Keeping Yourself and Your Family Safe During Natural Disasters

Natural disasters happen every year, and they are uncontrollable. Since we are powerless to prevent it from wreaking havoc on our livelihood, the least we can do is protect ourselves. As long as we know what to do when these occur, our chances of staying alive are high. We’ll be quick on our feet and avoid further harm from happening. Here is the list of some natural disasters and how to stay safe when they happen:

1. Tornadoes

Around 1,000 tornadoes are recorded every year in the United States. This tops the list of countries that are frequented by tornadoes. To keep yourself safe from tornadoes, you must ensure that heavy objects are on the floor, secure doors and windows, and replace them if needed-same with roofing. Stay indoors, and don’t forget to cut or trim trees that could potentially damage properties.

According to WQAD, mobile homes comprise 40% of tornado-related deaths. This is an alarming statistic, especially if you live in a mobile home. The most logical thing to do is get mobile home insurance to ensure that your savings are untouched during such a disaster.

2. Hurricanes

Hurricanes are worse than tornadoes in terms of size, damage, and duration. We can keep ourselves safe during hurricanes by watching the news and keeping abreast of what needs to be done. Stay inside as much as possible. If the authorities require you to evacuate, listen to them immediately and evacuate to the designated evacuation center. You must also prepare an emergency kit.

3. Extreme Heat

Extreme heat includes a temperature of above 90 degrees for two to three days. Persons at risk for extreme heat are the elderly, children, sick, overweight individuals. To keep ourselves safe from heat-related illness, we must wear light, breathable clothing, stay hydrated, use insulators, cover the windows with curtains or blinds, take baths, and use air conditioning.

Don’t forget to look after your pets, too, as they can also be victims of heat-related illnesses. Don’t leave them in hot spaces. Provide them with water, and ensure that the space they are in has enough cool air.

4. Floods

Floods are caused by heavy rainfall and ocean waves that make their way to land as caused by a storm surge. People drown, and houses and cars get destroyed by floods. What we can do in situations like these is to prepare an emergency kit, stay on the highest floor of a building, and prepare flashlights and extra batteries. We must also cooperate with the authorities if we are told to evacuate. We must also keep our household items safe as much as possible because they’ll get destroyed or lost in the flood.

5. Wildfire

A wildfire is an uncontrolled and unplanned fire that razes forests or grasslands. It can quickly reach the community if not controlled as soon as possible. What you can do is to watch them and evacuate as required. You also have to keep an eye out for flammable materials near your home, such as leaves and alcohol. Wear an N95 mask to protect yourself from the smoke and prepare an emergency kit that allows you to address minor medical issues of your family.

6.  Winter Storms

A winter storm is caused by sleet, snow, and freezing rain as precipitation. Winter storms can cause death, accidents, and heart attacks. To stay safe during winter storms, we must keep ourselves as warm as possible, avoid being in the cold for too long, and drink hot beverages. We must also keep abreast of current events by watching the news or listening to the radio for instructions from the authorities. Keep your pets inside the house as well.

Natural disasters will continue to exist, and there will be nothing that we can do to prevent it. All we can do is learn how to survive in these situations by keeping ourselves informed and obeying the authorities. It will do us good if we do so. We must do our part as citizens to lessen the burden of the authorities. Moreover, our survival skills will be tested during this time, so we must prepare ourselves ahead of time. We should conduct our own research and proof our homes with what we picked up online.

Our loved ones, pets, and property are our main concerns during natural disasters. We would do anything to protect them, and one way of protecting them is by encouraging them to prepare for these situations. This will be timely and relevant as natural disasters sometimes do not come with a warning.