Types of Emergencies

Hurricanes can be dangerous killers. Learning the hurricane warning messages and planning ahead can reduce the chances of injury or major property damage.

PREPARATIONS

• Plan an evacuation route.
• Contact the Local Emergency Management office or American Red Cross chapter, and ask for the community hurricane preparedness plan. This plan should include information on the safest evacuation routes and nearby shelters.
• Learn safe routes inland.
• Be ready to drive 20 to 50 miles inland to locate a safe place.
• Have disaster supplies on hand.
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• Portable, battery-operated radio and extra batteries
• First aid kit and manual
• Emergency food and water
• Nonelectric can opener
• Essential medicines
• Cash and credit cards
• Sturdy shoes
• Make arrangements for pets.
• Pets may not be allowed into emergency shelters for health and space reasons. Contact your local humane society for information on local animal shelters.
• Make sure that all family members know how to respond after a hurricane.
• Teach family members how and when to turn off gas, electricity, and water.
• Teach children how and when to call 9-1-1, police, or fire department and which radio station to tune to for emergency information.
• Protect your windows.
• Permanent shutters are the best protection. A lower-cost approach is to put up plywood panels. Use 1/2 inch plywood–marine plywood is best–cut to fit each window. Remember to mark which board fits which window. Pre-drill holes every 18 inches for screws. Do this long before the storm.
• Trim back dead or weak branches from trees.
• Check into flood insurance. You can find out about the National Flood Insurance Program through your local insurance agent or Local Emergency Management Office. There is normally a 30-day waiting period before a new policy becomes effective. Homeowners polices do not cover damage from the flooding that accompanies a hurricane.
• Develop an emergency communication plan.
• In case family members are separated from one another during a disaster (a real possibility during the day when adults are at work and children are at school), have a plan for getting back together.
• Ask an out-of-state relative or friend to serve as the “family contact.” After a disaster, it’s often easier to call long distance.

Make sure everyone in the family knows the name, address, and phone number of the contact person.. Print and fill out emergency contact information sheets.

MITIGATION
Mitigation includes any activities that prevent an emergency, reduce the chance of an emergency happening, or lessen the damaging effects of unavoidable emergencies. Investing in preventive mitigation steps now such as strengthening unreinforced masonry to withstand wind and flooding and installing shutters on every window will help reduce the impact of hurricanes in the future. For more information on mitigation, contact your Local Emergency Management office or visit the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s web site.

DURING A HURRICANE WATCH
A hurricane watch is issued when there is a threat of hurricane conditions within 24-36 hours.

• Listen to a battery-operated radio or television for hurricane progress reports.
• Check emergency supplies.
• Fuel car.
• Bring in outdoor objects such as lawn furniture, toys, and garden tools and anchor objects that cannot be brought inside.
• Secure buildings by closing and boarding up windows. Remove outside antennas.
• Turn refrigerator and freezer to coldest settings. Open only when absolutely necessary and close quickly.
• Store drinking water in clean bathtubs, jugs, bottles, and cooking utensils.
• Review evacuation plan.
• Moor boat securely or move it to a designated safe place. Use rope or chain to secure boat to trailer. Use tie downs to anchor trailer to the ground or house.

DURING A HURRICANE WARNING
A hurricane warning is issued when hurricane conditions (winds of 74 miles per hour or greater, or dangerously high water and rough seas) are expected in 24 hours or less.

• Listen constantly to a battery-operated radio or television for official instructions.
• If in a mobile home, check tie downs and evacuate immediately.
• Store valuables and personal papers in a waterproof container on the highest level of your home.
• Avoid elevators.
• If at home:
• Stay inside, away from windows, skylights, and glass doors.
• Keep a supply of flashlights and extra batteries handy. Avoid open flames, such as candles and kerosene lamps, as a source of light.
• If power is lost, turn off major appliances to reduce power “surge” when electricity is restored.
• More Evacuation information is available here.

IF OFFICIALS INDICATE EVACUATION IS NECESSARY:

• Leave as soon as possible. Avoid flooded roads and watch for washed-out bridges.
• Secure your home by unplugging appliances and turning off electricity and the main water valve.
• Tell someone outside of the storm area where you are going.
• If time permits, and you live in an identified surge zone, elevate furniture to protect it from flooding or better yet, move it to a higher floor.
• Bring pre-assembled emergency supplies and warm protective clothing.
• Take blankets and sleeping bags to shelter.
• Lock up home and leave.

