My little town of Madison, New Jersey, much like the rest of the East Coast, was hit by Hurricane Irene. I can’t even count how many people said to me, “Oh, it’s only a Category 1, it’s not even going to hit us!” But I think the entire East Coast would beg to differ.
I’ve seen more damage in my small town and the surrounding towns than I ever have in this area before. Trees down all over—three in my neighbor’s yard alone—
power lines lying in the road (some homes didn’t get power back until Labor Day), telephone poles snapped in half and homeowners pumping the water out of their basements.
Let this be a lesson in preparedness. Now I do realize that hurricanes do not hit the mid-Atlantic every day, and in fact this was the first time in history they had mandatory evacuations in New York City, but anything can happen! Now we’ve seen it, so next time let’s be prepared. Here are a few tips on how to prepare for these natural disasters, whether home with your family or at school across the country:
- Keep in touch with family
Find a family member out of the disaster area and let them know what’s going on! Make sure they’re keeping tabs on the news and weather service announcements. Let them know where you are planning to go in the case you are evacuated. Most importantly, make sure you call them immediately after the storm and let them know you are safe and sound.
- Be prepared
Have water ready. Fill containers of water, whether it is pots and pans or having cases of water bottles. Also, if the storm is expected to affect the sewage systems, fill your bathtub with water so you can flush the toilets (otherwise, you will have an unfortunate smell to deal with). Bring in your lawn furniture and anything loose from outside, or tie it down (especially garbage cans). Also, it will pay off to have a small bag with a few outfits and toiletries in it, in the event you have to make an emergency evacuation. And finally, canned food! Don’t rely on the leftovers in the fridge, if the power goes out and is not restored for a couple of days the food in the fridge will go bad. In case the power does go out, it might be wise to make sure you have a few flashlights and extra batteries in the house. Even a small battery powered radio will be helpful in getting the news and weather updates in the event you lose power and can’t watch the news on TV.
- Keep your family safe
If you are not evacuated and for some reason do not feel comfortable staying in your house for any reason, LEAVE! It is definitely worth the gas money or hotel bill to keep your family safe. The storm may be more damaging in your area than expected, so follow your gut feeling. It is worth it in the end, I promise.
So, next time a storm is coming, listen to the news! If they tell you to evacuate, do it! If they tell you to stay inside, don’t go running around town trying to take cool storm pictures! These storms can be unpredictable and take life threatening turns in a moment’s notice. Do what the professionals say and you will keep you and your family safe.