How the Stress of a Natural Disaster Can Affect Mental Health

 

A sudden natural disaster like a hurricane, tornado or flood can turn your entire life upside down. Victims of natural disasters must endure some of the most unimaginably distressing situations anyone can think of, including being forced from their homes, being trapped without supplies or even losing all their possessions. With so much fear and uncertainty lining the long road to recovery, it’s no wonder why those who are dealing with the stress of a disaster may end up suffering from mental stress and trauma. If you’re the victim of a natural disaster, here’s how you can recognize your own mental trauma and learn to manage it healthily.

Common Reactions to a Disaster

When a disaster takes most or all of your possessions, home and livelihood, you may experience grief-like symptoms. While many attempt to discredit their grief by downplaying their loss, these feelings are very real and completely valid reactions to a sudden, large-scale disaster. Victims commonly experience the five stages of grief – denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Some may even feel:

• Numbness
• Confusion or difficulty focusing
• Helplessness
• Anxiety
• Panic attacks
• Physical pains like headaches or back pain
• Nightmares or flashbacks
• Sudden bouts of crying
• Changes in appetite
• Trouble sleeping

It’s important to recognize that every reaction is valid and warranted. As a victim of a natural disaster, you are suffering a loss and responding accordingly.

Healthy Coping Techniques

All the emotions that accompany a disaster can easily overwhelm you, and you may adopt unhealthy mental and emotional habits as a result. Bottling up your trauma or turning to unhealthy or negative habits can cause even worse psychological damage in the long run. Utilize healthy emotional coping methods like these to process and release your trauma.

• Give the news a break – Watching or reading information about the disaster will only serve to re-traumatize you. Turn off the television and put the computer away.
• Talk to loved ones – Friends and family are excellent outlets for pent-up stress. They’ll help validate your emotions and may help devise solutions to your problems.
• Make a to-do list – All the necessary tasks that must be done following a disaster can quickly overwhelm you, compounding feelings of stress and panic. Make a to-do list of all the most important tasks and focus on only one at a time. You’ll feel good about checking off tasks and will accomplish the most vital things first.
• Care for yourself – Scrambling around after a disaster without a break to take care of yourself will only weigh you down. Take the time to eat right, exercise, sleep and indulge a hobby to ensure you can care for yourself and your loved ones.
• Help out – Volunteering your time to relief organizations, donating blood or supplies or even making care packages for other victims can help you feel in control of an uncontrollable situation.
• Ask for help – If you find that you cannot process or handle your emotions, seek out a mental health professional. Joining support groups can also help you feel validated by people who understand what you have been through.

PRECAUTIONS TO BE TAKEN AFTER A FLOOD CRISIS

Restore your home to good order as soon as possible to protect your health and prevent further damage to the house and its contents.

Re-entering your home

• Do not return home until authorities have advised that it is safe to do so.
• If the main power switch was not turned off prior to flooding, do not re-enter your home until a qualified electrician has determined it is safe to do so.
• Use extreme caution when returning to your home after a flood.
• Appliances that may have been flooded pose a risk of shock or fire when turned on. Do not use any appliances, heating, pressure, or sewage system until electrical components have been thoroughly cleaned, dried, and inspected by a qualified electrician.
• The main electrical panel must be cleaned, dried, and tested by a qualified electrician to ensure that it is safe.
• Depending on where you live, your municipal or the provincial inspection authority is responsible for the permitting process required before your electric utility can reconnect power to your home.

Ensure building safety

• Make sure the building is structurally safe.
• Look for buckled walls or floors.
• Watch for holes in the floor, broken glass and other potentially dangerous debris.

Water

• Flood water can be heavily contaminated with sewage and other pollutants. It can cause sickness and infections.
• If your house has been flooded and you have a well, don't drink the water. Have it tested first.
• Household items that have been flood-damaged will have to be discarded according to local regulations.

Documentation

• Store all valuable papers that have been damaged in a freezer until they are needed (After your cleanup, consult your lawyer to determine whether flood-damaged documents, or just the information in them, must be retained).
• Record details of flood damage by photograph or video, if possible.
• Register the amount of damage to your home with both your insurance agent and local municipality immediately.

Cleanup

Maintain good hygiene during flood cleanup. Minimize contact with floodwater or anything that may have been in contact with it. Keep children away from contaminated areas during cleanup operations.

