GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
- Be informed by the media (radio, television, etc) on the progress of the phenomena. The General Secretariat of Civil Protection and the National Meteorological Service are the formal sources of information.
- In case of emergency call the Police (100), the Fire brigade (199) the Hellenic Center for Emergency Care (166) or the European Emergency Call Number (112).
- Note the above mentioned phone numbers in a conspicuous position inside the house and make sure that your children are informed of them.
- Help your children learn important family data such as their last name, the address and the phone number of the house, your cell phone number etc.
- Explain to all family members how to recognize noises being the sign of a disaster (i.e. sirens), when and how to switch off electric power, natural gas and water supply, how to use the fire-extinguisher, how to call for help, etc
- Get emergency equipment, such as a torch, a portable radio functioning with batteries and a fire-extinguisher.
- Get a first aid kit.
- Take care of children and the elderly.
IF YOU ARE GOING TO MOVE….
- Be informed of the weather and the condition of the roads and be prepared, according to your destination, for any weather phenomena you may find (snow, ice, hail, rainfall, etc)
- Plan your movement in a way not to coincide with the peak of the weather phenomena. Travel during the day and prefer highways avoiding deserted and difficult to access roads. Furthermore, inform all your relatives of the itinerary you intend to follow.
- DO NOT ignore the instructions of the General Secretariat for Civil Protection, the weather forecasting and the instructions of the competent agencies, such as the Traffic Police, the Port Police, the Fire Brigade, etc.
- Check the situation of your car before attempting any movement.
- Provide your car with all necessary equipment in order to face any heavy weather phenomena (wheel chains, anti-freeze, first aid kit, raincoats, umbrellas, rubbers, a torch, etc).
- If you have to move on foot, put on suitable clothes and shoes. Be extremely careful in order to avoid being injured due to the slipperiness of the roads and pavements or due to objects falling by the wind or hail.
- Use public transport.
- Remain calm and be patient. Panic does not serve you. On the contrary, it makes the situation worse.
AFTER THE BAD WEATHER
- Be informed by the media (radio, television, etc) for eventual formal warnings or advice.
- Check the house and the rest of your properties to draw up a list of eventual damages.
- Notify the competent authorities in case you need help after having drawn up a list with damages.
GENERAL
Try to facilitate the work of the competent authorities with your actions and presence.
Severe Weather Phenomena are:
Strong Winds
Storms
Snowfall/Severe Cold
Frost
Heat Wave
ACTION TO TAKE BEFORE AND DURING GALE FORCE WINDS
- Secure all objects that may be swept along by the wind causing damages or injuries.
- Check all boards suspended.
- Secure doors and windows.
- Avoid activities in seashore.
- Avoid passing near big trees, under suspended boards and generally near areas where objects may fall on the ground (i.e., under balconies, where different objects, such as flower pots, broken glasses etc may fall).
Danger from storms comes from very strong local winds, heavy local rainfalls, thunders and possible hail.
ACTION TO TAKE DURING THE STORM
- If inside a building:
- Secure all objects that may be drifted by the wind or the heavy rain and cause damage or injuries.
- Check all suspended boards.
- Secure doors and windows.
- Do not hold electric equipment or the telephone as thunder may pass through the wires. Electronic equipment (TV, stereo, etc) are extremely dangerous in these cases and should be unplugged.
- Avoid water pipes (kitchen, bathroom) as metallic pipes are good conductors.
- If outside:
- Try to find refuge in a building or in a car.
- If this not possible, sit on the ground. If you are in the woods, protect yourself under the branches of low trees – never stand under a tall tree in an open space. If you are in low land, be careful as a flood may occur.
- Avoid tall constructions, tall trees, fences, telephone cables and electric lines.
- Avoid being close to metallic objects, such as cars, bicycles, camping equipment, etc.
- Stay away from rivers, lakes or other water sources.
- If you are in the sea, get out quickly.
- If you are isolated on a plane area and feel your hair turned up (a fact that may indicate a possible thunder), assume duck position, burry face between legs (to minimize the surface of your body and therefore the contact with ground) and drop away any metallic object.
· Do not lie down on the ground.
- In a vehicle:
- Stop the car by the roadside away from trees that may fall on the car.
- Stay in the car and turn on the emergency lights until the storm stops.
- Close the windows and do not touch metallic objects in the car.
- Avoid flooded roads.
Evaluation of the distance that separates you from the storm
- Calculate the time between the lightning and the thunder in seconds.
- Divide the time calculated by 3 in order to calculate the distance of the storm in kilometers.
- Take all necessary measures, before the storm reaches you. This distance is indicative as the storm may appear very quickly above the area where you are.
ACTION TO TAKE DURING HAIL
- Protect yourself immediately! Do not leave the safe place unless you are certain that the storm has stopped.
Actions to take before the snowfall or the snowstorm
- If you live in an area facing problems by snowfalls:
- Get heating materials (referring especially to mountain settlements) and provisions for several days.
- If you live in a rough area, get the necessary equipment to shovel the snow.
Actions to take during the Snowfall or the Snowstorm
- If outside:
- Go to a safe place.
- Do not expose yourself to the snowstorm. If you have to go outside, put suitable clothes. Prefer many light and warm clothes instead of a heavy one. Prefer waterproof overcoat. Put on warm and waterproof boots.
