If you’ve seen the news recently, you’ve probably seen and heard some news about Hurricane Harvey. This powerful storm has torn through the Southern US, devastating cities and towns, including huge areas of Houston, in Texas. This doesn’t mean that you have to be terrified for your own home, instead you should be making plans in case events like this ever impact you. To help you out with this, this post will be going through some of the worst natural disasters the Earth suffers, and what you can do before, during, and after the big event. With this in mind, it should be a lot easier to sleep at night when the weather is bad.
Preparation
In any sort of disaster, preparation is often the saving grace which helps people to survive. Thanks to modern communications, media, and social platforms, it’s very likely that you’ll know about any bad weather long before it hits. With this knowledge, you have the chance to prepare yourself.
- High Winds
Hurricane Harvey produced both high winds and heavy rains. It’s not as likely that you’ll get high winds on their own, but when you do you still have to prepare for it. To do this, you should start by securing any windows and doors around your home. For windows, boards should be used on the outside, and an X of tape can work on the inside. This will stop anything from striking the windows, as well as keeping the glass from the window together if any get broken. Along with this, you should also collect any items from outside which could be blown by the wind. If you have a garage park your car inside so you protect it from damage.
- Rain Storms
Wind is one thing, but water is much worse. Dealing with flooding or leaks in your home during a natural disaster will make the whole ordeal a lot harder to manage. Thankfully, though, it isn’t too hard to stop water from getting into your home. You can protect entrances, like doors and doggie doors, by using sandbags to block the water getting in. It might also be worth moving any expensive items somewhere upstairs if possible. It’s very unlikely that a flood will get upstairs, but if flood water does get in, it could easily ruin anything on the first floor.
- Earthquakes
Earthquakes are one of the hardest types of disasters to plan for and avoid, as they are almost entirely unpredictable. This sort of event occurs every day around the world. But, in most cases, the quake won’t be big enough to cause any damage. Preparing for this sort of event will take some extreme steps, though. By having a home which is made of steel and concrete, you will ensure that it is much better at dealing with shocks than something made from wood or a fabricated home. Along with this, you could also look into foundation suspension, which also helps to lessen the impact of shaking.
During The Storm
Hopefully, the preparations you have made will never have to be used. Instead, you will be able to get through your life at home without experiencing a natural disaster. These things do happen, and you could be one of the unlucky few who suffers from one of them. During a storm is a very important time, and your actions here will impact your success in both surviving and recovering from the event.
- High Winds
When experiencing a high winds, it’s advised that you always stay inside. In some high-winds, it’s possible for items as large as cars to be moved around by the chaos. Not only does this mean you could be hit by a stray item, but you could also be taken up by the wind yourself. Inside shelter you should try to avoid rooms with windows, as wind will often make them smash. You should never drive during high winds, as you could lose control of the car.
- Rain Storms
Like with high winds, if it starts to storm, it’s always best to stay inside. But, unlike during a wind storm, when rain is the problem, it can be better to spend your time slightly higher up. It takes a lot of water to fill a home, and it’s very unlikely that water will make it up to the top floors. Along with this, though, you should also be on constant watch. As water gets deeper and deeper outside, your defenses against it may prove to be too weak, letting water in. To minimize the damage this causes, you need to be ready to remove water and make repairs as fast as possible. This will help to ensure that everything stays dry.
- Earthquakes
Earthquakes don’t tend to last anywhere near as long as high winds or rain storms, and the process of keeping yourself protected is nice and easy. In most places, it is advised that you hide under the nearest solid protection during this sort of disaster. This will not only protect you from falling debris but could also save you if the building collapses. Never go outside during this sort of event, as you could put yourself in a lot more danger.
Before a lot of natural disasters, local governments and law enforcement will evacuate areas to make sure that the people there don’t get hurt. If this happens, it’s incredibly vital that you take it seriously. Most of the casualties you find during major natural disasters like these are the result of stubbornness. When people refuse to leave them home for an evacuation, they can get trapped in a place where help can’t reach them. It’s never worth ignoring advice like this, especially when it’s regarding extreme weather.
Repair
Once the dust settles, it’s time to start assessing the damage to your property to make sure that you can repair it and get life back on track. This sort of work could be expensive, but you should have home insurance to cover it, making it nice and easy to get the work done. The work that you have to do will depend on the storm itself. If you are going to do your own repairs, make sure you have the proper tools. Be sure to check out reviews of the tools like: hybrid table saw reviews.
- High Winds
High winds will almost always be incredibly destructive to the homes it touches. Unfortunately, strong winds are often enough to destroy roofing, windows, and even the structure of your home. To start, you should focus on the open and exposed areas of the home, like the roof. Special storm response companies have started up everywhere, in the wake of emergencies in the past. You can visit StormGroupRoofing.com for more information about this sort of service, and there are loads of places to help you with your windows. Once you’ve closed up any gaps, you can start to consider any other damage the winds may have caused.
- Rain Storms
Of course, like high winds, a rain storm can also be very bad for a home. Unlike high winds a thunderstorm can easily damage the inside of your home too. Drying everything out will be the first step, so you’ll need a powerful dehumidifier and a lot of paper towels. From there, you can start to perform a clean up of the dirt and grime left behind by the water. In most cases, a flooded home will have to be at least partially redecorated, and it might take some time for all of the water to leave the place.
- Earthquakes
Recovering from an earthquake will be largely a matter of tidying things up if you’re lucky. Unfortunately, though, many quakes will break windows, damage buildings, and even knock down trees. To repair this sort of damage, it’s likely that you’ll need the help of a construction professional to come and fix everything for you. Of course, though, people with strong skills in DIY may be able to handle the bulk of this work themselves.
Any natural disaster will require some clean up at the end of it. For a lot of people, the key concern will be their own home, and this makes sense. Along with this, though, your local community will also need a lot of help during an event like this. To help other people rebuild quickly, you should be willing to help those that don’t have the same skills as you. For example, if you are excellent when it comes to DIY, you might able to help people get their home back together in no time. Or, if you’re better at cooking and preparing food, you could help to feed people who have been displaced. This sort of work is the best way to help your area start back up after something goes wrong.
Hopefully, this post will inspire you to start preparing yourself for this sort of event in the future. It appears the world’s weather is going to become less and less predictable. Larger storms and more extreme disasters can be expected in the coming years. The way that people deal with these issues is what will determine that outcome, though, especially as people become more and more connected.
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