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This article outlines some of the best practices and useful tips that you can apply in devicing your own emergency plan, all of which can be of great help in surviving floods and other emergency situations.
PREPARATION IS KEY
Emergency preparedness means being ready even before a disaster strikes. This requires discipline, careful planning, and genuine intention to carry it out should the need to do so arises.
- Have on hand a survival bag. Place in a backpack everything that you may need for a few days. Have this bag ready for quick and easy use should you need to get going asap. Some of the things you may include in your survival bag are the following: dry clothes, including underwear; first aid kit and medicines; flashlight and batteries; some cash; food items, such as protein bars, crackers, and water; sandals; extra batteries and, if possible, a spare phone; and a powerbank, or a solar charger kit.
- Agree on a mutual meeting place should members of the household get separated in the middle of a calamity.
- Don't get caught unguarded; be updated on news of potential disasters and warnings about them by following the media channels of both local and national agencies responsible for disaster risk reduction and management.
TIPS WHEN TRAPPED DURING A FLOOD OR OTHER EMERGENCY SITUATION
- Stock up on vital commodities. These include water, canned goods, rice, and instant noodles, as well as dry clothes and underwear.
- Turn off the main electrical switch and refrain from touching electrical equipment to avoid electric shock.
- In case of a flood, move belongings to an elevated area or to an upper floor.
- Get in the loop on the latest updates on the calamity and response efforts through the media and concerned government agencies.
Utilize social media platforms for quick information dissemination, particularly for those requiring urgent assistance or rescue. Whether on Twitter or Facebook, the following hashtags should be used according to their intended purposes:
- #FloodPH - use to indicate reports on flooded areas, along with other attendant information, such as depth of the floods, streets affected, movement of traffic, and speed of the rise or dissipation of floods;
- #RescuePH - use to ask for immediate rescue either for one's self or for others requiring such, including exact location and landmarks, as well as the physical condition of those needing rescue;
- #HabagatPH or #[insert name of typhoon]PH - use to provide updates or track the latest movements of weather disturbances, including wind speed, rainfall volume, gustiness, and effects thereof;
- #ReliefPH - use to indicate locations of relief centers and provide updates on relief missions; and
- #WalangPasok - use to report on class suspensions or cancellations in particular schools or LGUs as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of students or in light of the adverse effects of weather disturbances and other emergency situations.
It is best to have with you at all times the contact information of government agencies and offices dealing with disaster management and coordination and relief services. This is to ensure that when disaster strikes, you do not end up scrambling and wasting time looking for the necessary contact information.
- Philippine Emergency Hotline - 911
- MMDA - 136
- Philippine National Red Cross - 143
- National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) - (632) 911-5061 to 64
- Philippine Coast Guard - (632) 527-3877
- PAGASA - (632) 434-2696
- DSWD - (632) 931-8101
- DOTr - 7890 or (632) 726-6255
- DPWH - 165-02 or (632) 304-3713 or (632) 304-3904
- Bureau of Fire Protection - (632) 426-0219 or (632) 426-3812
So plan ahead and remember to keep safe always. Laging maghanda at magsiguro!