notified. Methods of getting your attention vary from community to community. One common method is to broadcast via emergency radio and TV broadcasts. You might hear a special siren, or get a telephone call, or emergency workers may go door-to-door.  Check out PrepareDE's section on staying informed.

Build A Kit

You may need to survive on your own after an emergency. This means having your own food, water, and other supplies in sufficient quantity to last for at least three days. Local officials and relief workers will be on the scene after a disaster, but they cannot reach everyone immediately. You could get help in hours, or it might take days. In addition, basic services such as electricity, gas, water, sewage treatment, and telephones may be cut off for days, or even a week or longer.  Store your household disaster kit in an easily accessible location. Put contents in a large, watertight container (e.g. a large plastic garbage can with a lid and wheels) that you can move easily.

Recommended Items To Include In A Basic Emergency Supply Kit:

• Water – one gallon per person per day
• Food – ready to eat or requiring minimal water
• Manual can opener and other cooking supplies
• Plates, utensils and other feeding supplies
• First Aid kit & instructions
• A copy of important documents & phone numbers
• Warm clothes and rain gear for each family member.
• Heavy work gloves
• Disposable camera
• Unscented liquid household bleach and an eyedropper for water purification
• Personal hygiene items including toilet paper, feminine supplies, hand sanitizer and soap
• Plastic sheeting, duct tape and utility knife for covering broken windows
• Tools such as a crowbar, hammer & nails, staple gun, adjustable wrench and bungee cords.
• Blanket or sleeping bag
• Large heavy duty plastic bags and a plastic bucket for waste and sanitation
• Any special-needs items for children, seniors or people with disabilities. Don’t forget water and supplies for your pets.

Recommended Items For Your Go-Bag:

A component of your disaster kit is your Go-bag. Put the following items together in a backpack or another easy to carry container in case you must evacuate quickly. Prepare one Go-bag for each family member and make sure each has an I.D. tag. You may not be at home when an emergency strikes so keep some additional supplies in your car and at work, considering what you would need for your immediate safety.

• Flashlight
• Radio – battery operated
• Batteries
• Whistle
• Dust mask
• Pocket knife
• Emergency cash in small denominations and quarters for phone calls
• Sturdy shoes, a change of clothes, and a warm hat
• Local map
• Some water and food
• Permanent marker, paper and tape
• Photos of family members and pets for re-identification purposes
• List of emergency point-of-contact phone numbers
• List of allergies to any drug (especially antibiotics) or food
• Copy of health insurance and identification cards
• Extra prescription eye glasses, hearing aid or other vital personal items
• Prescription medications and first aid supplies
• Toothbrush and toothpaste
• Extra keys to your house and vehicle

Additional Items To Consider Adding To An Emergency Supply Kit:

• Prescription medications and glasses
• Infant formula and diapers
• Pet food and extra water for your pet
• Important family documents such as copies of insurance policies, identification and bank account records in a waterproof, portable container
• Cash or traveler's checks and change
• Emergency reference material such as a first aid book or information from www.ready.gov or www.preparede.org
• Sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person. Consider additional bedding if you live in a cold-weather climate.
• Complete change of clothing including a long sleeved shirt, long pants and sturdy shoes. Consider additional clothing if you live in a cold-weather climate.
• Household chlorine bleach and medicine dropper – When diluted nine parts water to one part bleach, bleach can be used as a disinfectant. Or in an emergency, you can use it to treat water by using 16 drops of regular household liquid bleach per gallon of water. Do not use scented, color safe or bleaches with added cleaners.
• Fire Extinguisher
• Matches in a waterproof container
• Feminine supplies and personal hygiene items
• Mess kits, paper cups, plates and plastic utensils, paper towels
• Paper and pencil
• Books, games, puzzles or other activities for children

Stay Informed

How the Public will be alerted of a Major Emergency or Disaster: 

If a situation or event becomes a potential threat to our residents and visitors, the public will be alerted by one (or several) of the following methods, as appropriate:

 

 

Delaware Emergency Notification System - The primary system for public warning and emergency protective action information will be the Delaware Emergency Notification System (DENS). DENS serves the entire state and is fully operational for residents and businesses that have listed telephone numbers. The DENS allows emergency voice messages to be delivered to a person answering the phone or to an answering machine. It also bypasses "zapper" type phone devices that stop incoming computer-generated calls often used by telemarketers. In addition to the State Emergency Operations Center and the Delaware State Police Communications Center in Smyrna, activating points for the DENS include the primary emergency 911 Centers in each county and Wilmington and the Division of Public Health. When the DENS system is activated, only 300 phone numbers can be dialed within one minute. DENS can provide emergency notification to the entire state or to an area as specifically defined as 10 houses on one street. Calls will include the name of the agency that activates the system, type of emergency, recommended protective actions, if any, and resources for obtaining additional information.  Appropriate Emergency Alert System radio stations and television stations will also be provided.

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IMPORTANT: If your phone number is unlisted or if you use a cell phone as your primary phone, you MUST contact First Call Interactive Network at 1-866-484-3264 or visit the First Call website (https://alertregistration.com/dema/) to register for the DENS list. The registration line prompts callers through the registration process. There is no cost to register. A street address is necessary for cell phone users, and only one phone number per address is permitted.  The State of Delaware DOES NOT offer an official text message based alerting system.

 

 

Emergency Alert System (EAS) Radio Stations – Frequent announcements over the local Emergency Alert System (EAS) radio stations identified below:

 

 

New Castle County

WDEL -AM 1150 KHz

WSTW -FM 93.7 MHz

WJBR -AM 1290 KHz

WJBR -FM 99.5 MHz

 

                                         

Kent County

WDOV -AM 1410 KHz

WRDX -FM 94.7 MHz

WAFL -FM 97.7 MHz

 

 

Sussex County

WZBH -FM 93.5 MHz

WOSC -FM 95.9 MHZ

 

 

 

 

 

Police and Fire Department Personnel – Police and fire department personnel using loudspeakers and making door-to-door contacts.

 

NOAA All-Hazards Radio – Provides an excellent source of up-to-date, real time emergency information.

 

News Media - Provides another excellent source of up-to-date, real time emergency information.

 

 

steve! over @ claymont ncc delaware