What to do in an emergency situation Heavy rain causes the nearby stream to overflow and the water seeps into your basement. The acrid smoke from a forest fire, carried by the wind, suddenly begins suffocating you. A tanker truck rolls over in the street and spills the chemicals it was transporting. An armed individual bursts into the shopping mall you are at and threatens people. The roar of an earthquake surprises you in the middle of the night and the tremors wake up the children. Knowing what to do in an emergency situation makes all the difference. Knowing what steps to take allows you: To reduce your vulnerability and avoid danger To help those around you who are exposed to danger To make yourself useful to those who need you To help things get back to normal more quickly Here are the major emergency situations Cyber attack Dam failure Drinking water contamination or shortage Earthquakes Emergency abroad Flooding Forest fires Landslides Major industrial accidents Oppressive or extreme heat Pandemic Power failure Radiation and nuclear accidents Severe thunderstorms Tornadoes Transportation of hazardous materials Violence in a public place Windstorms Winter storms and extreme cold