Floods

Basic safety Tips

● Turn around and don’t drown!

● Avoid walking or driving through flood waters.

● If there is a chance of flash floods, try to move to a higher place. Flash floods are the No. 1 cause of weather-related deaths.

If floodwaters rise around your car but the water is not moving, give up the car and move to higher ground. Do not leave the car enter moving water

Avoid camping or parking along streams, rivers during heavy rainfall. These areas can flood quickly with little warning.

Flood Watch

Steps to Take

● Turn on your TV/radio. You will receive the latest weather forecast and emergency instructions.

● Know where to go. You may need to reach higher ground quickly.

● Build or fill your emergency kit (应急装备) with something new. Include a flashlight, batteries, cash, and first-aid supplies.

● Bring in outdoor, furniture and move important indoor items to the highest possible floor. This is help protect them from flood damage.

● Disconnect (切断) electrical appliances and do not touch electrical equipment if you are wet or standing in water.

● If instructed, turn off your gas and electricity at the main switch or valve. This helps prevent fires and explosions.

Flood Warning

Steps to Take

● Move immediately to higher ground or stay on high ground.

● Avoid walking or driving through floodwaters. Turn around and don’t drown! Just 6 inches of moving water can knock you down and 2 feet of water can sweep your vehicle away.

After A flood

● Return home only when it is safe.

● Do not try to drive through areas that are still flooded.

● Photograph damage to your property (财产) for insurance purpose.

A wildfire is a fire that burns strongly and out of control in the wild. Wildfires are becoming even more powerful and harmful over time. That is in part because of climate change. Hotter temperatures and drier forests are helping to cause wildfires. The fires start from natural causes, like lightning. Humans can start fires with cigarettes or campfires, accidentally.

Sometimes, people can set fires on purpose. This is to help an ecosystem and those that live there. For thousands of years, humans have set fires on purpose. Fire does put living things in danger, but this happens naturally, Over time, ecosystems have adapted to the benefits from regular fires, because fires clear out dead material. Some plant and animal populations actually need fire to survive and reproduce. The fires help encourage healthy ecosystems. Of course, these are controlled burns. Modern fire experts now know how to set controlled burns that are well planned and safe.

Why is fire necessary? As dead or decaying(腐朽的) plants begin to build up on the ground, they may prevent organisms in the soil from getting nutrients(养分).They may keep animals on the land from getting to the soil. This coating of dead matter can also choke the growth of smaller or new plants.

Fire removes that layer of decay. The soil gets nutrients from the burned material faster than if it had slowly over time. This allows healthy parts of the ecosystem to grow stronger and stronger.

Some plants actually need fire to continue their life cycles. Seeds from some pine trees grow in pine cones that are covered in a thick sap(汁液). The seeds release from the pine cones when fire melts the sap. Fires allow more seeds to get to the soil and grow. The healthier plant populations after a fire can help animals, too Animals that live in nine trees benefit from more growing trees. Plant growth provides the food sources of animals.

Humans should prevent most uncontrolled damaging wildfires. But trying to prevent all fires might make matters worse. Understanding the benefits of fire is the only way to truly keep our ecosystem safe from its dangers.