What to Do If You Experience a Hurricane

During hurricane season, it’s very important to make sure we are prepared in case we have to deal with a Hurricane or Tropical Storm. Hurricanes are most common in the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic Ocean and the Eastern Pacific Ocean. Hurricanes can be up to 600 miles across in some cases and have sustained winds of up to 200 MPH. One of the most important things to consider, when living in areas prone to be hit by Hurricanes, is prevention. Most people make the mistake of trying to get prepared, after the danger is imminent. It’s always recommended to be prepared at all times for a Hurricane for the following reasons:

Hurricanes not only bring strong winds, they bring a lot of rain, hail, lightning and high waves on the coast areas. You must prepare according to your location and evacuate if needed, as floods are always a possibility. If you are not in an area that can get flooded and are planning to ride out the storm at your house, there are various things you must consider. The first and most important being protecting your house. The weakest link in your house is usually the windows and the roof. For the roof you can use Hurricane straps to secure it to the rest of the house. When it comes to windows, the best way to protect them is with Window Coverings. There are various systems that are very efficient at protecting your windows. For example, you can use an Armor Screen which is designed for strength and durability or a Grommet System, which provides protection against high winds and debris and it’s very lightweight and easy to handle. If you are looking for a more permanent option, you could consider a Roll-Up System, which provides convenience and protection all in one product. You can find this and many other product at Armor Screen Hurricane Protection.
Once your house is protected, you must think of all necessary products that you’ll need during and after the storm. For example, bottled water, canned food, batteries, flashlights, a first aid kit, a line of communication (cell phone). Make sure to account for every person in the house and get enough supplies to last a few weeks at the least. Hurricanes can cause extreme damage to the power grid, so being without power for sometime is always a possibility. Be sure to follow the weather forecast, as they might have some very useful and important information. Once the storm hits, stay inside, don’t open any doors, use as little energy as possible, remove any objects close to the windows and if you have children, try to keep their minds occupied with board or card games and make sure you keep them in sight at all times.
Here are some additional tips that could be very useful:

• Don’t buy a lot of frozen food as it could get spoiled if you lose power.
• Make sure to have plenty of water for your essential needs
• Park your cars in protected areas, maybe even in somebody else’s house if possible
• Trim all trees around your house to avoid branches breaking and falling on your house
• Stay in the most safe place of the house, figure out from where the storm will hit and gather in the farthest room possible.
• Keep your family together during the storm, if the storm hits at night, the adults might want to take turns and keep watch.
• If you have pets, make sure they are inside and have enough food for a few weeks.

Also, please keep in mind that Hurricanes have a calmed area known as the eye, which is the center of the storm. When this area is over your location, there will be relative calm, no winds or rain, please stay inside, as shortly after the back of the storm, which carries the stronger winds will hit. Most deaths during Hurricanes happen at this precise moment, as people think the storm is over and want to go outside to see the extent of the damage.
Finally, after the storm passes, be very careful when stepping outside as tree branches and other debris, including glass, might be all over the place. Be Safe!