On May 7th, kick off your celebrations for National Hurricane Preparedness Week by getting ready to improve your storm readiness. Each year, preparing for hurricanes becomes even more important as global warming increases the frequency and severity of tropical cyclones. A boost in hurricane activity and intensity elevates the likelihood of increased property damage and injuries, or even death, to people and animals in the path of the storm. When you are prepared and have a plan, your ability to mitigate these potentially catastrophic effects improves across the board.
Learn About Informative Topics Assigned to Each Day
On each day of National Hurricane Preparedness Week, you will have an opportunity to learn about a different topic relating to preparing for tropical cyclones. The first day focuses on major hurricanes to hit the United States, while the second day is used to explore the main hazards, including flooding. On the third day, you will look at how scientists use prediction models to forecast storm coverage. The final days are used to discuss how to plan and prepare for the storms expected to hit land.
Create an Emergency Plan with Your Family
Creating an emergency plan is the most effective way to ensure you can escape or weather the storm without suffering catastrophic injuries or property damage. During hurricane week, you will have a chance to create a disaster plan using precise checklists developed for this purpose. You will learn how to identify an ideal family meeting spot and map out ideal evacuation routes to use for major storms. Precisely follow all planning steps to prepare your family to act fast when storm prediction models reveal a hurricane is on its way.
Identify Ways to Secure Your Property
Securing your property is vital in ensuring the high winds and floodwaters do not turn your unsecured outdoor items into projectiles. You will learn how to assess your property for hidden hazards and best practices in firmly securing all loose items on your land. During this phase, you will need to determine if you should trim back low-hanging tree branches, clear drainage elements and install a generator in case you need to shelter in place. Take action right away to ensure your property is secured well before the next storm forms over nearby warm ocean waters.
Create Emergency Kits for Every Situation
Everyone in your household should have a go-bag and an emergency kit in their vehicle. You should also create an emergency kit to store inside your house in the event of a shelter in place situation. As you celebrate this week, sit down with your family to plan and pack your emergency kits. Use available checklists to ensure you have all the right items tucked away for your use while waiting for the storm to clear. When in doubt, pack extra of the items suggested without making the emergency kits too heavy to carry as you evacuate.
Perform Smart Upgrades for Your Home
Smart home upgrades can save you money and frustration in the long run by mitigating hurricane damage. As you learn about the major hurricane hazards, focus on identifying areas in need of improvement around your home. Look into flood and wind prevention elements, including hurricane straps for your roof, waterproof building materials and storm shutters for your windows. Plan how you will integrate these elements into your home to reduce your need for major recovery after the hurricane ends.
Share Your Knowledge About Hurricane Preparedness
To effectively mitigate damage and prevent injuries, you must involve your friends, family, and neighbors in learning about hurricane hazards and preparing for the worst of storms. Share the knowledge you gain during National Hurricane Preparedness Week with all the people in your life to help everyone get ready for the next big storm.
When your neighbors go ahead with securing their property and integrating preventative elements into their homes, your neighborhood will likely fare much better than ever before. Furthermore, when everyone has emergency supplies tucked away, following evacuation orders or sheltering in place becomes a much less scary proposition.
Take advantage of this important week of hurricane preparedness to ensure you, your loved ones and your property can get through the storm with minimal repercussions.