Don't worry, be ready
Blackout lessons

By DR. MARC SIEGEL

Nearly two years elapsed between 9/11 and the Blackout of 2003. Taken together, these events, though disarming, do not mean that we need to be on the alert every day. What's ironic is that so many people worry all the time but do nothing to prepare.

The blackout was a wakeup call. Keeping a high level of preparation keeps the level of panic low. As a physician, here's what I'd tell you to do.

The blackout made very clear the importance of having water, candles, flashlights, radios and batteries stocked. But it also was instructive for patients who call their physicians on the day their medications are running out for a refill. The pharmacies were closed and doctors' phones weren't working. The lesson here - keep at least a week's supply of your regular medication on hand.

We now also know that it's crucial for everyone, doctor and patient alike, to have an old powerless telephone available for just such an emergency.

With the straight-into-the-jack phone, if you are not feeling well, you can call 911.

If the air conditioners go off, open the windows. Keep yourself well hydrated, especially if it's hot outside. You can easily become dehydrated without realizing it. If your water goes off, you can use the ice and water in your refrigerator, but avoid opening and closing the door frequently.

Know that in most crises like the blackout and, even, terrorist attacks, panic is the most harmful weapon and keeping perspective the greatest defense.

In a terror attack, the chances of any individual being affected are extremely low, but if you think you may have come in contact with a toxic agent, put a moist cloth over your face, remove your clothes and wash yourself thoroughly. If the exposure is to radiation, go to the basement or concrete-lined room in your building if a lead-lined room is not available. If a chemical or biological attack is suspected, keep the windows closed and turn off the ventilation system. Stay put.

The blackout brought out the best in New Yorkers. People calmly shared food and water on the stoops outside their darkened apartments. Several of my invalid patients who could not use stairs waited in their apartments and wisely rationed their ice and water.

During a disaster, we learn to separate the luxuries from the necessities.

As new habits go, sometimes drinking water instead of soda and talking with your neighbor or reading by candlelight in front of an open window instead of watching a steady stream of disturbing TV news isn't all that bad.

Dr. Siegel is a professor of medicine
at New York University Medical Center.

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Copyright © 1990-2007 Marc K. Siegel, M.D.