Survival Scenario: How to Survive if you are Trapped by a Power Line in a Car

Survival Scendario: How to Survive if you are Trapped by a Power Line in a Car 

• The first and most important thing is to turn off the car.  Having the car running can cause a host of other problems that could exacerbate the main issue.

• Do not try to try through the wire--this could create even more of a dynamic problem.  Tell people to stay away from the vehicle.  Even at a distance of twenty feet or more, a person is still endanger of being electrocuted.  

• The best thing you can do, try to stay still, and wait for help.  If waiting is not an option, for example, if there is a fire in the car that threatens your life, then proceed to follow the steps below.
• Move as far away from where the electrical wire touches the car.  Since the car is grounded and insulated by the tires, you will most likely will not be shocked as you move.  
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• The closer you are to where the electrical wire touches the car, the more danger you are in.  Just because you do not see the voltage whipping through the ground does not mean it is not there.
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• If there are sparks, use whatever is in the area to protect you from their heat and burn.

• If you need to jump from the vehicle, jump as far as you can, while keeping your feet together.  Keeping your feet together will prevent you from creating a large surface area.  Do not jump so far that you have to catch yourself with your hands.  You want the rubber in your shoes to help insulate you from the electricity.  

• Once you land, slowly, shuffle your feet in a direction away from the vehicle.  Do not jump or run, since you are already grounded and this could create an arc between you and the electricity.  

• Once you are clear from the area, make sure that the road is blocked off so others do not inadvertently put themselves in danger.  

Survival Scenario: What to do in a Devastating Earthquake

Are Earthquakes Increasing

There is some evidence to suggest that earthquakes are on the rise.

Earthquakes appear to be increasing in inensity as well.  

Dates	Period	No. of Quakes with > 6.99
1863-1900	38	12
1901-1938	38	53
1939-1976	38	71
1977-2014	38	164

The earthquake could happen at any moment and the possible results could be dramatic.  The U.S. Geological Survey warned that a magnitude-7.5 earthquake along the San Andreas Fault could kill 3,000 to 18,000 people and cause up to $250 billion in damage. In contrast, a larger magnitude 8 quake along the San Andreas would cause an estimated 1,800 deaths.

Admittedly, that is not too much loss in human life--in comparative terms, but the disruption in services and economic toll could send a teetering economy into a deep recession. Approximately, 23% of the total U.S. value of goods pass through the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports.  Prices will explode as these services are disrupted and become scarce.  The market will take a heavy beating and there will be a subsequent credit crunch.  No one can know how much of a effect it will have, but if the past is any indicator of the future, it should be dramatic.   

What to do if you’re Trapped in a Building in an Earthquake 

• Drop to the floor.  This will decrease the speed you can travel, but it will help you keep your balance and prevent yourself from falling and tripping into something.

• Move under a desk and away from unsecured furniture.

• Cover you head.

• If a room fills with dirt or smoke, cover your mouth with a wet cloth.  It is important that the cloth is wet.  A wet cloth will dramatically increase the effectiveness of the covering.

• If out in the opening, get away from trees and buildings.

• Stay away from glass and windows.

• If the wall starts to cave in, get behind large furniture and lay flat.  You might end up trapped under the debris, but you won't be crushed.

• If you are trapped, try to locate a pipe that runs through the building and hit it with a solid object.  The pipe will carry the sound throughout the building and give rescuers an idea of where you are.  

Survival Scenario: What to do When a Building Catches on Fire

How Common are Fires 

In 2010 there were 362,100 residential fires in the USA that caused $6.65 billion in damages.  According to the US Census there are 131 million housing units in the US and 114 million households.

As far as frequency you could figure that 0.317% of households experienced a fire in 2010.   Or we could say that 0.276% of housing units had a fire in the year.  With 362,100 fires and $6.65 billion in damages that means the average property damage from a fire was $18,365.  That is not much, but with the long stretch of drought over the last few years, fires have been increasing more threatening.  Just looking at this stunning picture of how dry California has been this year.  

Look at some of these stunning pictures of drought in California:

A drought is made worse when snowfall falls dramatically short.  You can see that the snow is much less then just the previous year.

This means that fires are much more likely and more difficult to fight when they do happen.  

What causes home fires? 

FEMA's US Fire Administration site also has data on the causes of fires.   Here are the causes of residential fires ranked by %.

Cooking	46%
Heating	13%
Electrical Malfunction	7%
Other Unintentional, Careless	7%
Open Flame	5%
Intentional	4%
Equipment Malfunction	4%
Other Heat	4%
Appliances	2%
Smoking	2%
Exposure	2%
Natural	2%
Other Equipment	1%
Investigation with Arson Module	1%
Playing with Heat Source	1%

Looking through that list, there are not a lot of causes that you can easily avoid.  Not smoking and not intentionally burning down your own home only accounts for about 6% of the fires.

What todo When a Building Catches on Fire

• Cover your mouth with a wet cloth.  A wet cloth will help to keep dirt and debris out of your lungs.  Breathing through your nose will help you to filter your air.

• Try to find a safe exit:  This is obvious, but it can become more difficult in a stressful and dangerous situation.  It is best to use mental mapping--or the process of planning out a route of escape before it is necessary.  

• Feel a door before exiting with the back of your hand: If it is cool, then slowly open it.  If you see smoke coming through or under the door, do not got through the door.  

• If the room/buidling you are in is smokey, crawl on the ground.  

