Chapter 4: How to Be Prepared for a Severe Storm

Severe storms can happen anytime of the year. In winter there are severe snow storms that prevent people from going out. In summer there are severe rain storms that can cause flooding and damage to the home. There other severe storms like Tornadoes and Hurricanes, as well. Anytime of the year it is important to have your home prepared for such a storm. Buy what you need for you and your family to be safe. Injuries can happen so make sure to have a first aid kit. Take a first aid class if you feel you do not know what to do when someone gets hurt.

If the weather is starting to look bad outside feel free to find a weather program or website that can tell you if a severe storm is coming. If there is a bad storm coming make sure to get updates on where the storm is and when it will be in your area. Make sure to be prepared in advance of a storm so you do not have to go out in the bad weather to get things that you will need to be safe in the storm. If you are out and do not feel safe coming home find a safe place to stop and wait until the storm passes. One thing to do to see how severe the storm is to watch how fast the clouds are moving and what color they are. The darker the cloud the more there is to worry about in terms of the storm.

When the storm is coming make sure to have your supplies ready for it. It is important to have food to eat if the power was to go out and you would not be able to cook or cool food. Also consider having beverages in case something happens to water flow in your house. Some storms will cause you to lose water or have dirty water that cannot be drunk. It is important to consider what you will use if the power goes out in your house. You can use candles but it might be better to have a power generator that can be used to see well.

It is also important to go outside before the storm comes to get items that may be lost or damaged in a storm. If you do not mind items being left outside you may want to strap them down but with storms it could still be caught in a gust of wind. Once you get what you need make sure that you do not return outside until the storm passes. Make sure to find a place in the house that is closed off so that if anything were to break or fall in the house no one would get hurt. If you take precautions you should be safe and able to wait until the storm is gone. Make sure everyone knows what to do when a severe storm happens.