Tag Archives: destruction

First Aid Safety, General Safety Issues, Hand Protection, Respiratory Safety

AID FOR THE PHILLIPINES

Following the most horrific typhoon to ever hit land anywhere,  last Friday, November 8th, almost two million people of the Phillipine Islands, were either killed, hurt, or left homeless, without food or clothes.  The hardest hit was Tacloban City, Leyte province in the central Phillipines.   The death toll remains unknown, because of the destruction and devastation thoughout the country.  President Benigno Aquino declared a state of national calamity.  Local military have been assisting citizens as best they can, passing out water and also trying to control looting. 

The people of the Phillipines are homeless, starving, and sick.  Twenty-one countries have pledged to send relief through food and sanitation products, as well as medical assistance, and money.  People are camping in the Tacloban City Astrodome, which brings back memories of the people of New Orleans, staying in the Superdome when Hurricane Katrina hit.  With thousands of people jammed inside the structure, one can only imagine the lack of sanitation.   Disease will take its toll on those who remain homeless. 

In Tacloban, a hillside mass burial was held Thursday, November 14th.  Bodies still remain in the streets.  Only few survivors have received water and food, due to the delay in reaching them.  Aid material is plentiful but because the airport was heavily damaged , planes couldn’t land, in addition,  destroyed and blocked roads had to be cleared.  Desperately needed aid has begun to reach some of the one-half million people that have been displaced by the disaster.  The U.S.S. George Washington aircraft carrier arrived on the Phillipine Sea near the Gulf of Leyte Thursday.  They will set up a position to assess damage and furnish needed food, water, and supplies.  Twenty-one helicopters aboard the carrier will be able to view and hopefully get to inaccessible places.  Six more U.S. ships are in the area, as well as the Marines.  

Over 4,000 persons have been confirmed dead, but those numbers are expected to far surpass the total.  It is going to take a long time to completely assess the damage and complete loss.  Medical aid and supplies are needed urgently.  Rescue workers and medical personnel will need personal protection, such as medical grade gloves, respirators, and other important gear to avoid disease. 

Worldwide charities will be gathering money, donations of food and clothing, and other items that can assist the typhoon victims.  Most of them have only the clothes they were wearing last Friday.  If you are able to help, please choose the charity you know will be dedicated to sending relief for the people of the Phillipines as soon as possible.

First Aid Safety, General Safety Issues, Protective Clothing, Weather Protection

AFTERMATH AND NEW WARNINGS REGARDING SUPERSTORM SANDY

 This latest report from Alert Net, regarding the situation in Northeastern United States:

“As the last remnants of Hurricane Sandy move out of the Northeast, the response to the superstorm continues. The U.S. death toll from the storm is up to 85 in 10 different states. Some 5.5 million electrical customers, down from a peak of 8.5 million, are still without electrical power; the storm caused power outages extending from Maine to North Carolina and as far west as Kentucky and Ohio. Hardest hit is New Jersey where 2,500,000 customers are still without power.

The storm was more than 1,000 miles wide at its peak.  The following states were affected: Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, North Carolina, and the District of Columbia. Approximately 13,000 people are reported staying in shelters across the impacted states.

Sandy’s most severe impact appears to be in the state of New Jersey and in New York City, where the center of the storm made landfall. While it will be some time yet before damage assessments are complete, extensive damage from floodwaters occurred across the nation’s largest city in most of its five boroughs. In the Breezy Point section of Queens, more than 100 homes burned when gas from ruptured lines ignited. Firefighters were unable to reach the homes due to floodwaters.

Much of the city continues to remain without power forcing the evacuation of patients from a number of hospitals. Many locales will remain flooded until power is restored and pumps can be activated. Progress is being made as limited bus and subway operations are being restored.

The situation in New Jersey is grim, with much of the state’s coastline now demolished or heavily damaged. In Hoboken, as many as 20,000 of the city’s residents were trapped in apartments on flooded streets, and had no power. Heavy-duty National Guard vehicles are now at work bringing relief to the survivors.