Recommended flood cleanup equipment

• Gloves
• Masks and other protective gear
• Pails, mops and squeegees
• Plastic garbage bags
• Unscented detergent
• Large containers for soaking bedding, clothing and linens, and clotheslines to hang them to dry

Additional equipment

• Depending on your situation, you may need to rent additional equipment such as extension cords, submersible pumps, wet/dry shop vacuums, a carbon monoxide sensor and dehumidifiers, fans or heaters.
• When using the equipment, keep extension cords out of the water.

Water

• Remove water from your flooded home slowly. Drain it in stages - about one third of the volume daily - because if the ground is still saturated and water is removed too quickly, the walls or the floor could buckle.
• Use pumps or pails to remove standing water, then a wet/dry shop vacuum to mop up the rest.
• For instructions on how to disinfect and restore wells and cisterns, contact your local or provincial health authorities or emergency management organization.

Heating and appliances

• Do not heat your home to more than 4°C (about 40°F) until all of the water is removed.
• If you use pumps or heaters powered by gasoline, kerosene or propane, buy and install a carbon monoxide sensor. Combustion devices can produce large amounts of lethal carbon monoxide if they're not tuned-up or are improperly ventilated.
• Do not use flooded appliances, electrical outlets, switch boxes or fuse-breaker panels until they have been checked by your local utility.
• Whether you use a wood, gas or electrical heating system, have it thoroughly inspected by a qualified technician before using it again. Replace the furnace blower motor, switches and controls if they have been soaked.
• Flooded forced-air heating ducts and return-duct pans should be either cleaned or replaced.
• Replace filters and insulation inside furnaces, water heaters, refrigerators and freezers if they have been wet. However, it is often cheaper to replace this equipment.

Dirt and debris

• Remove all soaked and dirty materials as well as debris.
• Break out walls and remove drywall, wood panelling and insulation at least 50 centimetres (20 inches) above the high-water line.
• Hose down any dirt sticking to walls and solid-wood furniture then rinse several times.
• Wash and wipe down all surfaces and structures with unscented detergent and water. Rinse.

Floor drains

• Flush and disinfect floor drains and sump pumps with detergent and water. Scrub them to remove greasy dirt and grime.
• Clean or replace footing drains outside the foundation when they are clogged. Consult a professional for advice or service.

Structures

• Ventilate or dehumidify the house until it is completely dry.
• Rinse and then clean all floors as quickly as possible.
• Replace flooring that has been deeply penetrated by flood water or sewage.
• Clean all interior wall and floor cavities with a solution of water and unscented detergent.

Carpets and furniture

• Carpets must be dried within the first two days. For large areas, hire a qualified professional to do the job. Carpets soaked with sewage must be discarded immediately.
• Remove residual mud and soil from furniture, appliances, etc.
• If items are just damp, let the mud dry and then brush it off.
• To test if material is dry, tape clear food wrap to the surface of the item. If the covered section turns darker than the surrounding material, it is still damp. Dry until this no longer occurs.
• For upholstered furniture you should consult a professional to see what can be salvaged. In the meantime, remove cushions and dry separately. Do not remove upholstery. Raise furniture on blocks and place fans underneath.
• Wooden furniture: Remove drawers and open doors. Do not dry quickly or splitting may occur.

Mould

• Mould can lead to serious health problems.
• You may need to have your home professionally cleaned for it to be covered by insurance. Check with your insurance company.
• If you are cleaning up in a room where mould is present, wear a face mask and disposable gloves.
• To minimize mould growth, move items to a cool, dry area within 48 hours and set up fans.
• Alternatively, textiles, furs, paper and books can be frozen until they are treated.
• Wet mould will smear if wiped. Let it dry and then brush it off outdoors.
• You can also kill mould spores by lightly misting the item with isopropanol (rubbing alcohol).

Food and medicine

• All undamaged canned goods must be thoroughly washed and disinfected.
• Dispose of all medicines, cosmetics and other toiletries that have been exposed to flood water.
• Dispose of any of the following food items if they have been exposed to flood water:
  • Contents of freezer or refrigerator, including all meats and all fresh fruit and vegetables
  • All boxed foods
  • All bottled drinks and products in jars, including home preserves (since the area under the seal of jars and bottles cannot be properly disinfected)
  • Cans with large dents or that reveal seepage

What to discard

All insulation materials, particleboard furniture, mattresses, box springs, stuffed toys, pillows, padding, cushions and furniture coverings that have been exposed to flood water.

What is salvageable

• Frames of high-quality furniture can often be saved. However, they must first be cleaned, disinfected and rinsed, then dried by ventilation away from direct sunlight or heat. Drying too quickly can cause warping and cracking.
• Clothes can be cleaned. Scrape heavy dirt from washable clothes. Rinse and wash them several times with detergent and dry quickly.

