How to Stay Safe Before During and After a Hurricane

Hurricanes come with lashing winds and heavy rainfall. These things can pull places apart, so you need to be careful. Hurricanes are massive, rotating storms that have gone out of control. They have a deadly force. They cause immense destruction. The effect of the cyclone depends on the intensity of the storm.

How Hurricanes Form

Hurricanes are a danger to people living in coastal areas as those areas are low-lying. They form in warm waters that are near the equator. When the hot, wet air rises, there are pressure areas between the ocean water and the clouds, which create circular movements. These movements spin and keep growing.

Measuring the Intensity of a Hurricane

The Saffir/Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale says that the people group hurricanes into five categories. The categories depend on their wind speed. For example, a category one hurricane has a wind speed of 74 miles per hour, while a category five hurricane has a wind speed of 157 miles per hour or more.

The Different Names Given to a Hurricane

If the hurricane develops over the Atlantic or East Pacific Ocean, it is called a hurricane. If it originates in the northwestern Pacific or the Philippines, we call it a typhoon; and if it arises in the Indian and South Pacific Ocean, it is called a cyclone.

How to Stay Safe During a Hurricane

BEFORE A STORM

• Those who live near the coasts should make evacuation plans. Find a safe shelter and decide on the best route to get there.

• Keep all your emergency supplies ready. These would include medicines, food, water, protective clothing, batteries, torches, essential documents, road maps, etc.

• Charge all electronic items. Make provisions for cases where you may not have any signal.

• Do not use your phone or any electrical equipment unless necessary. A storm has lightning, and that can increase your chances of getting electrocuted.

• If you live in a place that has frequent hurricanes, invest in storm shutters. If you do not have storm shutters, cover your windows with plywood to prevent them from shattering.

• Clean all the pipes and storm drains so that drainage is useful during a storm.

DURING A STORM

• Sign up for community alerts. Listen to regular updates on the TV or radio.

• Take cover in a safe building and stay away from the windows.

• Do not presume that the storm has ended and ventured out of your place of protection. It may be the eye of the wind and not the end. Wait for announcements from authorities that the storm has ended.

• If you are outdoors, take cover.

AFTER A STORM

• Do not be too eager to start your life. Experts say that people need to take it slow for a while after a hurricane.

• If the authorities have evacuated you, do not return until they say that it is safe for you to return.

• Avoid electronic equipment and power lines for some time.

• Look for rodents or reptiles which may have come into your house with the storm.

• Open the windows to dry the house.

• Do not eat food from the refrigerator or drink water from the taps until you have checked for contamination.

Follow these simple rules of safety, and you will be safe during a hurricane.