For More Information

• Re-Evaluate Your Plan
• Download the Hurricane Survival Guide

Mitigation pays. It includes any activities that prevent an emergency, reduce the chance of an emergency happening, or lessen the damaging effects of unavoidable emergencies. Investing in mitigation steps now such as constructing barriers such as levees and purchasing flood insurance will help reduce the amount of structural damage to your home and financial loss from building and crop damage should a flood or flash flood occur.

Before

• Find out if you live in a flood prone area from your local emergency management office or local American Red Cross chapter.
• Ask whether your property is above or below the flood stage water level and learn about the history of flooding for your region.
• Learn flood warning signs and your community alert signals.
• Request information on preparing for floods and flash floods.
• If you live in a frequently flooded area, stockpile emergency building materials. These include plywood, plastic sheeting, lumber nails, hammer and saw, pry bar, shovels, and sandbags.
• Have check valves installed in building sewer traps to prevent flood waters from backing up in sewer drains. As a last resort, use large corks or stoppers to plug showers, tubs, or basins.
• Plan and practice an evacuation route.
• Contact your local emergency management office or local American Red Cross chapter for a copy of the community flood evacuation plan.
• This plan should include information on the safest routes to shelters. Individuals living in flash flood areas should have several alternative routes.
• Have disaster supplies on hand.

o Flashlights and extra batteries
o Portable, battery-operated radio and extra batteries
o First aid kit and manual
o Emergency food and water
o Non electric can opener
o Essential medicines
o Cash and credit cards
o Sturdy shoes

• Develop an emergency communication plan.
• In case family members are separated from one another during floods or flash floods (a real possibility during the day when adults are at work and children are at school), have a plan for getting back together.
• Ask an out-of-state relative or friend to serve as the “family contact.” After a disaster, it’s often easier to call long distance. Make sure everyone in the family knows the name, address, and phone number of the contact person.
• Make sure that all family members know how to respond after a flood or flash flood.
• Teach all family members how and when to turn off gas, electricity, and water.
• Teach children how and when to call 9-1-1, police, fire department, and which radio station to tune to for emergency information.
• Learn about the National Flood Insurance Program.
• Ask your insurance agent about flood insurance. Homeowners policies do not cover flood damage.

During a Flood Watch

• Listen to a batter-operated radio for the latest storm information.
• Fill bathtubs, sinks, and jugs with clean water in case water becomes contaminated.
• Bring outdoor belongings, such as patio furniture, indoors.
• Move valuable household possessions to the upper floors or to safe ground if time permits.
• If you are instructed to do so by local authorities, turn off all utilities at the main switch and close the main gas valve.
• Be prepared to evacuate.

During a Flood

If Indoors:

• Turn on battery-operated radio or television to get the latest emergency information.
• Get your preassembled emergency supplies.
• If told to leave, do so immediately.

If Outdoors:

• Climb to high ground and stay there.
• Avoid walking through any floodwaters. If it is moving swiftly, even water 6 inches deep can sweep you off your feet.

If in a Car:

• If you come to a flooded area, turn around and go another way.
• If your car stalls, abandon it immediately and climb to higher ground. Many deaths have resulted from attempts to move stalled vehicles.

During an Evacuation

• If advised to evacuate, do so immediately.
• Evacuation is much simpler and safer before flood waters become too deep for ordinary vehicles to drive through.
• Listen to a batter-operated radio for evacuation instructions.
• Follow recommended evacuation routes–shortcuts may be blocked.
• Leave early enough to avoid being marooned by flooded roads.

When a tornado is coming, you have only a short amount of time to make life-or-death decisions. Advance planning and quick response are the keys to surviving a tornado.

Before

• Conduct tornado drills each tornado season.
• Designate an area in the home as a shelter, and practice having everyone in the family go there in response to a tornado threat.
• Discuss with family members the difference between a “tornado watch” and a “tornado warning.”
• Contact your local emergency management office or American Red Cross chapter for more information on tornadoes.

Have disaster supplies on hand.

• Flashlight with extra batteries
• Portable, battery operated radio and extra batteries
• First aid kit and manual
• Emergency food and water
• Non electric can opener
• Essential medicines
• Cash and credit cards
• Sturdy shoes

Develop an emergency communication plan.

