According to the Citizens Disasters Response Center (CDRC), the Philippines was hit by almost 100 disasters for the first half of 2010. Twenty of these disasters are weather-related, such as drought and floods. The rest are man-made and are mostly fire accidents.

More floods and typhoons are expected for the rest of the year. Here are safety tips:

1. Keep calm and stay inside the house. Avoid wading through floods. But if your house is in a flood-prone area, evacuate immediately.
   
   
2. Turn off your main source of electricity, but tune in to a battery-powered radio for updates.
   
   
3. Secure your emergency kit1 as well as your valuables.
   

In case of fire, here’s what you can do:

1. Use a fire extinguisher or a wet cloth to stop a small fire. If the fire is out of control, don’t try to put it out. Make sure you get everyone out of the house and into a safe location then call the fire department.
   
   
2. Crawl your way out, as smoke and hot air tend to go up. If this is not possible, leave through a window. Or dangle a white piece of cloth from your window to alert firemen of your presence.
   
   
3. As you escape, close doors behind you to delay the spread of fire. Once you’re safely outside, do not re-enter the house.
   
   

Stay safe.

1 Link to July article Preparing for the typhoon season