How to Survive a Hurricane

Do you live in an area where there is a constant threat of hurricanes? If so, are you, your family, and home prepared for the worst possible scenarios that could happen during hurricane season? Hurricane preparedness may be the deciding factor on whether you and your family can survive if a a monstrous hurricane hits.

Before a Hurricane

You need to prepare your hurricane preparedness kits well before hurricane season comes, which usually starts in June or July. It is never too early to start preparing, especially since weather is sometimes very unpredictable. Here is a hurricane preparedness checklist for what should be included in your kit.

• Canned food and bottled water that can last for approximately 3 days.
• Battery powered radios to check for weather updates and evacuation instructions in case the hurricane causes a power failure.
• Flashlights and lots of extra batteries.
• Extra batteries for your cellphone (remember to keep them fully charged)
• Tarps and rope to build an emergency shelter in case you get stranded. The tarp can also be used to collect rainwater to drink.

Your home should also be prepared for the oncoming onslaught of wind and rain. Check your roof for leaks and fix them right away, you should also prune the dead branches off the trees in your yard so that they won’t break off and get blown by the wind. When you hear news that a hurricane is on the way, it’s time to board up your windows, glass doors, and any other weak areas of your home.

During a Hurricane

Here are some tips that you should keep in mind if you and your family are ever caught in the middle of a particularly strong hurricane.

• Never go outside, you may get hit by flying debris kicked up by the storm’s winds.
• Unplug all of your appliances from the wall sockets; this will prevent them from getting damaged in case of a power surge.
• Always listen to the radio for news, weather updates, or evacuation alerts.
• If water is starting to seep in under your front door, raise all your valuable furniture and appliances off the floor and onto tables. Then you and your family should relocate to the second floor of your house if you have one.
• Stay away from the windows, you never know when a sizable piece of debris cold come flying into your window.

After a Hurricane

Once the wind and rain has subsided, here are some of the things that you can do.

• Go outside and inspect if there has been notable damage done to your house, like broken windows, torn gutters and storm drains.
• Check with your neighbors in case any of them need assistance.
• Look out for whether news on the storm to make sure it has really passed by before driving on the streets.

Being prepared for natural disasters like hurricanes is not something that you should put off for later. If you truly value you and your family’s safety then you should give the utmost importance to hurricane preparedness.