In Time of Emergency Part 13

--Take another person with you if possible.

--Make sure someone knows where you are going, your approximate schedule, and your estimated time of arrival at your destination.

--Have emergency "winter storm supplies" in the car, such as a container of sand, shovel, winds.h.i.+eld sc.r.a.per, tow chain or rope, extra gasoline, and a flashlight. It also is good to have with you heavy gloves or mittens, overshoes, extra woolen socks, and winter headgear to cover your head and face.

--Travel by daylight and use major highways if you can. Keep the car radio turned on for weather information and advice.

--Drive with all possible caution. Don't try to save time by travelling faster than road and weather conditions permit.

--Don't be daring or foolhardy. Stop, turn back, or seek help if conditions threaten that may test your ability or endurance, rather than risk being stalled, lost or isolated. If you are caught in a _blizzard_, seek refuge immediately.

* KEEP CALM IF YOU GET IN TROUBLE. If your car breaks down during a storm, or if you become stalled or lost, don't panic. Think the problem through, decide what's the safest and best thing to do, and then do it slowly and carefully. If you are on a well-traveled road, show a trouble signal. Set your directional lights to flas.h.i.+ng, raise the hood of your car, or hang a cloth from the radio aerial or car window. Then stay in your car and wait for help to arrive. If you run the engine to keep warm, remember to open a window enough to provide ventilation and protect you from carbon monoxide poisoning.

Wherever you are, if there is no house or other source of help in sight, do not leave your car to search for a.s.sistance, as you may become confused and get lost.

* AVOID OVEREXERTION. Every winter many unnecessary deaths occur because people--especially older persons, but younger ones as well--engage in more strenuous physical activity than their bodies can stand. Cold weather itself, _without_ any physical exertion, puts an extra strain on your heart. If you add to this physical exercise, especially exercise that you are not accustomed to--such as shovelling snow, pus.h.i.+ng an automobile, or even walking fast or far--you are risking a heart attack, a stroke, or other damage to your body. In winter weather, and especially in winter storms, be aware of this danger, and avoid overexertion.

CHAPTER 5

EARTHQUAKES

If your area is one of the places in the United States where earthquakes occur, keep these points in mind:

--When an earthquake happens, _keep calm_. Don't run or panic. If you take the proper precautions, the chances are you will not be hurt.

--REMAIN WHERE YOU ARE. If you are outdoors, stay outdoors; if indoors, stay indoors. In earthquakes, most injuries occur as people are entering or leaving buildings (from falling walls, electric wires, etc.).

--If you are indoors, sit or stand against an inside wall (preferably in the bas.e.m.e.nt), or in an inside doorway; or else take cover under a desk, table or bench (in case the wall or ceiling should fall). Stay away from windows and outside doors.

--If you are outdoors, stay away from overhead electric wires, poles or anything else that might shake loose and fall (such as the cornices of tall buildings).

--If you are _driving an automobile_, pull off the road and stop (as soon as possible, and with caution). Remain in the car until the disturbance subsides. When you drive on, watch for hazards created by the earthquake, such as fallen or falling objects, downed electric wires, and broken or undermined roadways.

AFTER AN EARTHQUAKE

For your own safety and that of others, you should follow carefully the advice given in the section, "After a Natural Disaster" (page 73).