Long story short - if it falls in my section of Florida, what do I do? Stay in the house? Dcuk tape my windows? Climb up on the roof? ( heavier than air or not?) Florida hasn’t been in the national news for a few days - so with our luck, it’ll hit here...
Call GIECO and talk to the Aussie Lizard?
My husbands DMAT team is on alert
If I were worried about this, I’d keep the radio on. Once the satellite begins atmospheric interface, NORAD will know, and (since the satellite is in free fall) will be able to calculate the expected impact “footprint” with high accuracy. This info will be relayed to the news media immediately, and to FEMA if any portion of the footprint is within U.S. territory. FEMA will then activate the EAS and begin broadcastng instructions. My local news radio station and/or NOAA Weather Radio will have complete and accurate info on impact zones, safety procedures, and evacuation instructions, if any.
If any large pieces survive the initial re-entry, the odds are small that they will land near my home. If I do encounter debris, however, my plan is: DO NOT TOUCH IT, or allow anyone to touch or approach it. It might be contaminated with hydrazine, a rocket fuel. Hydrazine will dissolve your lungs like water on cotton candy if you breathe it in. Instead, I intend to move away from the object (upwind, if possible) and dial 911 for the fire department. A HAZMAT response will be required to deal with the situation. If I see an injured person is near the object, I will take what precautions I can (gloves, overcoat, mask, etc.) and rescue them, but I won’t touch any person injured in the fall unless I absolutely have to in order to save their lives. My personal plan is to stay calm, keep onlookers away, and wait for the fire department to arrive.
Please note that these are commonsense ideas, not advice. I am not a trained emergency response professional. Consult your local emergency management authorities for information on how you should respond to disasters in your community.
In any case, it is highly, highly unlikely that any of the debris will fall in an inhabited area. I’m not worried about it, and you shouldn’t be, either.