Tuesday, September 14, 2010

9-14-10 Catalyst

Your mission, should you choose to accept it (you don't really have a choice, but we'll pretend) is to create a disaster prevention plan.  As you have mentioned numerous times, being prepared is key to minimizing deaths and impact on the environment. Today will test your skills for preparing an entire city from a natural disaster.  To help better prepare you for the task ahead I would like you to research current plans in place for disaster preparedness.  Address the following points from your investigation:

        * How do cities plan evacuation routes for residents?
        *  What alternate housing is prepared or planned for citizens?
        *  Who are the first responders when a natural disaster occurs?

40 comments:

  1. In case of a tornado every resident housing should have a basement/cellar. Usually cities do not have a plan for evacuees besides telling them that they have to go far. Cities usually have a cellar under schools or other large public areas if tornadoes are common. The first responders are troopers, policeman, firemen, and EMS.

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  2. Earthquakes

    They get the plan to get the residents to a city or town that is not on the fault line that the earthquake happened on.

    The alternate housing is usually not needed because the cities that are probably going to have an earthquake have things like metal frames and earthquake-proofing.

    The first responders depend on where the earthquake occurs, either the Coast Guard or the American Red Cross.

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  3. 1.) This is from a real natural disaster plan for Louisiana:

    "If you have only moments before leaving, grab these things and go! Medical supplies: prescription medications and dentures. Disaster supplies: flashlight, batteries, radio, first aid kit, bottled water. Clothing and bedding: a change of clothes and a sleeping bag or bedroll and pillow for each household member. Car keys and keys to the place you may be going (friend's or relative's home). If there's a chance the weather may get worse or flooding may happen, take steps now to protect your home and belongings. Do this only if local officials have not asked you to leave. Protect your home. Bring things indoors. Lawn furniture, trash cans, children's toys, garden equipment, clotheslines, hanging plants, and any other objects that may fly around and damage property should be brought indoors. Leave trees and shrubs alone. If you did not cut away dead or diseased branches or limbs from trees and shrubs, leave them alone. Local rubbish collection services will not have time before the storm to pick anything up. Look for potential hazards. Look for coconuts, unripened fruit, and other objects in trees around your property that could blow or break off and fly around in high winds. Cut them off and store them indoors until the storm is over. Turn off electricity and water. Turn off electricity at the main fuse or breaker, and turn off water at the main valve. Leave natural gas on. Unless local officials advise otherwise, leave natural gas on because you will need it for heating and cooking when you return home. If you turn gas off, a licensed professional is required to turn it back on, and it may take weeks for a professional to respond. Turn off propane gas service. Propane tanks often become dislodged in disasters. If flooding is expected, consider using sand bags to keep water away from your home. It takes two people about one hour to fill and place 100 sandbags, giving you a wall one foot high and 20 feet long. Make sure you have enough sand, burlap or plastic bags, shovels, strong helpers, and time to place them properly. Remember. Houses do not explode due to air pressure differences. Damage happens when wind gets inside a home through a broken window, door, or damaged roof."

    2.) There is no alternative housing plan for Louisiana citizens unless they prepare there own. The government tells the citizens of the state this though.

    3.) Hospitals and emergency planners are the first people to respond in the event of a Hurricane

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  4. Earthquakes first responders are the red cross. Most of the damage is caused by falling debris and is cleaned up as fast as possible. They respond to the injured quickly. There are other groups that respond also. Because earthquakes aren't very predictable and hit and retreat so fast, cities are not evacuated. Cities would lose a lot of housing, but there would still be housing outside of the city. Most buildings in an earthquake prone city were built with that in mind so an earthquake wouldn't bring them down. Plans would need to be put in place of where do go during an earthquake for safety and after for relief.

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  5. * How do cities plan evacuation routes for residents?
    Cities must take into question traffic from all areas of a city, the routes available for use by residents, and the amount of residents in any given area.
    * What alternate housing is prepared or planned for citizens?
    Depending on what the disaster is that occurred in the area, different housing is put into affect. For hurricane affected areas, sturdier housing that is placed high above the ground, is used. For tornado-affected areas, houses are either made cheaper, or placed heavily into the ground, similar to an iceberg in water.
    * Who are the first responders when a natural disaster occurs?
    Humanitarian activists are the first responders to a disaster, trying to save the lives of residents in an affected city.

