September 2005
How to Deal with Disaster
An off-beat way to look at maintaining composure and what to do next
By D. S. Meyers
Queen City Forum Magazine staff
This is the second part of the column. In the first edition, I mentioned several possible dangers that Cincinnati faces even though our countrymen faced the perils of hurricanes down south.
In general, there are several things that people need to do in any dangerous situation.
First off, recognize the danger! Understanding that danger is present is the first step to avoiding it. Seemingly simple problems can be turned into catastrophic incidents if handled incorrectly. The other day, I saw some guy casually walk to the middle of the freeway to pick up a piece of debris from his truck. He walked calmly, as if it was a matter of jaywalking downtown. In the rear view mirror, I saw brake lights flash in alarm.
Second, think it over. Imagine the worst-case scenario, and think about how to avoid it. In the case of our friendly highway walker, he may have decided that getting hit by a car was worse than the object getting run over. Although, if it were serious enough to cause an accident, perhaps immediate action was necessary
Darin Overholser / QCF cover art September 2005
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Stay calm! I know I just said to recognize the danger. But it’s important to stay calm and breathe evenly. Panicking is the worst thing that can be done in any situation. I spoke with a scuba diver friend of mine who told me a story about diving with his buddy 50 feet below the surface. The buddy’s regulator went out, and he couldn’t breathe. The buddy calmly tapped him on the shoulder and pointed to his regulator. They shared the apparatus until the dive instructor could help him out.
Get help! For all of the inconveniences of cell phones, a well-placed emergency makes them worth it. When it comes to the top emergencies that I mentioned, there are specific things that can be done in each situation to ward off disaster.
In a chemical spill: Stay in doors or in your car. Turn off air conditioning, and close the windows. While this will not make your home or car airtight, it will reduce the amount of harmful air you breathe. Obey all announcements to evacuate.
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During a blizzard: When the first snow flurries hit the ground every year, it doesn’t hurt to stock up on surplus canned goods and dried food products. It’s also good to keep two or three gallons of drinking water on hand. It is also good to keep a box of granola bars or a can of chili in the car, in case you get stranded in the snow. A first aid kit is good to have in the trunk along with jumper cables. And, during last winter, I kept an empty tin coffee can in the trunk along with some candles. I have been told that a candle in a coffee can is able to provide enough warmth if stranded in a car in frigid temperatures. It is also good to keep a blanket back there as well.
During a flood: Most of the suggestions for the blizzard hold true here as well. Sometimes drinking water can become contaminated during floods. Floods generally do not surprise this part of the region like a blizzard can. Heavy rains and flooding up river (toward Pennsylvania) will provide clues about imminent danger. And, as you always hear, never attempt to drive through flood water. Rising water can carry away a vehicle very quickly.
If you should find your car in flood water, crack open the window. A car door is difficult to open when there is air inside the car and water outside. Once there is as much water on both sides of the door, the door should open. If you should find that your power windows won’t open and water is filling up the car, stay calm. Hold your breath, then open the door. In raging water, it may be difficult to swim to safety. So if there is any way to get on top of the car, that is the best bet while it floats along.
In the event that your car falls in more than 15 feet of water, get out immediately. In that much waqter, the car will flip over. It’s easy to tell if the car is in that much water because it “nose dives” to the bottom.
In civil unrest: Stay calm. You can be in control of a situation like this by avoiding it.
Stay with the people you are with. Keep facing the disturbance, but back away. This allows you to duck any possible danger.
If confronted by an irrational group of people, do not try to reason with them. Look for the best escape route—preferably one that will slow down a group, like a narrow alley or a narrow staircase. It is easier to fight off a group of people if they are in a single file line.
If you are in your car faced by the mob, remain calm. If they attempt to gain entry to your car or if they begin to hurtle objects, drive off. Do not let yourself be stopped. This is a risky maneuver because it could cause somebody harm. That’s why it’s important to recognize a life threatening incident. If there is no choice, you have a duty to the people who love you to defend your life.
If you find yourself in a road rage incident, stay in the car. Stay calm. Ignore the person. Let them holler for a few moments. If they do not calm down, it doesn’t hurt to apologize. If that still doesn’t work, get their car make, model and license number. Pick up your cell phone and call 911.
Special note: If the other person has blond hair and a goatee, apologize profusely for cutting me—er, I mean cutting him off and offer to buy him a decaf coffee.
These tips and suggestions are only that—tips and suggestions. I am not a professional survival person. They are not endorsed by any specific survival person. This column and these tips are meant to empower anyone who finds themselves at the mercy of their surroundings.
It is merely my own editorial belief that, in extreme situations where there is potential peril, remaining rational and calm is the best way to handle anything. But remaining calm only works when it leads to lucid action. Sometimes that lucid action is to merely remain in place, and wait for the authorities to help. There are no guarantees in life.
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