Preparing for a Natural Disaster
Preparing for natural disasters will help minimize injury and property damage. It can also help you prevent unnecessary chemical exposures.
Consider these options when planning for a disaster:
- Purchase pesticide products only when you need them, keeping your inventory low.
- Keep an inventory list, including dates of purchase.
- Move chemicals and application equipment out of water's way, away from drains.
- Keep pesticides secure and off the floor.
- Store vulnerable products like paper bags and brittle containers in larger, secondary containers (bin, tub, tote, etc.) made of plastic or metal to contain leaks and prevent any water damage.
- Inspect and protect your well. Make sure it has no cracks or leaks and is properly sealed, including caps.
- Prepare a kit with disaster supplies to last three days.
- Identify a shelter that it is close to home, but out of harm's way. Clogged highways can make long-distance travel difficult.
- Do some pre-planning for your pets and livestock. If you evacuate, even for a few hours, experts recommend taking your animals with you.
- Plan for disaster debris. Community emergency plans can help reduce exposure and save money. Identify places for debris to collect, temporary storage and staging areas, recycling, disposal, and hazardous waste handling.
If you have questions about this, or any pesticide-related topic, please call NPIC at 1-800-858-7378 (8:00am - 12:00pm PST), or email at firstname.lastname@example.org.
Last updated July 06, 2016