- In areas where snowfalls are expected to occur, be extremely careful when moving.
- If it is necessary for you to drive, use wheel chains. Prefer to travel during the day. Use highways and inform your relatives of your itinerary. If you move in the city, use public transport.
- In a vehicle:
- Change your itinerary if there is a strong snowfall and you are in a rough road.
- Avoid driving in rough mountain areas.
- Keep safety distance from the vehicles in front of you. Stay in the car if it has stopped. Put a colored cloth on the radio antenna so that the rescue teams can locate you. Start the engine for 10 minutes per hour and remove snow from the exhaust.
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
- Keep your house warm and stay indoors, if this is possible.
- Do not let children go out in bad weather.
- Put on suitable clothes and shoes.
- Check the watering network of your house as well as the solar heater (pipes and window glass).
TO REMOVALS
Special attention is required in the areas where frost has been created when you drive a car. Be informed in advance, for the road network situation and make sure that you carry anti-slipping tire chains. If you are on foot wear suitable shoes and be careful so as to avoid wounding because of slippery roads, pavements e.t.c.
NETWORKS OF WATER-SUPPLIES
- Preventive measures for the protection of pipes of your building from potential frost:
- Observe carefully where the central and the circumferential gate-valves of insulation (switches of your building) are situated. Learn where exactly your water-meter is on the pavement. Control and make sure that all the switches of the hydro-circuit switch on and off and work properly.
- Make sure the external pipes (pipes of solar geyser, surface system of pipes of automatic watering the taps of balconies) are insulated. In the opposite case, you must take care that they are insulated the soonest possible.
- If you are going to be absent for along time during winter insulate or better drain the network of the solar–water heating system. In addition regulate the heating system of your building, in order to be operated automatically in low temperatures.
- In case you have a solar–water heating system take care during the frost (especially at night) to switch off the water supply towards the boiler and empty out the water from the system. If this is not possible, leave the hot water tap open to drip.
- Don’t waste water to remove the snow or the frost.
- Try to limit the daily activities that demand increased water consumption (such as washing machines etc).
- Learn whether the manufacturing company or a technician has put an anti-freezing liquid in your solar boiler (in the case of closed circuit). If not, get the proper anti-freezing and put it.
- Make sure that there is no tap or toilet leakage otherwise repair them immediately.
- Be sure that the drains in the balconies and terraces are clean from leaves and rubbish and operate normally.
If in spite of all that, the central pipes freeze, follow the following instructions:
- Switch off immediately the central valve of water-supply of your building and check your hydro-meter. If it continues to “run”, this means that there is leakage (broken pipe) in your network. Switch off immediately the central water supply valve and call a plumber. Ask for a receipt or a certificate for the leakage repair.
- If you decide to defrost the pipes, start from the part of pipe near the switch so that the temperature change is gradual. If there are no results call a plumber.
- Check if the electrical installations are wet or in danger and insulate them.
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS OF PROTECTION
- Αvoid sunbathing. Remain in shadowy and cool places avoiding crowded places.
- Avoid the heavy physical work, particularly in places with high temperature, and great humidity. Avoid walking for a long period of time or running under the sun.
- Prefer the light, comfortable and light colored clothing from porous material in order to facilitate the airing of the body and the vaporization of sweat. Wear a hat or another head gear from natural material that permits the good airing of head.
- Prefer the small and light meals, with emphasis on fruits and vegetables and cut down the fatty foods.
- Drink a great amount of liquids (water and fruit-squashes). If sweating is intense, it is recommended additional receiving of salt in order to keep the level of liquids in the constitution.
- Avoid alcoholic drinks.
- Have many lukewarm showers during the day. It will be good also to put wet covers on head and neck, as protective measures. Wear black or dark colored glasses which protect the eyes from the intense reflection of sun.
- Consult your doctor for the application of special instructions for those who suffer from chronic diseases (respiratory, heart-vascular etc).
- For those who take medicines have ask their doctor if they must continue them in their usual dosage as some of them increase the temperature of the body.
- Avoid long-lasting travels with the various means of transport, during the high heat.
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS OF PROTECTION FOR NEWLY BORN BABIES AND BABIES
- The newly –born babies must be dressed in the most light clothing. It is preferable that their hands and feet are free and not covered by nappies.
- When it heat is on, they must often be offered, apart from milk (maternity or any other) other liquids such as camomile, water, etc.
- Babies and the elder children are advisable to eat more vegetables and fruit and less fatty foods.
- It is advisable for children not to stay for a long time under the sun and always wear hat.
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS OF PRECAUTION FOR THE ELDERLY
- A very hot and damp environment in the great heat is dangerous for the elderly. In this case if cooling the apartment is difficult, it is preferable to move the elderly in cooler areas.
- If moving the elderly in a seaside district or in mountain is not easy, then staying in lower apartments of multi-storey houses is an easy solution.
- Generally during the day the room or the house must be hermetically closed, after being cooled and remained open for the whole night.
- Families with elderly persons shouldn’t leave them alone for summer vacations or many days of absence from the house. In the opposite case, they must secure that a person is taking care of them.
Τhe above instructions of precaution are recommended by the General Secretariat of Civil Protection, in co-operation with the Ministry of Health and Social Solidarity, and the Hellenic Center for Emergency Care.