Before moving back in

Once the flood waters have receded, you must not live in your house until:

• The regular water supply has been inspected and officially declared safe for use.
• Every flood-contaminated room has been thoroughly cleaned, disinfected and surface-dried.
• All contaminated dishes and utensils have been thoroughly washed and disinfected - either by using boiling water or by using a sterilizing solution of one part chlorine bleach to four parts water. Rinse dishes and utensils thoroughly.
• Adequate toilet facilities are available. (For more information, consult your local health authority.)

4 Rules for Electrical Safety After a Flood

Everybody's in a hurry to get things back to normal after a disaster, but when it comes to electrical safety, it pays to step back and carefully evaluate things before moving ahead with any work. If your house has been severely damaged by floodwaters, here are some pointers to help keep you safe:

 

1. Never go into a flood-damaged basement or a basement filled with water until the utility company, fire department, or a licensed electrician has removed the home's electrical meter from its socket.

Why: Removing the meter from the socket is the only way the house can be completely disconnected from the grid. Even if you've lost power, you can still be electrocuted in a flooded basement if someone is running a generator nearby and back-feeding electricity into a storm damaged grid. You can't count on a storm-damaged circuit breaker or disconnect switch to protect you. The only safe way is to remove the meter.

2. Once the building is pumped out and you begin recovery efforts, keep in mind that all flooded electrical equipment is almost certainly ruined. 

Why: Very few things in a house are rated to survive submersion, even briefly. The following will almost certainly need to be replaced:

Plastic-sheathed building wire (often referred to by the trade name Romex)

Armored cable (often referred to by the trade name BX)

Circuit panels and circuit breakers

Fuse boxes and fuses

Sub panels

Switched disconnect boxes

Switches

Outlet receptacles

Motors

Circuit boards

Non-submersible pumps

Blowers and fans

Lights

Heaters

Air conditioners

Furnaces

Boilers

A licensed air conditioning or a heating/cooling contractor can advise you whether your heating or cooling equipment can be salvaged. It depends upon the type of equipment, the depth of the floodwaters, and the duration of submersion. Many people try to salvage appliances such as dehumidifiers, refrigerators, and freezers that have been in flooded basements. Some do go on to live a post-flood life, but it's risky: They can be extremely dangerous to operate after they've been flooded.

3: Pay increased attention to grounding and bonding, and after the flood ask an electrician to conduct a thorough survey the system.

Why: There are two aspects to every home's electrical system: the parts designed to carry electrical current during normal operation, and the parts designed to carry current safely to ground should something go wrong. The latter is known as the home's grounding and bonding system and it can be severely damaged by floodwaters. Only a licensed electrician is equipped and trained to evaluate the damage.

All metal components of a home's electrical system should be carefully and replaced if necessary. For example, metal electrical boxes that have been submerged may rust and the rust on the box prevents an adequate connection to the home's grounding system.

4. Even after the building is fully disconnected from the grid, never go into a flooded building alone. Put on chest waders, and bring a bright flashlight that clips to your hat or your waders so you don't have to carry it. But most importantly, have someone standing by in case you need help.

Why: Flooded buildings are dark, slippery, and disorienting. It's easy to get hurt or even drown in one. Trust me. As a volunteer, I once went into a flood-damaged basement and stepped into an uncovered sump pit, finding myself in water up to my chin. I freed myself from that, only to step into a second uncovered pit.

DUTY CYCLE IN WELDING

This is a common question.  Essentially, Duty Cycle is a measure of how long a welder will operate for before it overheats and cuts out.

There are 3 key bits of data to Duty Cycle figures:

Amps, a Percentage Figure (%) and the Ambient Temperature the machine was tested in.

Unfortunately, whilst most manufacturers will state the first two figures, they often don’t state what the ambient temperature was when the test was carried out and this is actually a key piece of information! (more on this later).

200amps @ 30% @ 40⁰C

This breaks down as follows:

200amps is what the machine was delivering during the test

30% is the percentage of the work period that the machine continuously delivered 200amps before overheating and cutting out. (in the UK a work period is defined as 10 minutes)

40⁰C (104⁰F) is the ambient temperature of the room when the test was carried out.  So the machines fan is cooling the machine with air that is at 40⁰C

In our example, the machine delivered 200amps, for 3 minutes (30% of 10 minute work period), in a temperature of 40⁰C, before overheating and cutting out.