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  6. Cities plan evacuation routes judging by the location of the home, and the disaster that occurs. If there is a hurricane, cities would advise a few routes to leave the city and get far away from the shoreline, or sometimes just tell you to stay at home and follow rules to stay safe. For earthquakes, cities would make sure for you to stay indoors and under something strong, sturdy, and thick.
    FEMA supplies alternate housing as travel trailers and manufactured homes for a period of up to 18 months. This assists people with lost homes to be able to get back up on their feet and live a normal-ish life again.
    First responders are like UNICEF, and Red Cross. Many non-governmental international organizations help out, and they are the first to assist.

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  7. 1. There is no guaranteed way to tell when a tornado will strike so as general tips to stay safe in one, city officials recommend the following: find a safe room in the middle of the house with no windows, take shelter in a storm cellar/basement, (when driving) get out of the car and crouch in a ditch. Since a tornado is so unpredictable, right now there is no complete evacuation route, just tips to stay safe.

    2. There is not alternative housing prepared for citizens in a hurricane. Citizens are expected to provide insurance for their own home. The city and state do provide temporary shelter for areas affected by the storm, but the shelter is not private and is shared with the other citizens whose homes have been affected.

    3. In an earthquake, rescue workers and emergency responders may have to enter collapsed buildings to save trapped people. The city council or state government are usually the ones who take action for funds and security measures.

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  8. 1. The evacuation routes planned for flooding all depends on. Where the flood takes place. Many cities have a plan in place, and they instruct the citizens of the procedures if there is a possibility of a flood happening in the area. All appliances and utilities have to be turned off, and sot people are advised to wait for assistance.
    2. Many alternative housing procedures are only supposed to be in use for a short period of time until flood Repairs can be made. It is different for every city but this is the most common way alternative housing is used.
    3. There are many organization teams and facilities that like to call themselves "first response". It depends on who you call. Most people call the city services or the services closest to their home or area that they are in.

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  9. How do cities plan evacuation routes for residents?
    Cities plan evacuation routes based on how much traffic roads can hold and how efficiently they can get the cars to where they need to go. Most of the time, they choose motorways because they hold a large amount of cars.

    What alternate housing is prepared or planned for citizens?
    Most of the time alternate housing is not ready when a natural disaster occurs, so they choose something like a stadium as a temporary home for thousands of people.

    Who are the first responders when a natural disaster occurs?
    The first responders of a natural disaster are the fire department, the police department, and the paramedics. They are there to rescue people, secure the area, and of course put out the fires.

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  11. 1. There are many different evacuation plans for disaster. An example is the New Orleans City Assisted Evacuation Plan. This plan finds safe routes out of the city in case of disasters, such as Katrina.

    2. There are underground buildings in some cities in case of disasters.

    3. The first responders are people from the Public Safety department. This includes the Fire department and Police department.

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  12. Hurricane Disaster Prevention
    Shelters are provided for the people in the city that is about to be hit by a hurricane or a tropical storm. The shelters are usually planned to be in a big gym, stadium, or a huge building that can fit many people and that's also indoors. FEMA usually responds very fast to natural disasters, volunteers help out, and the Red Cross is very fast. Cities plan quick safe routes for evactuation.

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  13. Spencer Stahm~ They usually have to use many days to weeks in order to make a plan. They would have to consider what is the safest area, the closest area, and the most convienent area. For instance in an earthquake the safest place would be in the middle of an open field, bu tthats not always an option in a city.

    Some housing after a natural disaster may be hospitals, sanctuaries, or maybe safe houses.

    The people experienceing the disaster would be the first responders.

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  14. Natural disasters can be scary if you do not know the procedures for safety. Some of the worst natural disasters and be ok because people have been prepared and they knew what they had to do when it happened. Researchers have made devices that can predict natural disasters which help the city to tell them that they need to either evacuate of prepare for what is to come. Earthquakes are predicted by seismographs and hurricanes by Doppler radars. The first people to know about natural disasters most of the time are scientists because they have all of the technology to predict naturals disasters.

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  15. To answer the first question, cities do not really have evacuation plan because earthquakes happen very suddenly. Citizens can be prepared in advance. If they know that they live in an area that is known for earthquakes, it would be helpful to prepare head of time. Where as a hurricane be predicted. Radio and TV news casts keep the citizens up to date, telling them when to evacuate and other information that would be key to know.
    To answer the second question, if a tornado is coming, then the citizens have underground shelters to protect them. People who live in areas where tornadoes are frequent, like Tornado Alley, when the house typically comes with an underground shelter or extremely supportive a below shelter.
    To answer the third question, the first responders would be the medical assistance, like the Red Cross. Also the government tries to help the aftermath.

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  16. Preparation for a Hurricane

    An evacuation plan created by FEMA states that you should grab an emergency kit, wear sturdy, protective clothing, Lock all your doors and windows, and unplug small appliances. You are to gather your family and evacuate only if you are told to. Then you are supposed to follow an evacuation route. Cities usually try to pick a quick, safe route.

