Since Florida is a place extremely prone to thunderstorms and hurricanes, everyone should take preparations for any emergency situation during this hurricane season. It is obviously not possible to predict when a storm will arrive. However, there are several tips to help everyone stay prepared beforehand. In case of incoming disasters, these come in handy.
What Can Happen During a Hurricane?
Hurricanes and thunderstorms can produce extremely dangerous situations. They can completely turn landscapes and cause a lot of damage to property. They also seriously affect the lives of people and can cause several deaths. Hence, let us look at some tips to handle an incoming storm or hurricane and ensure there is minimum damage.
Tips to Stay Prepared Beforehand
Here are some ways to tackle a storm:
1. Stay Updated on Weather Alerts
During the hurricane season, several weather organizations keep alerting about the weather. For example, the National Weather Service alerts registered people on mobile phone messages through wireless communication. There are also many other apps that can be downloaded to stay updated on weather news. These can help people in hurricane-prone areas to have an idea ahead of time.
2. Make and Rehearse an Emergency Plan
One of the most important steps to saving yourself during a storm is to have a clear emergency plan. You must chart a path for yourself and your family while the weather is still nice and clear. The nearest designated shelter and the evacuation routes should be clear to you as well as to your family members.
This is important because network lines are often lost during thunderstorms. As a result, you may not be able to communicate with others. Therefore, you must have a plan and even rehearse it with your family members beforehand. It is also advisable to keep a designated emergency contact whom you or your family members can reach out to during an emergency.
3. Keep an Updated Emergency Kit
It is extremely important to keep an updated emergency kit near you in advance. You must assemble all the important medicines, food supplies, prescriptions, first-aid necessities, and other essential items in this emergency kit. This is required because it becomes very difficult to find desired items when storms hit, and keeping important things close by saves time and effort in finding them.
4. Prepare your Home
You should keep your home prepared to in case you hear of an imminent storm or hurricane. Some activities that you should take care of outside your house include pruning of trees, installation of storm shutters on home windows, and securing items to protect them from external damage.
Activities that should be taken care of inside homes include securing furniture and other valuable items, making copies of papers and important documents, and verifying maintenance on roofs, walls, home doors, and windows. You should keep all your important belongings in an inventory or safe to avoid any damage.
5. Prepare for Long-term Outrages
Even though storms might not last very long, the impact of it stays for weeks and even months. One should therefore plan ahead of long-term outrages. Create a checklist to know what to do when the storm arrives. This will prevent you from missing out on anything that might cause additional problems.
Most importantly, trees should be re-graded and kept in trimmed conditions outside the house to ensure minimum damage. Gutters should also be cleared to avoid flooding or roof damage. Home shutters should be securely installed to prevent water from flowing in.
6. Verify and Double-check your Home Insurance
A very important step that people often forget to do is verify and double-check their home insurance. Through various online websites or available apps, you should check all the terms of your insurance coverage, replacement costs, and other essential factors. Along with the homeowner’s policy, it is also advised to create a flood insurance plan. In case of havoc losses and damage to property, these insurances provide a lot of help to the victims.
7. Keep COVID-19 Protocols in Mind
Lastly, one must keep in mind the additional guidelines to maintain COVID-19 protocols. Special considerations are exercised in some help organizations during the pandemic to avoid the unnecessary spreading of Covid. Masks should be worn, and social distance should be maintained in areas of human contact.
Conclusion
Storms can be extremely threatening to life and property. With this article, you can know the basics of preparing for a Florida storm. Besides these given guidelines, there are also several organizations that help people battling such natural disasters. One must definitely contact them in case of extreme situations.
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