Summer time is almost here. We often think of fun in the sun, summer vacations, beach fun, no school and all the other goodies that come along with the hot weather. However, with good news comes bad news, right? The bad news is along with summer comes hurricane season. Hurricane season is a time of year when the tropics of the Atlantic Ocean heat up making way for hurricanes to form. According to the National Weather Service, a total of seven hurricanes and four major tropical storms are predicted for the 2008 hurricane season. Sam Wilson, a Myrtle Beach resident and former firefighter, can help shine some light on what to do when a hurricane strikes.
The first thing to do when you have moved into an area that gets hit by hurricanes often is to plan ahead for such a disaster. “You need to make sure everyone in your family knows how to respond during the event of a hurricane. Get your family together and discuss these topics: what to do about power outages, how to deal with any injuries that may occur, what to do if you have to evacuate the area, turn off any main power and gas switches and make arrangements for any pets you may have,” Wilson says.
Secondly, you need to get at least a five day food supply readily available. Wilson suggests, “Types of foods to include in your food supply are ones high in nutrition that don’t require refrigeration, cooking, or water to eat because you may not have electricity or water during the storm. These foods include but are not limited to: peanut butter, jelly, crackers, granola bars, canned juices and soups, foods for the baby if you have one or anything that isn’t perishable. You also need to keep a supply of cooking supplies and eating utensils that can be used without the presence of running water such as: plastic spoons and forks, manual can and bottle openers, camp stove or canned heat and have some fuel on hand.”
Next, make sure you secure your home and make sure everything is in order. “Board up your windows and put storm shutters around your home’s windows. You may want to clean your bathtub, bottles, jugs and eating utensils. Also, make sure each person has at least four gallons of water. Check flashlight and radio batteries. Check trees and shrubbery and remove any that pose the threat of damaging your home. Make sure anything that can be blown away like trash cans, grills, potted plants, tools, awnings or anything else that can be blown away are secure or put in the basement of your home if you have one. Make sure your car’s gas tank is full, you may even want to consider purchasing extra fuel in case you have to evacuate,” Wilson explains.
Next, don’t evacuate unless its truly necessary. If you don’t live in a mobile home and your home is perfectly structured like a brick home and you’re not in an evacuation zone, stay where you are. Leaving your home when it isn’t necessary can add to traffic jams and make it harder on people who indeed have to evacuate the area. Wilson suggests “If you’re in a situation where you don’t have to evacuate and decide to stay home, you should stay inside away from windows or any glass doors. Stay in the downwind part of your home and if the wind should change, move to another downwind part of the home.”
Next, Wilson gives advice on what to do when the storm actually hits. “You should listen in on weather reports from either your television or radio. If the storm eye or center passes over your area, there will be a short period of calmness. Don’t go outside during this time. The wind speed will rapidly increase to hurricane force and will come at the opposite direction.”
Finally, one of the most important issues to consider before a hurricane hits is your insurance policy. You are encouraged to read your policy to see exactly what coverage you have. Wilson says, “If you don’t understand your insurance policy, get your insurance agent to explain it to you. Find out what kind of insurance you have and how much it would really cost to replace your home and what’s in it. You need to also know that homeowners insurance does not cover damage caused by flooding. To protect yourself from flood damage, get flood insurance from the National Flood Insurance Program. Also beware that there is a thirty-day waiting period on flood insurance from the time you apply to the day the policy is in effect. Don’t wait until a hurricane warning is in effect, because it will be too late then to contact an agent. If you rent, purchase renters insurance because the landlord doesn’t cover your property.”
Hurricanes are a natural disaster. That literally means that hurricanes are the force of Mother Nature and she doesn’t wait. You shouldn’t wait either. Hurricanes attack the coasts of Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, and parts of the northern coastline almost every year. Mr. Wilson has offered some very important tips for dealing with hurricanes, so make sure you, your family and your possessions are protected in the event of this major natural disaster.
No comments:
Post a Comment