Arguably, hurricanes can be the mother of severe weather emergencies because they’re not only life-threatening but they’re responsible for very high winds, tornadoes, storm surge and a whole heap of destruction.
Surviving any type of hurricane depends on one very important fact: the category hurricane. Critical to your decision making as to what action you’re going to take in preparing for a hurricane is the fact that you must know what category the hurricane is going to be.
Here’s the wind speed of each category of hurricane and the consequential damage, according to NOAA and the National Hurricane Center. See the NOAA Hurricane forecast here:
• Category 1: 74-95 mph
– Dangerous winds resulting in some damage to homes. Tree branches snapped.
• Category 2: 96-110 mph
– Extremely dangerous, extensive damage to homes.
• Category 3: 111-130 mph
– Major damage to homes, trees uprooted
• Category 4: 131-155 mph
– Severe, catastrophic damage to homes, trees uprooted, power lines down. Area may be uninhabitable for weeks.
• Category 5: 157 mph and higher
– Catastrophic damage, homes destroyed, power lines down. Likely not to have power for weeks or months and area uninhabitable.
The amount of damage a hurricane can inflict rises exponentially with each category — from minimal damage all the way up to catastrophic damage at a category 5 level.
Your best plan of action is to first listen to weather broadcasts and see what the experts are predicting. If they’re asking you to evacuate, for Pete’s sale, evacuate. Your life and the lives of your family may depend on your decision.
Speed is crucial. Usually, during times of crisis, roads often get blocked because everyone is trying to get away at the same time.
Being ahead of everyone else will get you to your destination much quicker and without delay.
This is one reason why you must have bug out bags that are ready to go. A prepper’s mindset is very different from those who do not take emergency preparedness seriously.
That means always having enough fuel for your car to make a quick getaway. It means knowing exactly how to turn off your electricity, gas mains, propane tanks, etc. without fumbling.
Follow storm warning and weather reports. By doing so, you’ll know what’s the best route to follow during an evacuation. Usually, you’ll be so well-informed that you’d be ahead of everyone else.
If it’s a category 1 or category 2 hurricane, you likely may be able to stay at home and wait for the hurricane to pass.
Part of hurricane preparedness means:
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- Install shutters for all your windows if you live in an area that’s prone to hurricanes.
- Reinforcing your roof is one of the best things you could do. A hurricane could easily rip off a poorly secured roof and leave everyone in the house exposed.
- Turn off your gas supply. The hurricane might snap a gas line.
- Have a water filtration system in place.
- Move all patio furniture into your house or the garage if possible. These objects will become flying projectiles during a hurricane. The same applies to flower pots, toys, garden gnomes, etc. If it can be tossed around, shelter it.
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Always have a first aid kit in the house. You should have basic first aid knowledge.
If you’ve been storing food and water supplies, that is excellent. If not, you’ll need to take immediate steps to store as much water as you can.
Hurricanes can cause storm surges and inland flooding.
– Flooding will likely contaminate the water supply and you’ll be short of drinking water. Keeping a water filtration device such as a LifeStraw for every family member will help.
– You should also have water purification tablets, etc. During a hurricane, the power could go out and boiling water may not be an option.
During the hurricane…
• Stay indoors. Never go outside.
• Keep away from the windows and glass doors.
There are 2 schools of thought here:
1. Some people believe that taping windows will prevent the glass from shattering all over the house.
2. Others believe that taping doesn’t help; and the glass pieces that fly are just bigger now.
The best way to approach this is to use window shutters as previously mentioned and avoid being near the windows as much as you can.
• Turn off the power.
• Do not use candles. If you were preparing for the hurricane, you should have a lantern.
• Stay informed. Tune in to your local radio station or other form of communication you have so that you can get updates.
• Keep your refrigerator door closed as much as possible so that you don’t lose the cold air that’s keeping your food fresh.
Adhere to these tips and always remember that proper prevention will give you the edge when it comes to surviving these weather catastrophes.
How well you prepare for an approaching hurricane will determine how well you recover from it. So do the right thing for you and your family.