Developing a Disaster plan

Disaster and Emergency Planning  begins by identifying the most likely types of emergencies and disasters which your farm might experience. This will be very much site specific.

For instance, in our area of the Pacific Northwest, and particularly on our piece of property, flooding is the single most likely disaster we will face. Other potential disasters include winds, earthquake and volcanic eruption. Obviously, each of these will require different plans to effectively cope with.

Other areas might face quite different potential emergencies. Some areas are subject to hurricanes, some to tornados, some to forest or rangeland wildfires, and some to chemical or radioactive events from nearby industrial areas, power plants or military bases.

Once the most likely disasters are identified one can begin to make specific plans for each. It is advisable that plans be detailed and written. Remember, in the case of a widespread disaster you might not be available to implement your plan, in which case it will fall on someone else to do it for you.

Evacuate or Defend in Place?

Many disasters come with some degree of warning. Examples would include wildfires or a hurricanes. Others, such as earthquakes, will strike with no warning at all.

When warnings are available, one must decide whether to evacuate or defend in place. Again, this decision will be driven by local circumstances and the exact nature of the emergency. Regardless, a good disaster plan should include options for each strategy.