Disaster preparation tips available online

Here’s a quiz to test your skills in surviving a terrorist attack, earthquake or other disaster.

How much water should I stock for each person in my home, so we can survive three days if pipes go dry?

At least three gallons per person, or six two-liter soda bottles, rinsed, filled to the top, capped, marked and dated.

How about — you know — going potty, if the water and sewer pipes are broken by a quake?

If a toilet can’t be flushed, remove the water in the bowl and line the bowl with a heavy plastic bag. After using, tie it. Put it in a large trash can, with a lid, that’s been lined with another sturdy trash bag.

A wealth of detailed advice is now available on the Clark Regional Emergency Services agency’s free blog Web site.

The tips come from Washington’s Emergency Management Division, and are arranged in 12 topics ranging from making an action plan to performing a home hazard hunt.

In the out-of-area-contact section, for example, families are instructed to write down the name and phone numbers of a friend who lives at least 100 miles away, and carry it with them.

If you get separated from family members during a disaster in Clark County, you and they can call the same number to check in and find out how everyone is doing.

Another topic tells how to survive extended events, where the disruption to daily life persists. Tips cover food preservation, lighting, cooking, caring for pets, emergency radios and more.

And after things get better, according to the important documents tips, you’ll need to get your hands on insurance papers, lists of medications, birth certificates and so on, to get any damage repaired, take care of business and return to normalcy.

By visiting the Web site, anyone can subscribe without cost to have regular emergency updates e-mailed to their online accounts.

John Branton: 360-735-4513 or john.branton@columbian.com.