After the Immediate Threat Passes

• Perform a safety check of your living quarters, wearing sturdy shoes, gloves and a dust mask or wet handkerchief if damage is extensive.
• Some chimneys may collapse and others may be weakened and should be approached with caution. Do not use a damaged chimney.
• If you find damaged electrical wiring, shut off the power at the control box. Do not touch downed power lines. If the power is out, unplug sensitive electronic equipment, such as computers, to protect them from a power surge. Leave a table light on so you will know when power is restored. There is generally no need to turn off the main power switch if there is no damage. To shut off electricity, turn off all small breakers and then shut off the main circuit breaker. For a home equipped with a fuse box, remove all small fuses and then turn off the main using a knife switch handle.
• Beware of items that may fall out of a cupboard or closet or from shelves.
• Do not eat or drink anything from open containers near shattered glass. If the power is out, first eat foods that will spoil quickly, such as those in the refrigerator and freezer. Generally, they're safe to eat as long as they're refrigerator-cool. Freezer items may be refrozen if ice chips are still evident. When in doubt, throw it out.
• Operate portable generators outdoors only. Use only with appliances that can connect directly to the generator by extension cords and do not plug a generator into a household outlet. That could send electricity back into the main utility system and cause possible injury.
• For leaks and spills, check water lines in the kitchen, bathrooms, laundry room and the landscaping system. Check the main line connection at the street and house. Turn off the valves as needed. Immediately clean up any spilled medicines, drugs and hazardous materials, such as gasoline or bleach.
• Check that each telephone is on its receiver. Phones that are off the hook tie up the phone network. Cordless phones may not work if power is out, so have a manual traditional phone available to plug into the wall. Cell phones may not work if towers have been destroyed or the system is disrupted.
• If you smell natural gas or hear a gas leak, turn off the main valve, using a 10-to 12-inch wrench. Report the leak to SDG&E from a telephone outside your home and request a company technician or a licensed contractor to check for leaks and turn on the gas. Do not turn the gas back on yourself and do not turn on electrical switches until you are sure there is no leak. There is no need to turn off the gas if you do not detect any leaks. When checking your house, use only flashlights, not lanterns, candles or other flammable light sources, which could ignite a gas leak.

Pick Up the Pieces Safely

• Cleaning homes and yards after a disaster can be a big job. Let professionals handle complicated and dangerous repair work, such as a cracked foundation, downed power lines or gas leaks.
• Be careful upon entering your home. A sticky door could signal a ceiling ready to fall. If you need to use force, wait a few seconds after opening a door in case debris falls.
• Wear safety goggles, gloves and hard-sole shoes at all times.
• Remove water quickly from inside a home with a mop or squeegee to prevent mold and mildew. Floodwaters can contain dangerous oil-based and other hazardous materials, requiring interiors to be disinfected.
• In sorting through belongings, keep this in mind: When in doubt, throw it out.

Disaster Loans

The U.S. Small Business Administration offers low-interest loans to individuals, including uninsured renters, who suffer damage to natural disasters. The low-interest loans are also available to homeowners, businesses and private nonprofit organizations that suffered property damage. Small businesses may also be eligible for loans related to economic losses. Loan applications are free. For more information, call 1-800-659-2955 or visit the Small Business Administration website.

In addition, the following organizations and government agencies provide assistance, resources and information to help those affected by disasters:

• San Diego County Recovery Website
• American Redcross 858-309-1200
• AT&T 800-ATT-2020
• Cal OES Recovery
• Contractors State License Board
• County Animal Services Shelter Services 619-767-2675; 24 hr. emergency 619-236-2341
• County Assessor 619-236-3771
• County Health and Human Services
• Elderhelp of San Diego 619-284-9281 or 877-828-9936
• National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster 703-778-5088
• North County Association of Realtors 760-929-2100
• Salvation Army 1-800-SA-TRUCK (1-800-728-7825)
• Humane Society 1-800- 628-0028
• Rancho Santa Fe Foundation 858-756-6557

Beware of Scams and Price Gouging

DEBRIS-CLEARING SCAMS

There are individuals who will offer to remove debris from your property, asking for significant deposits and then disappearing with your money. Sometimes, they move debris but dump it on a neighbor’s property, park or playground. You may be responsible for the costs of removal and any penalties attached. Be sure you know where the debris is being taken and provide payment only after the job is completed.

PRICE GOUGING

After the Governor declares a state of emergency, it is illegal for businesses to increase prices of essential goods and services by more than ten percent unless they can prove it was due to an increase in their supplier’s price. The prohibition on price gouging after a disaster applies to consumer food and services, goods or services used for emergency cleanup, supplies, medical supplies, home heating oil, building materials, housing, transportation, freight and storage services, and gasoline or other motor fuels. In addition, it is a misdemeanor during 30 days following the state of emergency proclamation for a hotel or motel to increase regular rates. You can report price gouging to the District Attorney’s Consumer Protection Unit at (619) 531-4070.

CHARITY SCAMS

During and after a disaster, it is common to hear pleas for donations. A charitable scam occurs when donations to what is believed to be a worthy charitable cause ends up in a scam artist’s pocket. Many bogus charities have names that sound similar to long established charities. Do not be fooled. We all want to help. Give to charities you are familiar with that work in disaster assistance. Beware of telephone solicitors who are unwilling to give their name and call back.

From FEMA:

Business owners invest time, money and resources to get their ventures up and running, but many of them fail to properly plan for disasters. According to the Small Business Administration, an estimated 25 percent of businesses do not re-open after a major incident. Having a functional disaster recovery plan will help owners keep their business operating.

Agility Recovery offers solutions on how to ensure your business remains resilient and a list of mistakes business owners commonly make when preparing for disasters. Here are a few of the items they say companies should include when planning for the unexpected:

• Anticipate the cost of recovery. Recovering documents and data can often run tens of thousands of dollars. Before disaster strikes, determine what documents you will be required to recover and consider storing them securely off-site or digitally;
• Properly inform and prepare employees. All employees should be familiar with the company’s disaster recovery plan and their role in it. Make the plan part of new-hire training and review it each year with all employees; and
• Test your disaster recovery plan. Many business managers know their data is being backed up, but they have never tried to access it from a different location using hardware at that facility. Testing your recovery plan is necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of preparedness programs.

Company leaders should have a general idea of how long it will take to restore data and the number of people needed to restore business functions. Before starting a disaster strategy, check out the remaining items in Agility Recovery’s “11 Common Disaster Planning Mistakes.”