• In case family members are separated from one another during a tornado (a real possibility during the day when adults are at work and children are at school), have a plan for getting back together.
• Ask an out-of-state relative or friend to serve as the “family contact.” After a disaster, it’s often easier to call long distance. Make sure everyone in the family knows the name, address, and phone number of the contact person.

Tornado Watches and Warnings

A tornado watch is issued by the National Weather Service when tornadoes are possible in your area. Remain alert for approaching storms. This is time to remind family members where the safest places within your home are located, and listen to the radio or television for further developments. A tornado warning is issued when a tornado has been sighted or indicated by weather radar. Mobile Homes are particularly vulnerable. A mobile home can overturn very easily even if precautions have been taken to tie down the unit. When a tornado warning is issued, take shelter in a building with a strong foundation. If shelter is not available, lie in ditch or low-lying area a safe distance away from the unit.

Tornado Danger Signs

Learn these tornado danger signs:

• An approaching cloud of debris can mark the location of a tornado even if a funnel is not visible.
• Before a tornado hits, the wind may die down and the air may become very still.
• Tornadoes generally occur near the trailing edge of a thunderstorm. It is not uncommon to see clear, sunlit skies behind a tornado.

During a Tornado

If at home:

• Go at once to the basement, storm cellar, or the lowest level of the building.
• If there is no basement, go to an inner hallway or a smaller inner room without windows, such as a bathroom or closet.
• Get away from the windows.
• Go to the center of the room. Stay away from corners because they tend to attract debris.
• Get under a piece of sturdy furniture such as a workbench or heavy table or desk and hold on to it.
• Use arms to protect head and neck.
• If in a mobile home, get out and find shelter elsewhere.

If at work or school:

• Go to the basement or to an inside hallway at the lowest level.
• Avoid places with wide-span roofs such as auditoriums, cafeterias, large hallways, or shopping malls.
• Get under a piece of sturdy furniture such as a workbench or heavy table or desk and hold on to it.
• Use arms to protect head and neck.

If outdoors:

• If possible, get inside a building.
• If shelter is not available or there is no time to get indoors, lie in a ditch or low-lying area or crouch near a strong building. Be aware of the potential for flooding.
• Use arms to protect head and neck.

If in a car:

• Never try to out drive a tornado in a car or truck. Tornadoes can change direction quickly and can lift up a car or truck and toss it through the air.
• Get out of the car immediately and take shelter in a nearby building.
• If there is no time to get indoors, get out of the car and lie in a ditch or low-lying area away from the vehicle. Be aware of the potential for flooding.

Mitigation

Mitigation includes any activities that prevent an emergency, reduce the chance of an emergency happening, or lessen the damaging effects of unavoidable emergencies. Investing in preventive mitigation steps now, such as checking local building codes and ordinances about wind-resistant designs and strengthening unreinforced masonry, will help reduce the impact of tornadoes in the future. For more information on mitigation, contact your local emergency management office.

Some thunderstorms can be seen approaching, while others hit without warning. It is important to learn and recognize the danger signs and to plan ahead.

Before a Thunderstorm

Learn the thunderstorm danger signs.

• Dark, towering, or threatening clouds.
• Distant lightning and thunder.

Have Disaster Supplies on Hand

• Make an Emergency Kit
• Flashlight with extra batteries
• Portable, battery operated radio and extra batteries
• First aid kit and manual
• Emergency food and water
• Non electric can opener
• Essential medicines
• Cash and credit cards
• Sturdy shoes

Check for hazards in the yard.

• Dead or rotting trees and branches can fall during a severe thunderstorm and cause injury and damage.

Make sure that all family members know how to respond after a thunderstorm.

• Teach family members how and when to turn off gas, electricity and water.
• Teach children how and when to call 9-1-1, police, fire department, and which radio station to tune for emergency information.

Mitigation

Mitigation includes any activities that prevent an emergency, reduce the chance of an emergency happening, or lessen the damaging effects of unavoidable emergencies. Investing in preventive mitigation steps now, such as installing lightning rods to carry the electrical charge of lightning bolts safely to the ground or purchasing flood insurance, will help reduce the impact of severe thunderstorms in the future. For more information on mitigation, contact your Local Emergency Management office.