Clearly these figures are pretty specific and hardly anyone is ever going to match all the numbers.  For example, when is it ever 40⁰C here in the UK????  Clearly if the machine is being used in colder temps, the runtime (%) will increase.  Which is why it annoys me that a lot of manufacturers don’t state the ambient temperature the test was conducted in.

Here in Europe, 40⁰C (104⁰F) is the norm, BUT this is not mandatory and some manufacturers will carry out tests in 25⁰C (77⁰F) or even 20⁰C (68⁰F), which, in my view, is a bit naughty because a lower temp will make the % figure look a LOT better than a machine that’s tested in 40⁰C (104⁰F).  So beware!!!!!

The point of these numbers is to compare machines.  It’s a bit like comparing car fuel consumption, no one ever gets the Miles per Gallon the manufacturers claim the car will do, but you can use the numbers to compare makes/models.

REINFORCEMENT BARS FOR BEAM

Generally a beam consists of following steelreinforcements: Longitudinal reinforcement at tension and compression face. Shear reinforcements in the form of vertical stirrups and or bent up longitudinal bars. Side face reinforcement in the web of the beam provided when the depth of the web in a beam exceeds 750 mm.

Reinforcement detailing in beams 

• Beam carries transverse external loads that cause bending moment, shear forces and in some cases torsion
• Concrete is strong in compression and very weak in tension.
• Steel reinforcement counter act tensile stresses in reinforced concrete beams.
• Mild steel bars or Deformed or High yield strength deformed bars (HYSD) used.
• HYSD bars have ribs on the surface and this increases the bond strength at least by 40%
•                                 
  

• Types of beams

  The beams classes are as follows:

  Based on beam shape

  • Rectangular beam
  • L-shape beam
  • Circular shape beam
  • T-shape beam
  When a beam is designed with slab, called slab beam or Tee-beam, reinforcements are provided as shown in figure below. The beam is generally designed as simple beam but additional reinforcement provided on top with slab to make it behave like a Tee-beam.
  
   Mid-span Details of Tee-Beam.
  

• According to supporting conditions

  Simply supported, fixed, continuous and cantilever beams

  Based on embedded reinforcement

  Singly reinforced

  Reinforcement are provided to resist tensile stresses due to bending and shear in beams for singly reinforced sections.
  In practice, for singly reinforced beams, two additional bars are provided in compression face of the beam so that stirrups can be tied with bars. These additional reinforcement are of nominal diameter of 8mm or 10mm.

  Doubly reinforced

  when depth of section is restricted due to reasons such as architectural reasons, or basement floors, the beam section is designed as doubly reinforced concrete beam.
  These bars shall withstand compressive stresses and are provided with reinforcement in compression face.
  Beams when subjected to torsion are provided additional longitudinal and shear reinforcement to resist bending and shear stresses developed due to torsion.

  Types of Reinforcement in Beams

  Generally a beam consists of following steel reinforcements:
  • Longitudinal reinforcement at tension and compression face.
  • Shear reinforcements in the form of vertical stirrups and or bent up longitudinal bars.
    • Side face reinforcement in the web of the beam provided when the depth of the web in a beam exceeds 750 mm.
    • Distribute minimum 0.1% of the web area equally on two faces at a spacing not exceeding 300 mm or web thickness, whichever is less.

  Reinforcement Cover in Beam

  • Minimum cover in beams must be 25 mm or shall not be less than the larger diameter of bar for all steel reinforcement including links.
  • Nominal cover specified in Table 16 and 16A of IS456-2000 should be used to satisfy the durability criteria.

  Stirrups

  this type of reinforcement act against shear force. Following are the types of stirrups provided in beams:
  
  Types of stirrups in beams

  Standard hooks and bends

  Commonly, the provision of steel bar anchorage is in form of bends and hooks provided that straight length insufficient to develop bars.
  Moreover, the anchorage value of bend of bar is taken as 4 times the diameter of bar for every 450 bend subjected to maximum of 16 times the diameter of bar.
  Added to that, The specification for detailing of reinforcement in beams are given in cl.26.5.1 of IS 456 – 2000. Lastly, standard bends and hooks required for reinforcing bars are shown in figure below.
  
   Standard bends and hooks in beams

• Curtailment of Reinforcement in Beams

  Generally, curtailment of reinforcements performed along beam span based on the bending moment at the section. Moreover, anchorage or development length required at support is provided during curtailment of reinforcement.
  Furthermore, cl.26.2 of IS 456 – 2000 gives the anchorage length required for main reinforcement in tension and compression.
  Lastly, figure 5 shows typical details of curtailment of reinforcement in cantilever and continuous beams.
  
