Ready to weather the elements -- preparing to safely ride the storm out
Whether it's rain, sleet, snow or ice, preparation is the first step consumers should take to weather a storm and its aftermath. UL, a global safety testing organization, urges consumers to plan - and practice - storm drills to ensure their families know what to do before the storm hits.
Plan ahead
"Consumers should know which storms are most likely to strike their region and prepare before the storm warning," says John Drengenberg, UL's Director of Consumer Affairs. "Just the threat of a severe storm can create chaos in your home or even community."
Planning ahead will help alleviate some of the havoc and leave families with fewer snap decisions to make. For example:
- If your region is sometimes evacuated, think ahead about how you might be able to get to safer ground. If you have your own vehicle, keep the tank half-full and the car well-maintained. If you don't have a vehicle, think ahead about how you would evacuate if needed. Can you ride with family or friends? Is public transportation a consideration?
- Thunderstorms can lead to tornadoes, and often without warning, so identify the safest location to which you can retreat as soon as skies turn dark. If you don't have a basement, identify an inside room with no windows.
Practice, practice, practice
While practicing an evacuation may not be possible, one can prepare a checklist of activities to do and items to bring.
Tornado drills aren't just for school and the workplace. Not only does the safest location in a home need to be identified, but families should practice getting to it quickly as part of tornado drills.
Keep kids calm
Unfamiliar events can be daunting for adults, but times of crisis can cause even greater stress for children of all ages. Planning ahead can help adults in the household maintain their composure, which in turn will help keep children calm.
Families should consider including popular group pastimes in the storm safety survival kit , such as board games, cards, books and crafts. Don't rely on video games and other electronics; if the power is out, they won't work.
Friends and family
Of course, the priority during the storm should be keeping yourself safe and ensuring the well-being of those around you. In the aftermath, you will want to check on family, friends and neighbors to make sure they are safe-or let them know you are well.
To accomplish this, experts suggest you develop a list of family and friends' phone numbers. Start making calls when the storm has passed. Another option is to develop the phone list into a phone tree. Make sure everyone on the list has a copy and knows how the system will be initiated.
Another option, particularly in widespread disasters where phone lines are down or cellular towers are overloaded, is sending text messages. As reported by MSNBC, text messages use fewer network resources; therefore they are more likely to get through, even if cellular phone calls can't.
