Since the rains are here and here with a vengeance, we thought that it would be a good idea to provide you with a few tips that should help you, your loved ones and your home weather the weather.
There are three things to consider when a storm is over the horizon: Yourself; Your loved ones; and your home.
Before the Storm:
- Bug-out Bags. Check your and your family’s bug-out-bags.Here’s a sample bug-out-bag that we featured a few weeks ago. Make sure that your batteries – for lights and cellphones – are fresh and stock up on medicines, and non-perishable ready to eat food.
- Have a plan. If you live in lowlands, or flood prone areas, agree with your family as to when you have to bug-out (Don’t forget the Dog or the cat). Agree upon where you will wait out the storm and agree that – if you get separated – you will all make your way to the rally point.
- Ready your home. If you live in a flood prone area, potentially free floating debris in your yard can damage your home or make moving around difficult. Raise the furniture and all electronic devices to a relatively safe position, and – if you bug-out – kill the breakers to ensure that there is no running electricity in the home.
During the storm:
- If you don’t need it, unplug it. Unless every device or appliance in your home is protected by a voltage regulator, unplug any electronic device or appliance that is not being used as they may fall victim to power surges.
- Be ready to go low tech. Face it: Internet and cellphone transmissions are prone to failure during a storm. Since you need to keep up with what’s happening to know if you and your family are in danger, it’s usually best to be prepared to fall back to battery powered AM radio power.
- Stay in a safe place. High winds may cause windows to shatter or doors to suddenly burst open (Or off their hinges). Stay away from these.
After the Storm:
- Watch the spark. If you bugged out and the house flooded, don’t rush to turn your power back on. Have an electrician check to see if there is any lasting damage to your electrical system first.
- Pet the Pets. Check on the furry members of your household. They may be traumatized or in need of a vet. Look for behavior that is erratic or symptomatic of high stress and try to be as assuring and supportive as possible. Remember, their home was also ravaged.
- Check your home. Aside from having your electronics professionally looked at, look for cracked or broken windows and work out replacing these. Check on door hinges – especially if they were rattling like crazy during the storm and have these replaced or reinforced. Clean your yard and look for things – or animals (Snakes for example) – that may have been blown into your property and can be a danger or in need of coaxing back into their normal environment.
If you need help rebuilding or fixing your home after a storm, why don’t you check out our website http://www.mchomedepot.com/shop/ or visit our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MCHomeDepotInc/ to talk to one of our E-Commerce Representatives during office hours (10am to 7pm M-Sat, Manila time).
