Hurricane protection tips

Hurricanes are the most powerful storms on Earth, and you need to be ready for them. Humans cannot stop the tremendous power of hurricanes, but they can prepare for them and even prevent danger to themselves. If you live in hurricane prone areas, such as in the southeastern United States, Mexico, or the Carribean Sea, you need to prepare yourself. Here are some protection tips:

Plan ahead
If you are not ready for a hurricane, you will be overwealmed when a hurricane warning is issued for your area. One way to plan ahead is to prepare a disaster supply kit. The FEMA or Federal Emergency Management Agency recommends the following items in a disaster kit: water, canned food, sleeping bags, a first aid kit, flares, matches, sneakers, spoons, can openers, a wistle, and juice. Also having a radio and batteries is a good idea. Look for radios that can tune directly to the National Weather Service's weather radio. Their weather radio gives constant 24 hour a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year weather. It also gives severe weather alerts.

Prepare
Heed hurricane warnings. Prepare your house and household. Make sure your car is filled with gas even during a hurricane watch so that you can get out immediately. In the event of a hurricane warning, board up your home's windows and doors. Bring in anything in your yard that can be thrown around in the high winds. If your family gets sepparated, plan a place to meet or for different members of the family to group.

Get out and go
Manditory evacuations are just that: manditory calls to get out of your home and head inland fast! Don't ignore these because you cannot hold up against a hurricane's power. Neither can your home. Be smart and evacuate!

Make sure you leave early to beat the traffic. Bring your ready kit and any neccesities, such as perscribed medicines and important papers. Also, bring anything that hurricane insurance or what not cannot replace such as pictures or special collectors items. Do not bring with your big screen TV, furniture, or other property that can be replaced because this just slows down your evacuation.

If you can't go...
...stay indoors! Whatever you do, don't go out when the eye passes by your home because when that eye is gone, the fierce winds come back! Also, stay away from windows and go to the center of the house. Your windows could blow in and flying debris could enter. Also, you are much safter from waterspouts, tornadoes that are often formed by hurricanes, in the center of your house. Prepare yourself for no electricity for a week and no access to a grociery store for a few days.

After the storm
When you go out after the storm, be careful as downed powerlines, broken glass, and other such dangers may not be cleaned up yet! You are in danger as long as the city is not cleaned up. Also, water may not be drinkable due to lack of purification and gas lines may be broken.