Emergency shelter and store

If you live in an area frequently affected by storms or other hazards, careful planning will help you and your community to cope better if there is an emergency. This may include creating an emergency shelter and store. 

Emergency shelter

Where there is a threat of storms, flooding or earthquakes, identify a designated safe place where people can shelter. Schools, religious buildings, government offices or grain stores are often used for this purpose. The chosen building must be well built (earthquake and storm resistant) and located above the risk of any flooding. 

Once an emergency shelter has been identified, mark out a series of evacuation routes to the shelter with clear signs. These can be mounted on white-topped posts, or painted on the walls of buildings or trees. These white marks will help people find their way to the shelter, even in darkness or when there are floods. 

Careful consideration should be given to people who are pregnant, unwell, blind, elderly, very young or disabled. They should be evacuated to safety as soon as warnings appear.

Emergency store

Keep and maintain emergency supplies in an easy-to-access location, preferably in, or close to, an emergency shelter. If there is a risk of storms and flooding, store as much as possible in sealed containers to keep everything dry.

Items to include:

• dry food that requires little or no cooking and no refrigeration
• a portable radio
• simple cooking equipment and fuel
• torches and spare batteries; matches and candles
• sealed water containers, filled with safe drinking water
• first aid supplies and basic medicines
• clothes and bedding
• items to protect homes or make emergency repairs, such as sandbags, plastic sheeting, wooden boards, hammers and nails
• seeds for replanting, double-wrapped in plastic bags or sealed in clay pots, and basic agricultural tools

Family preparations

Prepare a waterproof bag containing valuable items such as identity cards, certificates, land documents, mobile phone and charger, money, jewellery and essential medicines. If you have to evacuate, this can be easily carried with you.

Before evacuating, turn off electrical supply points and unplug appliances. Also turn off gas appliances and the valves on gas cylinders to reduce the risk of fire.