    FEMA, the Red Cross, and other organizations are usually the first responders.

    There are certain types of houses that have a more stable structure and build that are suited for hurricanes. There are also hurricane-proof windows that are stronger and more reinforced than regular windows.

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  17. 1.) Floods can be extremely fast like flash floods or they can go very slowly. it is difficult for cities to planar evacuation because by the time it is possible to evacuate, it may be too difficult for normal families to do.

    2.) In areas that are vulnerable to floods, many houses are built on stilts so the bases of the houses aren't ruined.

    3.) The first responders depend on where the flood occurs. Sometimes the citizens respond first, but sometimes officials know about the flood before anyone else and can help the citizens.

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  18. If there is a tornado there really is no point to try and evacuate from your house. You just want to get somewhere low and away from windows. If in a car get out and crouch in a ditch and never try and out drive a tornado.

    It could be many different things such as a sports stadium or a high school. You should always have an alternate place to go incase of a natural disaster that requires you to leave your home and go somewhere safer.

    The first responders are nongovernmental health organizations or emergency response teams such as firefighters or police. They are there to rescue people and make sure the area is safe foe people to live or be around.

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  19. 1. For floods, they take the most flood-prone roads and the least flood-prone roads and make the escape routes from the least flood-prone roads.

    2. FEMA's (Federal Emergency Management Agency) requirements for disaster housing is a combination of travel trailers and manufactured houses.

    3. For the most part, FEMA are the first responders when a disaster strikes.

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  20. Cities plan evacuations routes by what disasters usually happen there, the terrain, the layout of the city, etc.

    Alternate housing is provided depending on the disaster, such as the superdome in New Orleans after Katrina. Tornado susceptible places usually have cellars, etc.

    The first responders should be the police and firefighters. Then the collect information, they pass on the information to high government.

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  21. For a tornado, there really isn't a good way to evacuate. Just go into a room with no windows, like a basement or closet. Hunker down until it passes.

    If your housing is destroyed by tornado(s), usually people will band together and help you rebuild it. If there is no way to, you usually can find shelter with relatives. if nothing, the government will provide for you.

    The first responders to a tornado are usually firefighters. Tornadoes can knock down power lines, starting electrical fires. The problem with electrical fires is that water aids the spread, so the foam must be used to smother it.

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  22. The most important prevention plan is to be educated. Know what the main disaster in your area is and what to do in case it happens. Have a good city layout and make sure everyone knows where to go in case of emergency. In some disasters, such as tornados, you need a alternate housing, like a cellar, with supplies. Once the disaster happens, depending on the scale either the local firefighters/other government will respond, in others it might be the Red Cross or FEMA.

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  23. California Wildfire 5-Step Evacuation Plan

    1) It is important to plan ahead because usually you only have a few minutes to evacuate your home during this natural disaster. You should know which places you are going to evacuate to such as, hotels, out of town friends and family, and you should keep phone numbers and addresses of these places. Also plan out a certain place to meet up with the person you will evacuate to.

    2) You should have a home inventory for insurance purposes. The list should be kept in a safety deposit box, and online storage system, or an out of town friend who keeps the list.

    3) Emergency packing is important in case of a natural disaster. Plan ahead about what you are going to pack. Important and most commonly taken items are: Medicine, battery powered radios, water, food, computer hard drives, photos, pet food, infant and elderly care items, and flashlights.

    4) Important documents should be kept track of and organized so you can easily grab them in case of wildfires.

    5) Testing yourself is important so you are ready when the real situation comes. Practice grabbing all the important items and documents.

    First responders include firefighters to extinguish the fire.

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  24. 1: In the event of a tornado, people are recommended to say in low ground, and if they have a cellar/basement, stay there. An evacuation plan has never occurred in an incident of a tornado, since it is very hard to predict. Just stay low and hope that the tornado doesn't blow over your home.

    2: Alternate houses are available, but to a large group of people. Schoolhouses and large gathering areas are used as shelter until the government can provide the citizens with money to buy a new home. Sometimes in the case of a large tornado, houses are built, but are very simple.

    3: In a situation, some of the first responders are Red Cross and police/firemen. They respond to the damage and health issues, before companies like FEMA create a recovery process in order to rebuild a society that was hit from a natural disaster.

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  25. For an earthquake I think the best way to survive is to go somewhere with no windows and nothing that can fall and hit you. A bathtub or under a door frame to protect yourself if you are inside your home. If you are outside go to an open place where there are no trees close
    by.

