Disaster Preparedness
Evacuation
An evacuation can occur at many different levels. You may be forced to evacuate your home due to a fire or natural gas leak; whereas the remainder of your neighborhood is not affected. Evacuations to your street or neighborhood may become necessary due to a serious threat to public safety. Regardless of the reason, preparation is important for your family during an emergency evacuation.
Fires
If a fire occurs in your home, it can devastate your family, destroy your home and property, and upset an entire neighborhood. In many cases, taking some basic but very important precautions, fires can be prevented.
Before a fire:
- Install smoke alarms in your home (bedrooms, kitchen, and living room, and hallways at a minimum)
- Place fire extinguishers in a visible and accessible location such as your kitchen and garage.
- Replace them if they lose their charge or become used.
- Learn how to use fire extinguishers
Plan your escape:
- Draw a floor plan of your home and mark two ways out of each room
- Review the plan with household members and practice your escape routes annually
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Decide on a safe place outside your home where everyone will meet after evacuating
Heat Wave
If there is an area of high pressure with little or no rain and clouds, there is nothing to protect the air and ground from being heated excessively. When large high-pressure air is trapped, the ground and air will continue to heat, and the heat wave will continue to last.
The effects of the heat can be devastating. It is important to drink plenty of water and stay indoors when possible, go to a cooling center or an air conditioned facility, such as Morongo Casino Resort and Spa or even a movie theater. If heat persist for a long period of time Morongo’s Emergency Management Department will advise the residents of the reservation on our emergency FM radio station 89.1
Flash Floods
Heavy rainfall in the area may cause severe flooding, especially low-lying flats. The level of washes, creeks, streams, and culverts can rise quickly and pose a hazard to people and pets. The rule for being safe is simple: never cross-moving water (“turn around, don’t drown”). Even a shallow depth of fast moving floodwater produces more force than most people imagine. The most dangerous thing one can do is try walking, swimming, or driving through swift water. Before a flood occurs, create an evacuation plan by sharing with your family which areas may become impassable. If you live in a high-risk flood area, purchase a flood insurance policy. If you feel you are at risk, you should check with your insurance agent.