What to Do Before a Tropical Storm Hits

Tropical storms are not something to scoff about or take lightly. Unfortunately, some people who don’t take the pending storm seriously won’t be given a second chance or a redo button that they can push. Every year, hurricanes prove deadly for many while costing billions of dollars in destructive damage to homes and businesses alike. Let’s talk about what to do before a tropical storm hits. 

Knowing what to do before and after a tropical storm could protect you, your family, and your home. People also make a few mistakes that you don’t want to get caught doing following a tropical storm.

Here’s what to do before a tropical storm hits, as well as what you should and shouldn’t do after one hits our area. 

“Prepare Your Family For Survival” by Linda Loosli

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Medical Handbook 

Secure Your Home and Property 

For starters, it’s a good idea to have your low or hanging tree limbs removed and bushes trimmed. You want to make sure they don’t cause significant damage to your home. Now’s the time to cover up your outside air conditioning unit to protect it from becoming damaged by flying debris.   

Also, be sure to move all your outdoor belongings indoors or into your garage. Whether they’re your grill, patio furniture, bikes, toys, potted plants, or other items in your yard that may blow away.

You may have outdoor structures next to your home that need to be secured and protected too. To do this, use blankets as buffers and ropes to tie them down so they don’t beat up against your house. This is one of the most important things to do before a tropical storm hits. 

Protect Windows with Storm Shutters 

Next, be sure to protect all your windows, skylights, and doors. For a quick solution, use plywood that you can hang over the window and door frames.

But for future storms, I suggest you purchase shutters and impact-resistant glass for your windows for even more added protection. 

Move Your Vehicles to Higher Ground or In the Garage

If you have garage space to park your vehicle, I suggest that you don’t leave it out in your driveway due to flying debris. If you don’t have a garage, you should move it to higher ground if there’s flooding or to an area away from trees. Ensure you’re not moving your cars close to any trees or around any power lines that can become downed. 

Stock Up on Fuel and Power Up 

Ensure you fill up your car’s gasoline tank when you hear that a tropical storm is heading your way. You don’t want to be caught waiting in line at a gas station as you scramble to get out of town if you live in an evacuation zone. Get a siphon pump to drain fuel from your vehicles and fill your generator if you need to refill that unit.  

Ensure your generator is in good working order and you have plenty of fuel if the power goes out. Also, remember to charge your phones and have a power source for other electronics before the storm arrives. I have some power units from Goal Zero that can be charged using solar panels. 

Unplug All Appliances and Devices

Don’t leave appliances, lamps, and other devices plugged into electrical outlets during the storm unless you need to for a CPAP unit or nebulizer. Consider storing them in a cabinet or closet away from windows and exterior doors to reduce the risk of flood or wind damage.

Move Important Documents to a “Safe” Place

Be sure to keep important documents, such as birth certificates, marriage licenses, insurance information, financial documents, and other paperwork, in a waterproof safety box. Many people store their jewelry, money, and other valuables in these boxes prior to a tropical storm.

Also, be sure to take inventory, including pictures, of all valuable items beforehand. That way, if anything goes missing or is damaged, your insurance company has a list and backup for your insurance claim. 

Determine Your Shelter Room 

When you’re determined and have decided to bunker down in your home and weather through the storm, you’ll need to seek out an interior room where you’ll find the most shelter. Your safest bet will be on the first floor of your home in the innermost room, away from doors and windows. Remember that roofs are often ripped off, so you may still be left vulnerable.

Have an Evacuation Plan

As part of your family emergency plan, you must also think about coming up with an evacuation plan and going over it with everyone in your family. If the tropical storm is to take place while you’re at work and your kids are at school, you must ensure that your kids follow the directives given. If your family is separated at a different time or place, you must agree on a single meeting location. All these instructions are to be followed as appropriate for the child’s age, and young children need special attention. 

Gather Emergency Supplies

Having emergency supplies gathered in advance is also extremely important. Your family will need several days’ food (non-perishable) supplies, water, flashlights, a portable radio, batteries, cash, toiletries, dry clothing, and extra blankets to stay warm. Ensure you also have a first aid kit to handle most bodily injuries during a hurricane.  

Obey Emergency Warnings 

If emergency officials urge you to evacuate well in advance, for Pete’s sake, you better listen by heeding their warning. Failing to cooperate could put your family in extreme peril and mortal danger. You get the idea. Evacuation orders are something to take very seriously and should never be ignored.  

Staying Safe Following a Hurricane

Okay, so now that you’ve taken the proper precautions ahead of the storm, it’s also crucial that you know how to keep your family safe after the tropical storm has struck. Being prepared is one thing, but knowing what you should and shouldn’t do after a hurricane could be the difference between life and death. These are a few ways that can help you stay safe: 

• Never set foot into floodwaters (when forced to, wear a life jacket).

• Don’t attempt driving through flooded areas (your vehicle may stall or be swept away). My husband Mark worked in Tucson, AZ, years ago during their annual monsoon season. A family was swept away in their car when they tried to drive through a wash during a severe rain storm. In that city, many roads turn into aqueducts during heavy storms.  

• Avoid using candles when possible (use flashlights that are safer). I like my solar flashlights, and I have them charging on my windowsills all the time so they’re ready when I need them.

• Watch out for downed or hanging power lines. Stay clear of any lines you see lying on the ground or hanging dangerously low to the ground.

• Don’t use any electrical devices that are left plugged into an outlet or have become wet. 

• Wash your hands if they’ve come into contact with floodwaters since there may be sewage issues in the water.  

• Don’t drink tap water until local officials deem it safe (drink bottled water instead). 

• Throw out any food that has come into contact with floodwaters or has been damaged by a power outage (damaged food may look, smell, or taste normal, but it can still cause you to get sick). 

• Never enter a building with damage caused by a hurricane unless officials declare it safe.

• Take care of any wounds immediately by using first aid supplies to prevent infection. 

Final Word

These simple precautions and ways to stay safe following a hurricane are essential for you to know and practice often, especially when you live anywhere close to where a tropical storm could affect your area. What other key ways to prepare you and your home for a hurricane that may not have been mentioned? What do you do before a tropical storm hits?  May God Bless this world, Linda. 

Copyright Images: Hurricane Tropical Storm Deposit photos_5282764_s-2019