Are You Prepared for Hurricane Season?
August 10, 2010
During the past several years, the United States has endured the most extensive and severely damaging series of weather disasters in over a century. The many hurricanes that tore up and down the eastern coastline of the U.S. forced the evacuation of millions of people , left many without electricity and some without homes at all once the damage was done.
Now that hurricane season is upon us once again, anyone living in a hurricane-prone area must take the initiative to prepare for the storms. If you live in such an area, the first thing you must do is realize that your home could be in the direct path of a hurricane, which could do damage to your home and put your family in peril. It is therefore recommended that you put to follow the three steps of disaster preparedness: make a plan, put together a disaster kit and gather information.
Making a plan involves talking to your family and deciding where you will go if you are told to evacuate. You need to plan what to do with your family pets and plan a point wherein all of your family members will gather should you not all be in the same place when the evacuation is ordered. Regarding making a kit, you should have a disaster supply kit on hand which includes at least one flashlight with extra batteries, a transistor radio with batteries, medications, non-perishable food, first aide supplies and plenty of drinking water. It is also very important that you stay informed about the weather conditions by listening to local radio or television broadcasts.
You can prepare your home by installing storm windows or boarding them over with plywood if a storm is forecast to hit your area. You should also take the time to trim trees that are located near your house. Secure any outside water or gas tanks with heavy-duty straps and clear out your gutters and direct your downspouts out and away from the foundation of your home. It is also advisable to take important papers to a secure place and to move electronics and other vulnerable items in your home to the second story or off the premises completely in the case that floodwater enters your home.
Preparing yourself for the hurricane season is very important and something that cannot be emphasized enough. Just think back to Hurricane Katrina and recall how thousands upon thousands of residents were ill-prepared. Some were severely injured, others lost their pets, their houses and the most unfortunate lost their lives. Hurricanes are very powerful storms and something that we cannot control. Don’t let Mother Nature’s wrath get the best of you this hurricane season. Be prepared, be on alert and be safe.