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  26. The evacuation plans usually depend on the area and type of disaster. For example, with tornados and tsunamis or floods, the main strategy is to get people as far away as possible as quickly as possible. With wildfires, people generally move s little ways away, or go to stay with family nearby, though it is almost never necessary to leave the state.
    Sometimes alternate housing is not provided for people, depending upon the disaster and it's magnitude. Usually towns that are frequented by tornados have community cellars or safe houses. In many towns it is common for all this without a place to go gather at the local high school and spend the night in. The gym or cafeteria post-disaster.
    Usually the first people to arrive on the scene are the police, fire department, and other rescue crews. News crews are also there fairly quickly. Soon after specialty organizations, such as FEMA, show up to lend a hand.,

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  27. I found info on hurricane response plans.

    1. Cities have evacuation plans set up to move residents to the safest, and usually higher, ground. They are instructed to only take hat they will need to survive away from home.

    2. As with hurricane Katrina especially, trailers and other temporary housing can be set up for victims whose houses were destroyed.

    3. The first responders that are sent to help out the endangered citizens are usually the coast guard or national guard. FEMA, the federal emergency management agency, then steps in for cleanup and handling of the disaster.

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  28. When a tornado strikes, residents who live near a warning system such as tornado sirens can know to get into their basements or tornado shelters. There is almost no point to evacuating from a tornado, as it can go much faster than an evacuation traffic jam.

    There is also no point to having extra housing on hand in case of a tornado, because it can be leveled by the same disaster. However, emergency services like FEMA can provide funds or supplies for tornado victims.

    The first responders to a natural disaster are services like FEMA and the Red Cross, who provide aid and funds to the people affected by any kind of disaster.

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  29. Evacuation: Pack Red Cross items and essentials (food water, clothing, etc.),know refuge zone and head there (decide by foot or by car before with family), carry a radio for up-dates on the volcano, wait in asylum until eruption has ceased and lava flow stopped.
    Temperate Housing: FEMA will grant people temperate housing until they can rebuild their house (not return it to the original state but so it is livable, i.e. kitchen, toilet, etc.). This is temporary housing, not meant for lifetime inhabitants.
    First Responders: People should be the first to respond and use the evacuation plan, firefighters; police; etc. should help the citizens and then FEMA and Red Cross will take care of the people once there are out of immediate danger.

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  30. Questions in accordance with Hurricanes.

    1. Cities use large roads that can accept a lot of cars and will let as many people pass as possible. TV and Radio stations are ordered to read off the quickest routes to get away. All cities recommend that you go to stay with relatives that are far away from the ocean.

    2. Low-formaldehyde travel trailers are being made that have the same air quality of regular houses and are secured to the ground so in the event of a hurricane the residents of the trailer will be protected. The trailer is not for regular use.

    3. FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) are the first responders when disaster strikes in the US.

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  31. 1. Likely there would be limits in place for the amount of cars that take a certain rougt, to avoid heavy traffic. This would help the evacuation to be more organized.

    2. In the case of a torrnado most people who would be effected oviosly have cellars to stay in. In the case of an earth quack most peole would stay in hospitals for their injurys.

    3. For a fire, fire fighters would respond. For an earth quack volunteers and rescue teams would respond first. During a tornado the press would respond first by warning others.

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  32. How do cities plan evacuations routes for residents?
    They evaluate any threats or obstacles that will hold back or interrupt the evacuation. Then they have to find shelter for the residents. After that, they map out an evacuation route, and test it out a few times.

    What alternate housing is prepared for residents?
    Generally there will be disaster shelters nearby. If measures are extreme, they may use hospitals or motels as shelters. If homes are destroyed, new ones must be purchased.

    Who are the first responders when a natural disaster occurs?
    The city and state government, usually. Paramedics and red cross also respond quickly, as well as firemen in the case of a wildfire or police.

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  33. * How do cities plan evacuation routes for residents?

    First of all, the use the latest census information to designate zones, for hurricanes. Then, they will designate a certain traffic route for you to use so no areas get too congested. Usually, it becomes very congested during a mandotory evacuation. However, many families stay behind because they do not want to lose their valuables. Also, they will use FEMA and NOAA predictions of storm surge.

    * What alternate housing is prepared or planned for citizens?

    Most planned areas are either schools or government buildings because of their reinforced codes that are needed to pass special guidelines for these types of buildings. When they are being built, they are usually designated as shelter buildings. When there is an extreme disaster, like Katrina, stadiums may be used because of there extremely high capacity, eg. the Superdome.