Thunderstorm Watches and Warnings

A severe thunderstorm watch is issued by the National Weather Service when the weather conditions are such that a severe thunderstorm (damaging winds 58 miles per hour or more, or hail three fourths of an inch in diameter or greater) is likely to develop. This is the time to locate a safe place in the home and tell family members to watch the sky and listen to the radio or television for more information.

A severe thunderstorm warning is issued when a severe thunderstorm has been sighted or indicated by weather radar. At this point, the danger is very serious and everyone should go to a safe place, turn on a battery operated radio or television, and wait for the “all clear” by the authorities.

• Learn how to respond to a tornado and flash flood.
• Tornadoes are spawned by thunderstorms and flash flooding can occur with thunderstorms. When a “severe thunderstorm warning” is issued, review what actions to take under a “tornado warning” or a “flash flood warning.”
• Develop an emergency communication plan.
• In case family members are separated from one another during a thunderstorm (a real possibility during the day when adults are at work and children are at school), have a plan for getting back together.
• Ask an out-of-state relative or friend to serve as the “family contact”. After a disaster, it’s often easier to call long distance.
• Make sure everyone knows the name, address, and phone number of the contact person.
• Contact you Local Emergency Management office or American Red Cross for more information on thunderstorms and lightning.
  

During a Thunderstorm

If indoors:

• Secure outdoor objects such as lawn furniture that could blow away or cause damage or injury. Take light objects inside.
• Shutter windows securely and brace outside doors.
• Listen to a battery operated radio or television for the latest storm information.
• Do not handle any electrical equipment or telephones because lightning could follow the wire. Television sets are particularly dangerous at this time.
• Avoid bathtubs, water faucets, and sinks because metal pipes can transmit electricity.

If outdoors:

• Attempt to get into a building or car.
• If no structure is available, get to an open space an squat low to the ground as quickly as possible. (If in the woods, find an area protected by low clump of trees–never stand underneath a single large tree in the open.) Be aware of the potential for flooding in low-lying areas.
• Crouch with hands on knees.
• Avoid tall structures such as towers, tall trees, fences, telephone lines, or power lines.
• Stay away from natural lightning rods such as golf clubs, tractors, fishing rods, bicycles, or camping equipment.
• Stay from rivers, lakes, or other bodies of water.
• If you are isolated in a level field or prairie and you feel your hair stand on end (which indicates that lightning is about to strike), bend forward, putting your hands on your knees. A position with feet together and crouching while removing all metal objects is recommended. Do not lie flat on the ground.

If in a car:

• Pull safely onto the shoulder of the road away from any trees that could fall on the vehicle.
• Stay in the car and turn on the emergency flashers until the heavy rains subside.
• Avoid flooded roadways.

ESTIMATING THE DISTANCE FROM A THUNDERSTORM
Because light travels much faster than sound, lightning flashes can be seen long before the resulting thunder is heard. Estimate the number of miles you are from a thunderstorm by counting the number of seconds between a flash of lightning and the next clap of thunder. Divide this number by five. Important: You are in danger from lightning if you can hear thunder. Knowing how far away a storm is does not mean that you’re in danger only when the storm is overhead. Hail is produced by many strong thunderstorms. Hail can be smaller than a pea or as large as a softball and can be very destructive to plants and crops. In a hailstorm, take cover immediately. Pets and livestock are particularly vulnerable to hail, so bring animals into a shelter.

After a Thunderstorm

• Check for injuries.
• A person who has been struck by lightning does not carry an electrical charge that can shock other people. If the victim is burned, provide first aid and call emergency medical assistance immediately. Look for burns where lightning entered and exited the body. If the strike cause the victim’s heart and breathing to stop, give cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) until medical professionals arrive and take over.
• Remember to help your neighbors who may require special assistance–infants, elderly people, and people with disabilities.
• Report downed utility wires.
• Drive only if necessary. Debris and washed-out roads may make driving dangerous

A major winter storm can be lethal. Preparing for cold weather conditions and responding to them effectively can reduce the dangers caused by winter storms.

Before a Winter Storm

• Be familiar with winter storm warning messages
• Service snow removal equipment and have rock salt on hand to melt ice on walkways and kitty litter to generate temporary traction
• Make sure you have sufficient heating fuel; regular fuel sources may be cut off

Winterize your home

• Insulate walls and attic.
• Caulk and weather-strip doors and windows.
• Install storm windows or cover windows with plastic from the inside.

