Are you prepared if in case a storm disaster strikes? Most people will not be prepared for that. You should realize that natural disasters may strike anytime. They may occur with little or no warning. Whenever people realize that disaster is about to strike, it is already too late and they cannot do anything about it anymore. Different parts of the world are facing various types of disasters. There was a time when disasters come few and far in between but right now, just a few months after a natural disaster occurs, another one is bound to happen immediately after. Even if you try researching about the differences with the world that we live in right now and the world that people used to live in, the differences are obvious. People have not taken good care of this world and the effects are starting to show. What you can do right now is to become prepared if in case disaster strikes. Remember that disaster may happen anytime. It can happen soon too.
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Storm Disaster
One of the most common natural disasters that are occurring at present time is the storm. A storm may sometimes become too strong that it will be called a hurricane. The criteria of whether or not it would be called a storm or a hurricane will depend on how strong the wind and how heavy the rainfall is going to be.
Preparation is the Key
Even if you know the proper tips that will help you survive during a storm, you need to be prepared for it to make coping easier. You need to have an emergency kit or camping kits that will contain some important things you may need if in case you need to evacuate your house or if in case you will get stuck inside your house for days because of the heavy rainfall and the strong wind.
It is important that your whole family knows what to do in case a storm occurs. The more prepared you are before disaster strikes, the better you will move when the natural disaster happens. You can learn and practice some essential skills you may need during a storm disaster. These are just some of the skills that will be useful when disaster strikes:
- You need to know basic first-aid training. The strong wind may hurl heavy objects around that may hit you or anyone you know. Knowing some first aid will help so that the condition will not worsen.
- Learn how to cook without the proper kitchen equipment and tools. The storm disaster may get rid of electricity that will make most of your kitchen equipment useless. If in case you are in another place other than your home, you need to know how to cook the food that you have packed with the most basic objects available.
- Learn how you can disinfect water. People can survive without food for a few days but people cannot survive without water for a long period of time. You may be surrounded by dirty water but with the right knowledge, you can easily learn to make the water clean enough to drink.
There are still other skills that will be useful if in case disaster strikes. You have to be familiar with as much skills as you can because you will never know when you would need to use them.
You also need to have meetings with your whole family about what you will do if in case of natural disasters. For example, you may plan where you are all going to meet up if in case you get separated or if disaster strikes while you are not in the same place.
It will be useful to research about your current area. Do you live near the sea or the ocean? This means that there is a big chance that there will be a tsunami if an earthquake will strike. Your area may be flood-prone. Knowing these details will allow you to be more prepared for different disasters that may occur.
Supplies You Need
Knowing what supplies you need to have before the storm occurs will be good so that you can effectively prepare. These are some of the important supplies that you need:
- Drinking water – This may be the most important because you need clean water in order to survive.
- Food – It is best to choose food that do not need to be cooked. It is best to have more than three days-worth of food. Some experts say that you need non-perishable food that will last for more than a week.
- Flashlight or LED Rechargeable Lanterns – You need a reliable light source that will not be dangerous to have. Candles are fine but they can burn down your house if left unattended.
- First aid supplies – This is where you can place your bandages, alcohol and all the other items that you need.
- Blankets – You need to be as comfortable as possible whether you are stuck at home or when you are placed at a temporary shelter.
- Waterproof backpacks – You need to have one for keep your supplies with you right on your back. This also can protect from getting wet under the rain storm.
If you want to be further prepared, you may want to invest in setting up another source of energy at home so that if the electricity goes out, you will still have enough energy to light up your house and to charge your gadgets. One great investment is solar panels but these panels may cost a lot of money.
It is in times of disaster that you will appreciate some gadgets that have been around for a long time. Walkie-talkies can be helpful especially if you want to communicate with family members from another part of the house or when you are within short distance of each other but you are not together. Having battery-powered radios will also help because you want to know details about the storm and if it is bound to get weaker or stronger in the next few hours.
Keeping Calm during a Storm Disaster
It is going to be hard to stay calm when disaster strikes. You do not know what is going to happen next. You begin to worry if the tree that is at the back of your home will be able to withstand the heavy winds and the rainfall but in the midst of it all, you need to stay calm. It is only by staying calm that you will be able to think of the various things you should do to protect yourself and your family from what is happening.
When you allow yourself to stay fearful, you are going to make irrational decisions and choices that will surely affect how well you will do. When you are fearful and when you begin to panic, you forget about your basic needs. You forget that you need to drink, you need to eat, and you need to stay warm in order to survive.
Another important tip to remember is you do not have to be aware of the needs of other people too. You may be concerned about your own welfare but you have to extend your help to those who are in need. You will always get satisfaction in helping other people.
There are a lot of people who forget that a natural disaster is a long-term thing. It is something that will have negative side effects especially with the way that you live. You can try your best to keep safe during a natural disaster and you can save yourself and the people that you care for but it will take time before you get your lives back on track. There will be moments when you will be forced to evacuate. You will not be forced to do this for no reason at all.
Problems That May Arise During a Storm Disaster
These are some of the problems that you may encounter when you’re stuck in the middle of a storm disaster:
- Lack of sanitation – Even if you go to evacuation centers, the facilities there will not be as good as you want or as good as what you are accustomed to. When you do not pay attention to your hygiene, you will be more prone to getting various diseases and infection.
- Electrocution – If you stay outdoors or if you forget that there are live power lines that are near puddles of water, you are risking your life. Electrocution is not the same with what you will see in cartoons wherein characters will be able to recover. This time, electrocution can kill you.
- Falling Trees and Establishments – There are different things that may break down when they are exposed to heavy winds and heavy rainfall. How sturdy is your home or the place that you are staying in? Will your roof be able to protect you when a tree falls on it?
- Broken Glasses – It is best to stay away from your windows during a storm because you will never know when the glass is going to break because of the winds.
- Slippery roads – Some people still try to drive around even when the weather is bad. Driving through slick and slipper roads can be dangerous not only for you but the other people in vehicles or houses you may collide with if you lose control of your car.
There are still so many things that you have to know about surviving a storm disaster but the ones that are mentioned above are the most important ones. Always be prepared and keep safe.
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