How to prepare for a hurricane
Emma Ogren, Staff Writer
Graphic courtesy of Emma Ogren
Hurricane Helene was unprecedented and damaging to North Greenville University and many other communities. Now that we know the magnitude these storms can hold, we can prepare properly in case a hurricane ever hits again.
Junior musical theater major, Rachel Forseter, whose home got hit by Helene last year, said, “taking these weather events more seriously in the first place,” will help in preparedness.
Here are a few steps you can take to make sure you and your family are ready for natural disaster.
1) Have a game plan ready and practice it.
Know an evacuation route and where you would evacuate to if it got to this point. Make sure all members of the family know this plan and practice getting out of the house a few times to ensure that everyone understands. If you know the route and can easily do it without thinking hard, getting out will be much faster. This can allow you to get further away from the storm in the shortest amount of time.
2) Keep supplies ready.
Always keep an emergency kit in your home to take with you or to tide you over in a difficult situation. Items to include in your emergency kit are water bottles, nonperishable food, any medications you might have, important documents, hygiene products, flashlights and a battery powered radio. Make sure there is at least a three-day supply to hold your family over until things can be fixed. Having these items ready can make it easier to grab if evacuating or give you the necessities for a few days’ time. Included in supplies, make sure to get gas in your car a few days prior and keep a gas can full in case of evacuation.
3) Keep electronics charged and have portable chargers ready.
If you have not yet lost power, make sure to keep your phone charged and in preparation, charge any portable chargers you might have. Just in case your phone dies and you do not have power, there will be a back up. This way, you can still contact family and keep up with the latest news about the storm.
Forester stated how important it is to keep in touch with family throughout these disasters, especially if separated. Contact your loved ones for updates on damage and everyone’s safety.
4) Strengthen your home.
Reinforce weak points throughout your residence with materials such as plywood. Cover the windows and keep doors closed. If in a more hurricane susceptible area, consider storm shutters to have continuous reinforced windows. It is also a good idea to go over your insurance policy to see what damage could be covered after the storm is passed.
5) Stay informed.
This is where the battery powered radio or portable chargers really come into play. Know the proper news outlets to follow to stay updated with the pathway of the storm and how damage is in your community. Good sites to look at to stay updated are the National Weather Service, government alerts and your local news.