Have safe emergency heating equipment available

• Fireplace with ample supply of wood
• Small, well-vented, wood, coal, or camp stove with fuel
• Portable space heaters or kerosene heaters (See Kerosene Heaters.)

Install and check smoke detectors.

Contact your local emergency management office or American Red Cross for more information on winter storms.

Keep pipes from freezing.

• Wrap pipes in insulation or layers of old newspapers.
• Cover the newspapers with plastic to keep out moisture.
• Let faucets drip a little to avoid freezing.
• Know how to shut off water valves.

Have disaster supplies on hand, in case the power goes out. (see emergency checklists for more info)

• Flashlight and extra batteries
• Portable, battery-operated radio and extra batteries.
• First aid kit
• One-week supply of food (include items that do not require refrigeration or cooking in case the power is shut off, see emergency checklists for more info)
• Non-electric can opener
• One-week supply of essential prescription medications
• Extra blankets and sleeping bags
• Fire extinguisher (A-B-C type)

Develop an emergency communication plan

• In case family members are separated from one another during a winter storm (a real possibility during the day when adults are at work and children are at school), have a plan for getting back together
• Ask an out-of-state relative or friend to serve as the “family contact.” After a disaster, it’s often easier to call long distance. Make sure everyone knows the name, address, and phone number of the contact person
• Make sure that all family members know how to respond after a severe winter storm
• Teach children how and when to call 9-1-1, police, or fire department, and which radio station to tune to for emergency information

Kerosene Heaters
Check with your local fire department on the legality of using kerosene heaters in your community. Use only the correct fuel for your unit and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Refuel outdoors only, and only when cool. Keep your kerosene heater at least 3 feet away from furniture and other flammable objects.

During a Winter Storm

If Indoors:

• Stay indoors and dress warmly. If you must drive or get caught in a storm make sure you are familiar with our Winter Driving Tips.
• Conserve fuel.
• Lower the thermostat to 65 degrees during the day and 55 degrees at night. Close off unused rooms.
• If the pipes freeze, remove any insulation or layers of newspapers and wrap pipes in rags.
• Completely open all faucets and pour hot water over the pipes, starting where they were most exposed to the cold (or where the cold was most likely to penetrate).
• Listen to the radio or television to get the latest information.

If Outdoors:

• Dress warmly.
• Wear loose-fitting, layered, light-weight clothing. Layers can be removed to prevent perspiration and chill. Outer garments should be tightly woven and water repellant. Mittens are warmer than gloves because fingers generate warmth when they touch each other.
• Stretch before you go out.
• If you go out to shovel snow, do a few stretching exercises to warm up your body. Also take frequent breaks.
• Cover your mouth.
• Protect your lungs from extremely cold air by covering your mouth when outdoors. Try not to speak unless absolutely necessary.
• Avoid overexertion. Cold weather puts an added strain on the heart. Unaccustomed exercise such as shoveling snow or pushing a car can bring on a heart attack or make other medical conditions worse. Be aware of symptoms of dehydration.
• Watch for signs of frostbite and hypothermia.
• Keep dry. Change wet clothing frequently to prevent a loss of body heat. Wet clothing loses all of its insulating value and transmits heat rapidly.

Remember to help your neighbors who may require special assistance–infants, elderly people, and people with disabilities.

WIND CHILL
“Wind chill” is a calculation of how cold it feels outside when the effects of temperature and wind speed are combined. A strong wind combined with a temperature of just below freezing can have the same effect as a still air temperature about 35 degrees colder.

Winter Storm Watches and Warnings

• A winter storm watch indicates that severe winter weather may affect your area.
• A winter storm warning indicates that severe winter weather conditions are definitely on the way.
• A blizzard warning means that large amounts of falling or blowing snow and sustained winds of at least 35 miles per hour are expected for several hours.

FROSTBITE AND HYPOTHERMIA
Frostbite is a severe reaction to cold exposure that can permanently damage its victims. A loss of feeling and a white or pale appearance in fingers, toes, or nose and ear lobes are symptoms of frostbite.

Hypothermia is a condition brought on when the body temperature drops to less than 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Symptoms of hypothermia include uncontrollable shivering, slow speech, memory lapses, frequent stumbling, drowsiness, and exhaustion.