Elsewhere, in North Carolina Sandy flooded 400 homes. In Ohio there is flooding along the Cuyahoga, Chagrin and Grand Rivers near Cleveland. In West Virginia homes have been destroyed when roofs collapsed due to more than 24 inches of snow falling. Communities in West Virginia are now bracing for the flooding that will result when the snow melts. All across the northeast homes have been destroyed and damaged by fallen trees.”

Response:

Church World Service Disaster Response Specialists are working with state, regional and local Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, known as VOADS, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, our member denominations and other agencies to determine where CWS denominations are helping and are needed. CWS is providing material resources, including blankets, hygiene kits, school kits, baby kits and clean-up buckets to local agencies in four states: New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Total amount of current shipments: $481,577. More shipments are in process.

The initial response phase has not yet ended; as the affected areas become safe to enter teams from CWS-member communities will assess the damage, help home owners repair damaged houses and develop plans for future long-term recovery activities to include major home repairs and rebuilds.  CWS also will assist communities in developing Long Term Recovery plans, providing technical and financial support, and providing on site Long Term Recovery training.

According to ABC News and other news sources, as residents of several Northeast states try to recover from Superstorm Sandy, a nor’easter is expected to bring more rain, wind and cold over the next three days.  Cold air will bring uncomfortable wind chills to places already impacted by Sandy.  On Wednesday, wind gusts up to 55 mph are expected to reach the region.  Possible localized flooding from heavy rain and snow may cause more power outages, resulting in dangerous travel.

We’ve all heard the saying “when it rains, it pours.”  Our friends in the Northeast are suffering in many ways, through the loss of their homes, belongings, power, in addition to waiting in long lines for fuel for their cars and generators.  There are many organizations such as the Salvation Army, Red Cross, and others that are helping them and accepting donations; and as always,  thousands of volunteers working alongside professional rescue and response teams.   Clothing, blankets, and other supplies are being sent from all across the U.S.    Do what you can to offer help; please don’t forget our fellow Americans in their time of need.

Texas America Safety Company offers all types of personal protective equipment for those who are working in the flood cleanup.  It is important that all workers are protected from the remnants of debris and pathogens in the devastation.

General Safety Issues

TORNADO SEASON IS DEFINITELY HERE!

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According to statistics, Oklahoma, some southern parts of Kansas and Missouri, experienced 39 tornadoes in a 3-day period last week, from May 10th through May 12th.  Meteorologists hit the nail on the head when they predicted that conditions were right for activity from tornadoes.  The governor of Oklahoma has designated a state of emergency for 56 counties in that state.  More than 800 volunteers were helping victims of the tornadoes clean up debris and look for any traces of valuables that were left.  There were more than 100 people injured, two deaths, and millions of dollars worth of damage caused by the twisters.

The National Weather Center has stated that it will take time to gather all the data from the tornadoes last week.  There was also very large hail in some areas, some as large as softballs.

Two of the tornadoes were classified as EF-4, and four were EF-3’s.  According to the NOAA Satellite and Information Systems, here are the classifications of wind speeds:

  • EF-1 =   86-110 mph
  • EF-2 =  111-135 mph
  • EF-3 =  136-165 mph
  • EF-4 =  166-200 mph
  • EF-5 =  over 200 mph

It is hard to imagine how anything was left standing in winds that strong. According to experts, there’s no wind on earth stronger than winds inside a tornado.  It’s amazing that more people escaped injury; they had advance notice that allowed them to be better prepared, due to correct weather warnings.  This serves as a reminder to all of us to do the following:

1.    Know the hazards of dangerous weather.

2.    Pay attention to forecasts.

3.    Have a plan to stay safe.  Think about what you will do in case of a natural disaster and be prepared.

After the terrible week that Oklahomans had, let’s hope the rest of the season will be mild.  The residents are grateful to all the volunteers who are helping with the clean up.  It’s times like this when everyone steps up to the plate.