Misawa Flood-Be-Ready - Written by Disaster Chairman Michael Scordato, and Asst. Disaster Chairman Alex Jones Given the tragic situation in Colorado over the past months, and the ever present possibility of floods here in Misawa from the rainfall from recent Typhoons, we feel it is pertinent for our readers to be reminded of the important points of flood preparedness. Driving through flash flood areas can be extremely hazardous. Its important to know how to avoid flash floods/floods and what to do if you are caught in one. For Misawa residence, its important to know the Flood Warning messages: Flashflood Watch means there is a possibility of a rapid flood hitting the area. If a loudspeaker off base plays a doorbell ring sound before and after a verbal message, its a flashflood watch. You should take appropriate actions from there. Flashflood Warning means that a true flood is about to occur. Off base these messages will be indicated with a ROARING on and off siren, taking place before and after a verbal message. You, and everyone else in the area, need to seek IMMEDIATE safety—if no shelters are available, higher ground is your optimal choice. Flood Watch means that a flood is possible. In this case, be aware and know what to do because of the high amounts of oncoming water. Flood Warning means that a flood is occurring or will occur soon. Evacuate immediately if told to do so. You can get translations of what the Misawa Off-Base giant voice system is warning from the Disaster Prevention Center Misawa City update website: bousai-misawa.jp/misawaPub/top.do?languageCd=2. They will send the advisory messages and warnings in English straight to your phone. Disaster relief services try to be swift, but delays can happen. Your survival chances are much higher if you prepare ahead of time, and heres how you do it: Priority 1-- HAVE A DISASTER KIT; Have a disaster kit!! We say this for all of our preparation checklists. We offer small, medium, and large starter kits for purchase at the Red Cross office on base or available for purchase from redcross.org. If you dont want to buy one from us, youre welcome to build your own. The following are things youll need for building a 3 Day Emergency Kit: Water—at least a 3-day supply; one gallon per person per day minimum for drinking (five gallons per person gives extra to brush teeth, clean yourself, and be able to sanitize your eating-tools, etc.). Food—at least a 3-day supply of nonperishable, easy-to-prepare food -Flashlight Battery-powered or hand-crank radio (make sure it can tune to AFN AM 1575 for on-base updates). Extra batteries (try to have all your emergency electronics using the same sized battery. AA or AAA can be bought in bulk at the BX). First aid kit Medications (7-day supply) and medical items (hearing aids with extra batteries, glasses, contact lenses, syringes, cane) Multi-purpose tool. If you dont own a Leatherman or another quality multipurpose knife (think a Swiss Army knife, just bigger), its worth the investment. Try to get the stainless steel kind if you can afford it for ease of maintenance. Or, if youre on a budget, just get a Swiss Army knife. Sanitation and personal hygiene items Copies of personal documents (medication list and pertinent medical information, deed/lease to home, birth certificates, insurance policies) in a water proof bag or carrying case. Spare flash drive/hard drive containing important electronic documents. You could even put redundant copies of some of the other information listed here on the flash drive as well. Cell phone with chargers accessible to quickly put in kit for the grab and go. Youll want these numbers in your phone: Misawa Base EMERGENCY Operator from base phone- 911 Misawa Base EMERGENCY FROM JAPANESE OFF BASE PHONE - 53-1911 Misawa Base EMERGENCY FROM JAPANESE CELL PHONE- 0176-53-1911 Security Forces or alternate: DSN 315-226-3600 Commercial 0176-77-3600 Misawa Base Operator from within Japan OFF BASE PHONE- 53-5181 Misawa Base Operator from within Japan FROM JAPANESE CELL: 0176-53-5181 Misawa Base Operator, DSN - 226-1110 Family and emergency contact information and waterproofing these papers with lamination or in a water proof bag is a good idea Extra cash Yen and US Dollars Emergency blanket Map(s) of the area Kid/Baby supplies (bottles, formula, babyfood, diapers, a toy) Pet supplies (collar, leash, ID, food, carrier, bowl) Tools/supplies for securing your home Extra set of car keys and house keys Extra clothing, hat and sturdy shoes Rain gear Insect repellent and sunscreen Camera with batteries/battery charger to take photos of damage THINKING AHEAD: Always keep a half of tank of fuel in your car, minimum in case of disasters and you need to evacuate from any location. Lines for gas stations will be atrocious and prices quite high off-base. Again, you can purchase pre-packaged starter kits either at the Red Cross or at local stores like HOMAC/SANDWADO. Priority 2: Have a plan for you and your family. Talk with your family and close friends in the local area about where to go, what to do, and make sure everybody has family safety in mind. Create meeting points