If frostbite or hypothermia is suspected, begin warming the person slowly and seek immediate medical assistance. Warm the person’s trunk first. Use your own body heat to help. Arms and legs should be warmed last because stimulation of the limbs can drive cold blood toward the heart and lead to heart failure. Put person in dry clothing and wrap their entire body in a blanket.

Never give a frostbite or hypothermia victim something with caffeine in it (like coffee or tea) or alcohol. Caffeine, a stimulant, can cause the heart to beat faster and hasten the effects the cold has on the body. Alcohol, a depressant, can slow the heart and also hasten the ill effects of cold body temperatures.

Mitigation

Mitigation includes any activities that prevent an emergency, reduce the chance of an emergency happening, or lessen the damaging effects of unavoidable emergencies. Investing in preventive mitigation steps now such as purchasing a flood insurance policy and installing storm windows will help reduce the impact of winter storms in the future.

EMERGENCY INFORMATION
Hazardous materials in various forms can cause death, serious injury, long-lasting health effects, and damage to buildings, homes, and other property. Many products containing hazardous chemicals are used and stored in homes routinely. These products are also shipped daily on the nation’s highways, railroads, waterways, and pipelines.

Varying quantities of hazardous materials are manufactured, used, or stored at an estimated 4.5 million facilities in the United States–from major industrial plants to local dry cleaning establishments or gardening supply stores. The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act requires that detailed information about hazardous substances in or near communities be available at the public’s request. The law provides stiff penalties for companies that fail to comply and allows citizens to file lawsuits against companies and government agencies to force them to obey the law.

TRANSPORTATION INCIDENTS

Hazardous Materials Incidents by Transportation Mode (totals, 1983 thru 1990). Between 1982 and 1991, there were an annual average of 6,774 hazardous materials transportation incidents. In 1991, there were 9,069 transportation incidents that resulted in 10 deaths and 436 injuries.

WHAT ARE HAZARDOUS MATERIALS?
Hazardous materials are chemical substances, which if released or misused can pose a threat to the environment or health. These chemicals are used in industry, agriculture, medicine, research, and consumer goods. Hazardous materials come in the form of explosives, flammable and combustible substances, poisons, and radioactive materials. These substances are most often released as a result of transportation accidents or because of chemical accidents in plants.

HELP YOUR COMMUNITY GET READY
The media can raise awareness about hazardous materials by providing information to the community. Here are some suggestions:

• Publish a special section in your local newspaper with emergency information on hazardous materials. Localize the information by printing the phone numbers of the local poison control center, emergency services offices, the American Red Cross, and hospitals.
• Interview a member of your community’s Local Emergency Planning Committee about what hazardous substances may be in your community, and by what routes they are transported through the area.
• Publish a chart of warning symbols and terms.
• Publish a series on hazardous materials that can be found in the home and the proper antidotes for them.
• Stage demonstration to show people how to properly seal off their homes by working with emergency building materials such as sandbags, plywood, and plastic sheeting.

DID YOU KNOW…
Most victims of chemical accidents are injured at home. These incidents usually result from ignorance or carelessness in using flammable or combustible materials.

More than 30 states have passed laws giving workers and citizens access to information about hazardous substances in their workplaces and communities.

As many as 500,000 products pose physical or health hazards and can be defined as “hazardous chemicals.” Each year, over 1,000 new synthetic chemicals are introduced.

The Department of Transportation regulates routes and speed limits used by carriers and monitors the types of hazardous materials crossing state lines.

In an average city of 100,000 residents, 23.5 tons of toilet bowl cleaner, 13.5 tons of liquid household cleaners, and 3.5 tons of motor oil are discharged into city drains each month.

HAZARDOUS MATERIALS WARNING PLACARDS
The US Department of Transportation employs a labeling and placarding system for identifying the types of hazardous materials that are transported along the nation’s highways, railways, and waterways. This system enables local emergency officials to identify the nature and potential health threat of chemicals being transported into your community. Were a chemical accident to occur in your community, local emergency officials and the fire department would be able to determine the proper emergency response procedures for the situation by the type of placard or warning label.

