Preparing For These Five Natural Disasters

Since there is no one-size-fits-all approach for dealing with natural disasters, it is crucial that you educate yourself and your loved ones about the different ways of preparing for natural disasters. With that being said, some basic emergency preparedness tips would be to take note of evacuation routes, keep important documents like birth certificates and insurance policies safely in one place, and prepare an emergency kit that can be easily grabbed in the event of a natural disaster.

Hurricane

When faced with a hurricane warning, do not panic. It is essential that you follow the directions of your local government, whether it be to evacuate or to remain indoors. During an evacuation,  most people in the hurricane’s path would be heading in the opposite direction, which would lead to some nasty traffic. Be sure to get a head start by immediately following evacuation warnings and by preparing your emergency kit (as mentioned above) in advance. It would not hurt to make sure that you have enough gas in your vehicle’s tank as well.

Earthquake

During an earthquake, the best thing to do would be to drop, cover, and hold on. If you receive an earthquake warning or feel the beginnings of a tremor, stop whatever you are doing and seek cover under heavy furniture (preferably ones that are secured to the ground). Be sure to stay away from bookshelves or hanging fixtures that could fall on you.

Flood

In the event of a flood, it is essential to move to higher ground as soon as possible. Be sure to unplug any electrical devices that may be on the first floor of your home. As electrical devices are more likely to be damaged in a flood, save your treasured photos and documents by saving them in a memory card or a cloud service. One important thing to take note of is if your insurance policies cover flood damage. As this is often not the case, be sure to secure flood insurance, especially if you live in an area with high flood risk.

Fire

The best method to prepare for a fire would be to prevent it, so make sure that you install a smoke detector in your house. In the event that a fire does break out, do not attempt to lock yourself into a room. Instead, find the nearest possible escape route out of your house, including any alternative routes. If none of these are available to you, ensure that you go to your nearest window to escape. If your window is not on the ground floor, consider keeping a ladder nearby for easy access.

Tornado

When alerted to a tornado warning, be sure to take cover immediately. Rather than going to higher ground like in the event of a flood, always go to the lowest floor of your house. If you do not have a basement, a room with no windows is good enough. Make sure to bring your emergency bag with you in case you have to take shelter for a few days.