The most common kind of natural disasters that affect Santa Rosa are earthquakes and floods. These occurrences can be sudden, devastating and life threatening. When an emergency event occurs, your water supply, electricity and property can all be disrupted. It would be wise to discuss an emergency plan with your family and friends, and to have as many tools necessary to secure yourself if one of these natural disasters occurs.
In The Case of Earthquakes
Surviving a natural catastrophe requires a whole lot of wisdom. You have a better chance of making it through an earthquake by being aware of the dangers that can arise. The actual shaking of the ground is not the biggest cause of death and injury during an earthquake. The biggest culprits for people becoming unlucky are usually building structures and debris falling and hitting people. Objects inside the home like bookshelves and picture frames can cause you serious damage.
Having a solid plan and being prepared is important because earthquakes happen unexpectedly. Here are some tips that you can follow in case an earthquake does strike:
Make sure that you and your family have a place to reunite if you happen to be apart when the earthquake happens.
Have an out of the area, friend or relative to contact about your location and condition afterward.
Have a good knowledge of safe places to hide within the home in case the disaster strikes, like under tables and away from objects that can fall down.
Make sure you store fresh water and canned food in case utilities like electricity and water are interrupted.
Learn first aid and CPR.
What To Do About Flooding
Flooding in California is another culprit for property damage, destruction and death. In recent years, flash flooding in California has become a big problem.
Here are a few tips that you can follow to keep you and your family safe in the case of a flood:
Make sure you have first aid and medical supplies handy.
Have flashlights with working batteries stored. A communication device like a walkie talkie could be helpful if phones fail.
Make sure your car has gas in it, in the event you need to evacuate.
If a big storm hits, you might want to turn off all of your electrical devices in your home.
Having waterproof materials in your home might help limit water damage.
Weathering the Storms
Awareness and preparation are some of the strongest tools that you have to keep your family safe. Follow these steps and more to arm yourself with knowledge about what to do if Santa Rosa faces an unlucky emergency. If the unthinkable does happen, know that there are resources out there that can help you.
Summer is upon us here in the Petaluma area, so it’s a good time to take a look at preparedness measures for dealing with the effects of natural and environmental disasters that might plague us during these hot summer months.
Flooding
From 1950 to 2010 there have been over 100 floods within 50 miles of Petaluma. On top of that, Petaluma and unincorporated areas of Sonoma County are in a FEMA designated flood zone. While flooding from storms impacting Petaluma River and its tributaries are primarily a winter phenomenon, with today’s increasing unpredictability in weather patterns it’s a good idea to know what to do in the event your home or business is flooded and you require emergency water extraction.
Again, Petaluma and surrounding areas are less likely to be impacted by a volcano than the state as a whole, but far more likely than the national average. This is yet another reason to maintain home reconstruction contingencies in your plans.
That covers most of the threats to the Petaluma area from natural disasters. But what about environmental ones?
Mold
With average July temperatures hovering over 80 degrees and periodic high levels of humidity, summer in Petaluma and surrounding areas are ripe for the possibility of mold taking hold and growing in your home. Unlike natural disasters, where the most we can usually do by way of preparedness pertains to assembling supplies and mapping out evacuation plans, mold is a potential disaster that is preventable, though once it has taken hold, it needs to be removed and remediated.
When it comes to some insects in your home, you will find that they are a direct result of moisture in your home as well as the mildews and fungi in your home. If you happen to see a lot of insects in your house, then it might be an indication that there is a water leak or some other form of moisture problem inside of your home. Some insects are feeders on mold and mildew, and they typically will require the humid conditions that mildew usually prefer.
If you want to find one of the best ways to look for a leak in your home, you really should keep an eye out to look for insects that might be in your home. If they happen to be the type of insects that gravitate towards water or mildew and mold, then it’s time for you to consider the fact that you might have a problem.
The following are some of the top insects that might spell leak:
The main one is the foreign grain beetle that comes along with a couple other tiny beetles that like to feed mainly on mildew and fungal spores that might occur when you have a leak in your house. Typically, you will find that it is common in new homes because there is mildew on some lumber that has absorbed water and provides a great food source for the insects, resulting in the infestation.
Additionally, there are some other insects that might cause some problems in your house and could indicate a leak such as the merchant and sawtoothed grain beetles and psocids.
Roaches and water bugs also gravitate toward water, so a sudden infestation of those may indicate a leak also.
If you’re wondering how to deal with a problem when it comes to an infestation with these bugs, then you will find that there are some helpful tips you can follow. For starters, ensure that you increase your home or building's ventilation, take measures to reduce the moisture, and have good sanitation at all times. Additionally, you need to understand that weeks and weeks of drying out may be necessary to help stop the infestation so don’t think you will see immediate results when you stop the problem.
As always, if you have excess moisture or a leak and you don’t take care of it, then the problem is just going to persist. Before you try and take care of the infestation, make sure you take care of the leak that led to the infestation, otherwise you will have the same problem in just a few weeks or it might not ever go away.