LOCAL EMERGENCY PLANNING COMMITTEES
In 1986, Congress passed the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) of 1986. Title III of this legislation requires that each community establish a Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) to be responsible for developing an emergency plan for preparing for and responding to chemical emergencies in that community. This emergency plan must include the following: an identification of local facilities and transportation routes where hazardous material are present; the procedures for immediate response in case of an accident (this must include a community-wide evacuation plan); a plan for notifying the community that an incident has occurred; the names of response coordinators at local facilities; and a plan for conducting exercises to test the plan. The plan is reviewed by the State Emergency Response Commission ( SERC) and publicized throughout the community. The LEPC is required to review, test, and update the plan each year.

Salem & Hope Creek Generating Stations

The Salem and Hope Creek Generating Stations are located in Salem County.

In the unlikely event of an emergency at one of these stations, residents should become familiar with this information and keep it handy, just as you would with medical, police, fire and emergency directions. By understanding this information, you are taking an important step for your family’s safety.

Download the PSEG Emergency Public Information Brochure

Most terrorist incidents in the United States have been bombing attacks, involving detonated and undetonated explosive devices, tear gas and pipe and fire bombs.

The effects of terrorism can vary significantly from loss of life and injuries to property damage and disruptions in services such as electricity, water supply, public transportation and communications.
One way governments attempt to reduce our vulnerability to terrorist incidents is by increasing security at airports and other public facilities. The US government also works with other countries to limit the sources of support for terrorism.

WHAT IS TERRORISM?
Terrorism is the use of force or violence against persons or property in violation of the criminal laws of the United States for purposes of intimidation, coercion or ransom.

Terrorists often use threats to create fear among the public, to try to convince citizens that their government is powerless to prevent terrorism, and to get immediate publicity for their causes.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) categorizes terrorism in the United States as one of two types–domestic terrorism or international terrorism.

Domestic terrorism involves groups or individuals whose terrorist activities are directed at elements of our government or population without foreign direction.

International terrorism involves groups or individuals whose terrorist activities are foreign-based and/or directed by countries or groups outside the United States or whose activities transcend national boundaries.

Biological And Chemical Weapons
Biological agents are infectious microbes or toxins used to produce illness or death in people, animals or plants. Biological agents can be dispersed as aerosols or airborne particles. Terrorists may use biological agents to contaminate food or water because they are extremely difficult to detect. Chemical agents kill or incapacitate people, destroy livestock or ravage crops. Some chemical agents are odorless and tasteless and are difficult to detect. They can have an immediate effect (a few seconds to a few minutes) or a delayed effect (several hours to several days).

Biological and chemical weapons have been used primarily to terrorize an unprotected civilian population and not as a weapon of war. This is because of fear of retaliation and the likelihood that the agent would contaminate the battlefield for a long period of time. The Persian Gulf War in 1991 and other confrontations in the Middle East were causes for concern in the United States regarding the possibility of chemical or biological warfare. While no incidents occurred, there remains a concern that such weapons could be involved in an accident or be used by terrorists.

Did You Know…

• On February 29, 1993, a bombing in the parking garage of the World Trade Center in New York City resulted in the deaths of five people and thousands of injuries. The bomb left a crater 200 by 100 feet wide and five stories deep. The World Trade Center is the second largest building in the world and houses 100,000 workers and visitors each day.
• The Department of Defense estimates that as many as 26 nations may possess chemical agents and/or weapons and an additional 12 may be seeking to develop them.
• In recent years the largest number of terrorist strikes have occurred in the Western States and Puerto Rico. Attacks in Puerto Rico accounted for about 60 percent of all terrorist incidents between 1983 and 1991 that occurred on United States territory.
• The Central Intelligence Agency reports that at least ten countries are believed to possess or be conducting research on biological agents for weaponization.

Terrorism In The United States
In the United States, most terrorist incidents have involved small extremist groups who use terrorism to achieve a designated objective. Local, State and Federal law enforcement officials monitor suspected terrorist groups and try to prevent or protect against a suspected attack. Additionally, the US Government works with other countries to limit the sources of support for terrorism.

A terrorist attack can take several forms, depending on the technological means available to the terrorist, the nature of the political issue motivating the attack, and the points of weakness of the terrorist’s target. Bombings are the most frequently used terrorist method in the United States. Other possibilities includes an attack at transportation facilities, an attack against utilities or other public services or an incident involving chemical or biological agents.

Terrorist incidents in this country have included bombings of the World Trade Center in New York City, the United States, the Capitol Building in Washington, DC and Mobil Oil corporate headquarters in New York City.