• If you are trapped in a room: block the cracks in a door with whatever available.  A wet towel or sheet is ideal.  Put a mattress infront of the door, holding it inplace with a piece of furniture

• Turn off the vent and/or shut off the ventilation.  

• Remove the burnable debris from the window area.

• Open the window a carck to get fresh air.  If you open the window to much, it will feed the fire.

                                                                     

Survival Scenario: Tornado

How Likely Are Tornadoes

                                       

The United States receives more than 1,200 tornadoes annually—four times the amount seen in Europe.  Violent tornadoe (those that are rated above a 4) occur more often in the United States than in any other country.

                                           

Most tornadoes occur in The Great Plains, the Midwest, the Mississippi Valley and the southern United States. They are rare west of the Rockies and are also less frequent in the northeastern states. 

Florida is one of the most tornado prone states. However, Florida tornadoes are usually not as strong.Tornado Alley is a term for an area particularly prone to tornadoes. There is no officially defined 'Tornado Alley' - at its broadest this area stretches from Texas to Canada with its core centered on Oklahoma, Kansas and northern Texas. Another area, known as the Dixie Alley,  is the southern United States and particularly the northern and central parts of Alabama and Mississippi. 

Tornadoes can occur any time during the year, but they are most common in spring and least common in winter.  Since Spring is a transitional period for the climate, there are more chances of cooler air meeting with warmer air, resulting in more thunderstorms. 

Tornadoes can also be spawned by landfalling tropical cyclones, which usually occur in late summer and autumn. In the United States, thunderstorms capable of producing tornadoes usually form when the temperature is at its highest, typically from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Although the period "tornado season" is March through August, tornadoes - including violent tornadoes and major tornado outbreaks - have been documented in the United States during every month of the year.  

There is some evidence that tornadoes are generally on the rise.  See the chart below.  

                    

What To Do  if a Tornado is Coming your Way

• Evacuate: The best thing you can do is to remove yourself from the danger.  There is nothing you can do to protect your home and possessions.  By staying behind, you do nothing more than put your life at risk.
•  When a tornado has been sighted, go to your shelter immediately. Stay away from windows, doors and outside walls
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• If you don't have time to escape, and you are in a  house or small building, go to the basement or storm cellar. If there is no basement, go to an interior room on the lower level (closets, interior hallways). Get under a sturdy table, hold on and protect your head. Stay there until the danger has passed.

•  In a high-rise building, go to a small, interior room or hallway on the lowest floor possible.

•  In a trailer or mobile home, get out immediately and go to a more substantial structure.

•  If there is no shelter nearby, lie flat in the nearest ditch, ravine or culvert with your hands shielding your head.

• In a car, get out and take shelter in a nearby building. Do not attempt to out-drive a tornado. They are erratic and move swiftly. 

Survival Scenario: What to do During a Pandemic

Survival Scenario: What to do During a Pandemic   

Larry Brilliant asserted, during in TED talk, that a pandemic is not only likely, it is probable.  He said that he had done a study with top epidemiologists. In that study, 90% of them said they thought there would be a pandemic within their children's or grandchildren's lifetimes, where: 

• 1 billion people would get sick
• 165 million would die
• There would be a global recession and depression
• and there would be $1-3 trillion cost to the economy

There are many reasons this situation is likely:

• Population has exploded:  More to get infected; more to spread the infection.

• More and more, people are moving towards cities.  There people are finding work in cities and conviences.  Not only does this create a breeding ground for disease, it also facilitates the rapid spread of any sickness.   

• The amount of time it takes to travel around the world has been greatly reduced while the availbility to travel has dramatically increased.  This above, everything, is the main reason this scenario could be a reality.  

                       

              

              

What do you do during a pandemic?

• Do not go to public areas
• Since public areas are the places you will most likely contract the disease, it is best to stay away from them.  Pick odd times to commute to and from work; don't hang out in public restaurants, stores, or community centers; avoid the gym at all costs; do your shopping late at night or early in the morning when few people are shopping.
•  Wear a breathing masks
• About 81% of flu patients have been shown to transmit disease in the air and wearing a mask will reduce your susceptibility to airborne diseases.  It will also protect your face if you try to rub your nose and mouth.  It will also be a constant reminded of the disease, which might make it the best reason to wear it.  People will tend to keep their distance from someone if they have a face mask, thinking that you are sick, which will in turn prevent you from becoming sick.  Don't use the same mask twice and be careful when you dispose of them.  
•  Use something in between your hands and doorknobs
• Doorknobs have been shown to be one of the main contributes to the spread of disease.  Basically, if anyone has touched it before, they could have left germs behind. So, anything, really, that people touch should be avoid: i.e., handrails, elevator buttons, coffee cubs, etc.
•  Wash and sterilize your hands often
•  Wear eye protection
•  Stay inside if possible
•  Create a quarantine room if someone wants to come inside: If the pandemic becomes increasingly more dangerous, it will become more important to build a quarantine room.  Here are some basic steps.
•    Seal room off with tape and tarps
•  Don’t let the person enter the main home for a period of time (depends on the sickness, but usually between 24 and 48 hours).
•  Strip person down and spray them down
•  Get rid of clothes
• Block the major windows and doors
• Treat anyone from the outside as if they are sick: do not approach them without protective gear; wash the protective give after it has been used; and make sure you remove the protective gear before you enter your home.  
• Assume anything that has been exposed to someone who has been into the public has germs on it and that it will need to be sterilized.