Old Worthington Library English Conversation Group
Wednesday, November 6, at 7:00 p.m., in the Meeting Room
Next meeting: Wednesday, November 13, at 7:00 p.m.
Questions? Contact Nan at nmchugh@worthingtonlibraries.org or call 614-807-2626
Preparing for Emergencies
In the central Ohio area, the most typical disasters or emergencies we experience are fires, thunderstorms,
tornadoes, and floods. Other disasters include avalanches, earthquakes, hurricanes, sandstorms, plagues, tsunamis,
volcano eruptions, war, nuclear meltdowns, and terrorism. In the United States, we usually try to prepare for these
emergencies in some way.
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Have you ever experienced a disaster? If you feel comfortable discussing it, please tell us what
happened to you.
What is the difference between a man-made disaster and a natural disaster?
What are the most common disasters in your country?
Have you ever volunteered to help after a natural disaster?
In the United States, the color for “emergency” is almost always red. What
color is “emergency” in your country?
Have you ever donated money to help victims of a natural disaster in your
country or another country?
In some areas of the United States, people can purchase disaster insurance. The most common
examples are fire insurance and flood insurance.
Do people in your country have disaster insurance? What are the most common examples?
In the United States, we have an organization called the Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA) that helps communities and people when disaster happens. Does your country have anything
like this?
If you had the power to stop any natural disaster that has happened in the past, which would you
choose? Why?
Does your family have a plan for what to do if a disaster happens?
Things to do to prepare for emergencies
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Make sure your house numbers are easily visible in case emergency squads need to find your house at night.
Develop a family emergency plan that includes escape routes and a safe meeting place.
Prepare an emergency preparedness kit containing a First Aid kit including necessary medications, batterypowered flashlight and radio, and bottled water
Test the smoke detectors in your house
Store a fire extinguisher in a handy location
Pay attention to the weather during tornado season (usually April through July) and listen for the sirens.
Watch the sky for signs of a tornado: Dark, greenish color; wall of clouds; hail; loud roar similar to a train
Create a Family Emergency Plan
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Talk to your family members about what you will do in the event of house fires, severe weather and
other emergencies.
Find safe spots in your house for different types of disasters.
Make plans for two escape routes from each room of your house
Decide on a meeting place. Pick one place right outside your home in case of a sudden emergency, like
a fire. Pick another place outside your neighborhood in case you can’t return home.
Plan how to take care of your pets.
Discuss communication methods during and after an emergency. Plan to contact a designated family
member or friend who is unlikely to be affected by the same disaster.
How to use a fire extinguisher
This short video shows how to use a fire extinguisher:
http://www.kitsapdem.org/videos/movie_5_big.asp
Tornados
Tornado Watch – an alert that weather conditions could produce tornados.
Remain alert for approaching storms.
Tornado Warning – A tornado has been sighted or indicated by weather radar,
within the county or area covered by the emergency broadcast system. Sirens will
sound. If a tornado warning is issued for your area and the sky becomes
threatening, move to your pre-designated place of safety.
What to do when threatening weather approaches:
 In a home or building, move to a pre-designated shelter, such as a basement
 If an underground shelter is not available, move to an interior room or hallway on the lowest floor, and
get under a sturdy piece of furniture
 Stay away from windows
 Do not try to outrun a tornado in your car; instead, leave the car immediately
 If caught outside, lie flat on the ground, preferably in a ditch or depression
Vocabulary and Idioms
CDC- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is a government agency responsible for protecting the
nation’s health and safety from global or domestic, chronic or acute, curable or preventable threats and
natural disasters or deliberate attacks.
FEMA – Federal Emergency Management Agency. Intended to coordinate responses to a disaster in the
United States.
Red Cross – an international organization that provides humanitarian aid during disasters and emergencies.
The Red Cross also sponsors blood drives to collect blood through voluntary donations that is needed for
medical treatment and transfusions.
Epidemic – illness affecting a disproportionately large number of individuals within a population, community,
or region at the same time
Apocalypse - this word can have more specific meaning in a religious context, but people often use it to
describe the end of the world.
Disaster area – a region or locality in which the population is generally affected by the occurrence of a major
disaster, as a widespread flood, an explosion causing extensive damage, or the like. Also refers to being
eligible for emergency governmental relief.
First Responders – people who are trained to go immediately to the scene of an accident or emergency to
provide assistance, usually police and EMTs.
EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) –someone with special training and
certification that provides basic emergency medical service before and
during transport to the hospital in an ambulance.
Ambulance - a vehicle equipped with sirens, flashing lights and medical
equipment used for taking hurt or sick people to the hospital especially in
emergencies
Flood insurance – insurance covering loss or damage to property arising from a flood, flood tide, or the like.
Fire insurance covers loss or damage caused by fire or lightening
Evacuation – the removal of persons or things from an endangered area.
Man-made disaster – attributed to human error, or involving a failure of a man-made system, resulting in
significant injuries or deaths. Examples include: 9/11, Columbine High School massacre, Chernobyl
Natural disaster – any event or force of nature that has catastrophic consequences. Examples include:
avalanche, earthquake, flood, forest fire, hurricane, lightning, tornado, tsunami, and volcanic eruption.
PTSD – Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. A mental disorder often happening after witnessing or being involved
in a catastrophic event.
Victim – A person who suffers injury, loss, or death in a disaster.
NOAA weather radio- a radio alarm that alerts you when a tornado or other dangerous weather is in your
area. NOAA stands for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Going to hell in a hand basket – a system or person in an extremely bad state and becoming worse. Example:
He believes the welfare system in this country is going to hell in a hand basket.
Recipe for disaster – a mixture of people and events that could only possibly result in trouble.
Example: Allowing the monsters to go to school with the fairies is a recipe for disaster.
To spell disaster – to indicate or predict disaster. Example: What a horrible plan! It would spell disaster for all
of us!
Disaster in the making – watching something happen, knowing it will end poorly.
Example: Their love affair is sure to be a disaster in the making, and will only end with broken hearts.
Under the weather – feel ill. Example: I’m a little under the weather; I’m not going to work today.
Fair-weather friend – someone who is your friend only when things are going well for you, and will desert you
when things are bad. Example: He’s just a fair-weather friend. When I ran out of gas the other day, he was
too busy to help me.
Rain cats and dogs – very hard rain. Example: I’m not going out right now. It’s raining cats and dogs!
It never rains but it pours – A lot of bad things tend to happen at the same time. Example: I couldn’t find my
car keys, then my car wouldn’t start, and I forgot my lunch! When it rains, it pours!