“The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining”
— John F. Kennedy
One of the great movie teaser lines ever: “Just when you thought it was safe to get back in the water…”
…(You hear the JAWS theme pumping through your head.)
"Print this out and keep it handy. It is the combined wisdom from those who have weathered Tropical Storm Allison, as well as lessons learned from Katrina, " says Dr. Robert "Safety Bob" Emery, assistant vice president of Environmental Health and Safety at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.
Before You See the Funny-Looking Weather Maps
Long before the weather reports start crawling along the bottom of your TV screen, have these items on hand in your home:
- Gallon of water per day per person (about three days worth)
- Three-day supply of all daily medications
- First-aid kit (and check for expired contents)
- Readily consumable food that doesn’t require cooking
- Handheld can opener
- Thick-soled shoes, preferably rubber-soled or rubber boots
- Rain gear and sturdy work gloves
- Fresh batteries and flashlights
- Fresh batteries and portable radio
- Charged cell phone and charger
- Masking tape or duct tape to brace windows from wind
- A reasonably full gas tank during hurricane months
- Fire extinguisher (check to see that it is in working order)
- Check your insurance policy if you are concerned about “rising water.” Most homeowner/renter policies do not cover rising water damage. They do however cover “driving rain”, hail and wind damage, including water damage from roof leaks. Only federal flood insurance, offered by FEMA covers flood damage.
Leaving a Paper Trail
- Cash, Traveler’s Checks and some money in coins
- Take valuable original documents to a safe deposit box
- Put copies of valuable papers in freezer bags and put them IN the freezer (it’s fairly fire, flood and wind-proof)
- Extra toilet paper (don’t laugh—it’s the one item you’ll wish you had more of)
Who Ya’ Gonna Call ?…
- Add to your freezer “file cabinet” phone numbers of family members/friends located in another area in case phones are out and you need a point of contact (Alert friends and family that if you can’t be reached by phone, that they are to call your out-of-area contact. Use this number as a check-in station.)
- Know your area’s evacuation routes, shelters and emergency numbers, including FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency
- Have your insurance agent’s numbers handy
Planning Ahead for That Rainy Day
- Know how to turn off your electricity, water and gas. Remember that you’ll need a professional to turn on your gas after the storm.
- If you’re at work, have back-up plans to retrieve kids from camp/school/day care
- Arrangements for pets—food and water
- Keep a backpack loaded with extras: medications, hidden cash and coins, personal hygiene supplies, change of clothes, sweater, comfortable shoes, packaged snacks, bottled water, deck of cards, notepad and pen
- Make a mental note to move any cardboard boxes sitting on the closet floor or under your bed. Items “out of sight” are often forgotten.
When the TV Reporter is Soaking Wet and Windblown:
Once the National Weather Service has issued a warning and your area must evacuate:
- Grab cell phone and charger
- “Freezer file cabinet” (see Hurricane Preparations)
- Emergency backpack (see Hurricane Preparations)
- Bed roll if you have room in your car, in case shelter runs out of supplies
- If you’re evacuating by car, move items like flashlights and emergency flares from the trunk to the back seat before you start driving
- Towels
- Pets and leash
If your area has been advised to shelter in place and/or your neighborhood streets are already flooded or winds make it too dangerous to leave your home:
- If you still have electricity, stay tuned to weather coverage and charge your cell phone
- Alert your friends/family list that a hurricane is headed your way and you might lose contact by land line
- If you’ve lost electricity, turn on your battery-powered radio
- Tape your windows in an “x” to mitigate glass breakage and shards from wind, hail and driving rain
- Secure patio furniture, sun umbrellas—anything that can be picked up by strong winds and turned into a missile
- Duct tape window edges at the sills and sides if you believe driving rain has a point of entry there
- Watch for downed power lines in your yard
- Have an interior room/hallway/bathtub cleared in case you need tornado coverage
- Make a list of items by priority that must be moved higher should your home begin to flood, such as computers, valuable documents, photos, electronics
When You See Dorothy Grab Toto…
Tornado Tips and Clues
http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/NWSTornado/
Tornados, those twisted byproducts of hurricanes, give little warning even to weather experts, so this is what to look for:
- Dark, often greenish sky
- Wall cloud
- Large hail
- Loud roar; similar to a freight train
If you are in your home (and do not have a basement):
- go immediately to an interior room/hallway/interior doorway
- or the bathtub, with pillows or a mattress pulled over you
- Get away from the windows
- According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), it is a myth that you should open two windows to avoid a negative pressure build-up (and house implosion). They advise you to keep windows closed to avoid debris. They also say that most “explosions” occur from large debris crashing into structures
- Do not use candles. Broken gas lines could ignite
- Keep your head down and your mouth closed to avoid debris entering the throat
If you are in your car:
- As difficult as this may seem, leave your car for an underpass or building, if possible.
- Do not try to outrun the tornado. You cannot predict its direction.
Story by: Karen Krakower
Part II:
Noah's Ark:
When Your House Becomes a House Boat
Date Updated: 08/08/2006