both on base and off-base. WHAT TO DO IF YOU ARE TOLD TO EVACUTE: If the flood warning siren comes on, get your emergency kit and get to high ground. If youve discussed a plan like in priority 2 above, then others from your household who arent with you will know to do the same thing, and where to meet you afterward. Here are some safety tips on your journey up to higher ground: Listen to the radio for weather information. Take routes that avoid known flooded areas. Keep children out of the water. They are curious and often lack judgment about running water or contaminated water. Be especially cautious at night when it is harder to recognize flood danger, small looking streams across the road could actually be quite deep. Flood streams going across the road may have taken out the pavement underneath the stream, be cautious when crossing. If you come upon a flowing stream where water is above your ankles, stop, turn around and go another way. Six inches of swiftly moving water can sweep you off of your feet. Stay on high ground. If you come upon a flooded road while driving, turn around and go another way. Never drive through a flooded road or bridge. Back up and try a different route. If you are caught on a flooded road and waters are rising rapidly around you and your car stopped working or is trapped, get out of the car quickly and move to higher ground. Most cars can be swept away by less than two feet of moving water. Do not stay in a flooded car! If your vehicle is surrounded by floodwater, abandon the vehicle and move immediately to higher ground. If your car is swept into the water and submerged, DONT PANIC! Stay calm and wait for the vehicle to fill with water. Once the vehicle is full, the doors will open. Hold your breath and swim to the surface. If you are swept into fast moving floodwater outside of your car, point your feet downstream. Always go over obstacles, never try to go under. If you are stranded on something above the floodwater, such as a tree or building, stay there and wait for rescue. Do not enter the floodwater. Getting to a safe place is the most important thing at this point. Only once youre in a safe place do you worry about the next step: -Priority 3: Stay Informed and have a plan to LET EVERYONE KNOW YOURE SAFE. If there are family or friends in your area that you would want to check on ASAP after a flood, discuss communication beforehand. If you have phone a working phone, use it only for emergencies or mandatory quick calls to free up the lines for emergency personnel type of calls. The phone lines freeze up fast in Japan. Using a Social media site will get your information across to the most people at the highest efficiency. Social media sites are excellent venues to let everyone know that youre alive and well. ---Phone service and Internet will come on and off intermittent after a natural disaster here in Misawa. Many times the Internet will be up and running while the phone system is frozen due to the limited amount of phone lines and capabilities in Japan. Be prepared after a disaster to register or search the Red Cross Safe and Well Listings: redcross.org/find-help/contact-family/register-safe-listing. The Red Cross emergency communications services can put military personnel in touch with their families following the serious illness/death of an immediate family member, or when a family faces other emergencies. Please contact us for more information on this at DSN 315-226-3016 or Commercial 0176-77-3016. Make sure your family members back in the states know your FULL address and name that you will register by so they can stay up to date with this system. Keep up-to-date with AFN AM 1575 for on-base updates, Stay prepared and remember to visit the Misawa Red Cross at: facebook/pages/Misawa-American-Red-Cross/117666054976057 American Red Cross Misawa AB Japan DSN 315-226-3016 Commercial 0176-77-3016 Keep up to date with Misawa specific emergencies at the Misawa Air Base Emergency Management face book page: facebook/MisawaEmergencyManagement Disaster Prevention Center Misawa City has advisories, warnings instant updates for phone and email in English: bousai-misawa.jp/misawaPub/top.do?languageCd=2 Be aware with AFN Misawa (Air Force News) facebook/AFNMisawa You can learn more about this and more at the American Red Cross Website arcbrcr.org/#SITE. If you need supplies after a disaster go On-Base or to the nearest Japanese District School (out of the flood area) for shelter, emergency food supplies, and local help. Still, those resources are not infinite and there will be other people at these places who also need help. Follow Priority 1 on this list, and GET A KIT and always be prepared with at-least a 3-day supply of food and water. Wait until local authorities give your area of residence the all clear before heading back after a disaster (this is where radios, phones, and the Internet come in handy, but the radio is most likely to stay intact during this time). We have a list of things to watch out for when you decide to return home:
Posted on: Thu, 17 Oct 2013 00:06:36 +0000
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