    * Who are the first responders when a natural disaster occurs?
    First respondents are people who are trained in taking pre-hospital care of injured people who need immediate help. This includes FEMA, the Coast Guard, policemen, firefighters, and the Red Cross. Their jobs would be to possibly give CPR, bandage, and/or make makeshift slings.

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  34. 1. For hurricanes, you should bring everything inside, board up your windows, turn of water and electricity, and check for anything else hazardous. Once you have done that, gather any valuable or essential items and take them with you. Also don't forget to bring your drivers license, insurance papers, a good amount of cash, then hit the road. No need to hang around and put yourself in danger.

    2. Alternate housing for Hurricanes like hurricane Katrina, weren't houses at all. They used the Saint's stadium, the Super Dome, as protection for the people, and it worked pretty well keeping them safe. I guess you could call it alternate stadium-ing now.

    3. The first ones to respond are usually the red cross, coast guard, FEMA, and the national guard sometimes as well.

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  35. Volcanoes

    1) If the residents know that they live in a location that is nearby a volcano, they can prepare a route that avoids the dangerous areas, along with a backup plan. Staying home in a hazard zone is very dangerous. Try and get away as quick as possible. Have a relative, preferably long distance, to be the family contact, so that, if anyone was separated from the rest of the family, they could contact that person.

    2) Have a friends or relatives house away from the volcano that you could go to until the volcano stops erupting.

    3) Usually the local health authorities are the first to respond.

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  36. 1) Meeting places and routes are chosen. Certain people are chosen to announce when evacuation should happen and when it is safe to go back.

    2) Sometimes mobile homes are brought in.

    3) People designated to do so. Also fire fighters and people watching for the disaster.

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  37. Sorry, I forgot to say my natural disaster was a volcano.

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  38. Evacuation plans for citizens; several thing should be taken into accounting when an evacuation route is planned, the local terrain, the disaster, and how severe the disaster is. For example, your not going to want to hide in a cellar or basement if your in the middle of an earthquake, your going to want to be in a wide open space, away from potential dangerous falling items.in a hurricane, your not going to want to fly away in a plane if your caught in a hurricane, your going to want to lock yourself and loved ones in a basement of cellar, or in the general underground area. In most disasters however, your going to want to getaway from the arenas fast as you can, and put yourself and others, as far away from harm as you possibly can.

    Alternate housing; alternate housing for those caught in disasters, or for those who's homes have been destroyed by it, should not be taken lightly. How would you feel if your house was burned to the ground by a wildfire and you wouldn't have a proper home until you could afford to buy one again? Not very good I would imagine. I think that in the case of a natural disaster, therr should be a few specially designed bunkers in every town and city, made for a variety of natural disasters, that would have pre made homes inside, that people could just move into if disaster ever stuck.

    First respondents; I think that the first people to respond should be the people, if the government responded first, then the people would be stuck in the midst of the disaster, unable to get away. If humanitarian services did, then who are they going to help? The hoboes who never had a home from the start? They would be caught. The disaster as well. If citywide services responded first, then they would also get caught in the disasater. But if the people responded first, then they would have a chance to get away, or head to the bunkers and be safe. They could also be put intomdisaster prevention squads, or some other fast response team, to retaliate against the disaster, whatever it may be. Together, human beings can get more done more efficiently than a government can in a month.

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  39. Well of course it depends on where the city is, but it usually has to do with predicting on what disaster is going to happen. Such as an evacuation plan for San Francisco for earthquakes would be different than an evacuation plan for Florida. Since earthquakes are not very predictable, there is a lot of before planning. The are hotels to go to if your house is destroyed, and relatives to stay with.

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  40. Tsunamis
    1) In Long Beach, the city officials utilize their technology to estimate the time they have until the wave hits. If it is a distant event, such as an earthquake in California, they have 3 hours to prepare. In this case, gates would be unlocked so residents can reach higher ground. If the catalytic occurrence were to strike in a more local area, the maximum time to prepare would be 25 minutes. In either cases, traffic officials decongest the roads so that elevated land can be reached. The meeting area is the newly installed water plant. For individual's safety, administrators advise the public to pack a survival kit consisting of multiple flashlights, batteries, water, maps of safe routes, non-perishable goods, first-aid equipment, a portable radio, and matches. Some of these tools vary depending on the safety brochures that are handed out in different states.

    2) As an alternative to the uniform housing, buildings that can sustain tsunamis have 4 columns made of concrete and walls of bamboo or wood. The design was created by engineers from Harvard U and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. This low-tech houses have been proved to endure water and wind up to fivefold the amount of regular homes. Many of these miraculous houses will rest on concrete or wood blocks which allows them 1-2 feet above ground.

    3) Tsunami emergency organizations include the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and International Medical Health Organization.

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