Hurricane Preparedness: A Safety Checklist

Anthony Carter

Informations

• Publié par: seorumer
• Publié le: 01 juin 2015
• Nombre de lectures: 3
• Langue: English

Extrait

Hurricane Preparedness: A Safety Checklist Spring in the United States is hurricane preparedness season. Each year on average, 10 tropical storms develop over the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean Sea from June to November. Six of them become hurricanes, bringing winds of over 74 mph. Around five hurricanes strike the coast of the U.S. every three years, withoŶe iŶ fiǀe Đlassified as ͚ŵajoƌ͛. These storms prove a significant threat to the more than 45 million residents living along the coast, from MaiŶe to Tedžas. FoƌtuŶatelLJ, thaŶks to todaLJ͛s adǀaŶĐed ǁaƌŶiŶg sLJsteŵs, people aƌe giǀeŶ adeƋuate tiŵe to prepare for a hurricane.

To eŶsuƌe LJou͛ƌe ƌeadLJ foƌ ǁheŶ a huƌƌiĐaŶe stƌikes, ǁe͛ǀe gatheƌed soŵe oŶliŶe iŶfoƌŵatioŶ fƌoŵ the edžpeƌts oŶ ǁhat LJou͛ll Ŷeed:

Food and Drink

If a hurricane does strike, you may find yourself without power and, therefore, without the kitchen appliances needed to cook meals. This will prevent you from storing any fresh foods. Make room in your storm shelter for the following:

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Water (7 gallons per person) Non-perishable canned food such as fish, vegetables and fruit Powdered milk Instant tea and coffee Peanut butter Bread (in moisture-proof packaging) Canned soup Canned juice

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Materials

The folloǁiŶg ŵateƌials ǁill help eŶsuƌe LJou͛ƌe aďle to ƌeŵaiŶ safe aŶd take Đaƌe of aŶLJ ŵiŶoƌ ƌepaiƌs duƌiŶg, or in the immediate aftermath of, a storm:

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Wind-up radio Flashlight with spare batteries Waterproof lighter Rope Trash bags General tools: hammer, mallet, screwdriver, wrench, saw, nails Duct tape Portable cooler Cleaning supplies

Medical Supplies

A medical kit is essential in tending to any minor cuts, scrapes, and illnesses:

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First aid kit including pain medication and antibiotic cream At least oŶe ŵoŶth͛s supplLJ of pƌesĐƌiptioŶs Sunscreen Mosquito repellent Water purification tablets

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Cooking Equipment

To make the most of the food and drink you store, and to continue to provide your family with nourishment when hunkered down during a hurricane, you should amass the following equipment, all of which can be used without access to main power:

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Portable camping stove and/or grill Propane tank Charcoal and lighter fluid Can opener Foil Paper dinnerware Plastic cutlery Napkins Sterno fuel

Personal Supplies

PeƌsoŶal supplies aƌe the iteŵs LJou͛ll Ŷeed foƌ ǁaƌŵth aŶd hLJgieŶe aŶd fiŶd useful foƌ eŶteƌtaiŶŵeŶt:

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Protective clothing and rain-wear Bedding/blankets/sleeping bags Gloves Glasses Toilet paper Soap Detergent Books and magazines Playing cards Cash

Documents

Keep the following personal documents in a solid, waterproof holder:

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Photo I.D. Proof of address Medical information A list of important phone numbers: family, doctors, insurance, etc. Computer backups Water and fireproof storage container for paper documents

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Babies

If there are babies or young children in the family, their requirements will be different than those of adults and older kids. Therefore, you should ensure you have plenty of:

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Pets

Baby food Medication Diapers Antibacterial wipes Warm clothing Pacifiers Toys/games

Hurricanes can be particularly traumatizing for pets and their needs can be met with the following items:

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Canned food Leashes Carry crates Medication Toys

Things you need to do

To lessen the impact of a hurricane, there are certain things that you can do now to ensure the safety of your family and the security of your home:

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Listen for weather updates and stay informed Clear yard of loose objects Learn how to turn off electricity, gas and water Form an escape plan During the storm, stay away from windows, glass doors and skylights

Important Websites

To learn more about hurricanes and how to properly prepare for an impending storm, the following websites make for useful further reading:

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http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/prepare/ http://www.redcross.org/prepare/disaster/hurricane http://www.ready.gov/ http://www.weather.com/weather/hurricanecentral/article/hurricane-survival-kit_2011-08-22 http://emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/hurricanes/supplies.asp http://m.fema.gov/hurricane http://blog.monitronics.com/2015/05/2015-hurricane-preparedness-update/

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