   Typical Details of Reinforcement curtailment in beams

  Development length (Ld)

  Figure 6 provides details of necessary anchorage length for main reinforcement in tension and compression:
  
  
  

  

MATERIALS USED TO RESIST HIGH TEMPERATURE

Materials Used to Resist High Temperature in Various Industries

Materials that have the ability to protect equipment and instruments from being damaged due to high temperature are called heat resistant materials. These materials can be found on the inside of ovens, in car parts, on the manufacturing floor of industrial buildings, etc.

• Heat resistant materials are materials that can protect various elements from heat generated due to high temperature operations. They can reduce the chances of dangerous off-gassing hazards because of heating of sensitive parts like wires, cables, and refrigeration lines. Here we take a look at some important types of heat resistant materials used in homes and industries. At the end we will take a look at two companies that specialize in the production and distrubution of these materials.

• Heat Resistant Sealants

• 

  Sealants are materials that close the gaps between solid sections of a machine so that they better resist high temperature and pressure. They are present in two forms, liquid foam and cement. Liquid foam sealant is used to seal machined connections and threading. Through this material you can achieve close tolerance to sealing. Cement sealants are primarily used to cover rough surfaces.

  Sealants can effectively resist temperatures between 315°F and 1500°F (157°C to 816°C). They can also utilize some heat to cure the seal properly within a very short period of time. They are used in precise works due to their low shrinkage and expansion coefficient. Seals made by these materials can also resist unwanted chemicals such as hydrocarbons, ammonia, brine, acids, and mild alkalis. They significantly reduce damage due to vibration and shock as well.

  Sealants are used where very precise and strong sealing is required. Due to their tremendous properties, they are used in industries like power generation, heavy equipment, automotive, oil, steel chemical, marine, and more. They are used to repair leaks present in boilers, steam turbines, refrigeration lines, compressors, pressure vessels, heat exchangers, condensers, and other hydraulic and thermodynamic systems.

• Heat Resistant Tapes

• We can use heat resistant tapes where normal tapes will not work properly due high pressure and temperature. They also have low shrinking characteristic due to low coefficient of expansion. You don’t need to worry about the size and tension of the tape even if they are working under several wash and dry cycles. They offer resistance to salt water, chlorine, and perspiration. They are used in high temperature sublimation and heat press processes including plate and mug printing. Various heat resistant tapes are available for specialty projects like high bulk glass fiber tapes that have a heavy coating of iron oxide and red silicon rubber.

  Heat resistant tapes are manufactured with varying width, length, thickness, and color; therefore you get high flexibility for purchasing the tape according to your requirement. They can tolerate temperatures up to 1650° C.

• Fire Blanket

• Fire blankets are well known heat resistant product. You might have seen them in movies and television or even have one in your closet. They can easily extinguish fledgling fires and can reduce the chances of accidents. They are made up of fire resistant material sheets that are designed to be draped over the fire to smother it by eliminating access to oxygen.

  You can purchase these blankets in a number of sizes. Small size blankets are used in kitchen or home applications and are made using fiberglass and/or Kevlar; they are then folded into cylindrical boxes for easy access.

  

  Fire Blankets are also available for laboratory and industrial usage; however, the size of these blankets is much larger. Wool with flame retardant fluid is used as a base material for this type of blanket. These are stored in vertical, quick release, holders so that they can be easily pulled out when needed.

• Firesleeve

• Firesleeves are used mainly in industrial and aerospace applications. They have silicon coated fiberglass sleeves that work as an insulated sheet, resisting temperature up to 540°C. They also offer resistance to water, oil, flame, and adhesives. Various products are available in the market in terms of size and type of coating inside the sleeve.

  In several major industries, firesleeves are used to protect cables, wires, hydraulic and industrial hoses. The industrial version has knitted fiberglass which is very cost effective and thus, is commonly used. The firesleeves used in aerospace industries are made up of braided fiberglass to meet SAE standard

Heat Resistant Product Providers

The best heat resistant material provider I found is Insulflex. This company has variety of products that can be used for various requirements. You can purchase firesleeves, fire blankets, heat resistant tapes, heat resistant sealants, and more for reasonable prices. Five to ten varieties of each product are offered by this company.

The second one is Warbo. They also offer high quality heat resistant products. The products are categorized by their usage such as heat resistant products for room, steel mills, radiant heat protection, and high temperature insulation. The website addresses of both companies are provided in the reference section.