Hurricanes are a yearly phenomenon in the U.S., and it is one of the most devastating natural disasters that every American will encounter in their life. Therefore, it’s essential to be prepared for it. This article will talk about the frequency of hurricanes in the U.S. and what you can do to protect yourself and your family from them.
What Are Hurricanes?
Natural disasters are a common phenomenon that happens worldwide. One of the most commonly occurring natural disasters in the U.S. is hurricanes, which hits the U.S. coastline at least six times annually.
Hurricanes are a type of tropical cyclone that has maximum sustained winds of about 74 miles per hour. You read that right, and winds during a hurricane are as fast as a speeding car. This kind of tropical cyclone usually forms in the seas and oceans surrounding the U.S., and when they become big enough, they eventually become labeled as hurricanes.
Damage Caused by Hurricanes
Hurricanes have been notoriously known to cost billions of damage annually. It’s estimated that hurricanes, on average, cost the United States about $21 billion of damage per hit. Overall, between 1980 and 2020, it has cost the country about two trillion dollars in damages. The highest damaging hurricane (accounting for inflation) is Hurricane Katrina, costing over $150 billion in damages.
Experts believe that hurricanes are more likely to happen as climate change turns for the worse. So now that you know the damage hurricanes can do to your state, it’s undeniable that it’s something you should prepare and invest for.
Preparing for a Hurricane
Preparing for a hurricane requires a couple of months in advance. Many risk disaster experts believe that you should have various things organized before the news talks about a hurricane hitting the U.S. This means going shopping for necessary supplies that will help you and your family survive during a hurricane.
Emergency Supplies
It’s recommended that every family has at least a week’s supply of food in-store every year. When buying these supplies, we suggest purchasing them in bulk. We also suggest purchasing canned goods or non-perishable food such as canned meat, peanut butter, coffee, granola bars, and others. This will give you the necessary calories to sustain you for at least a week.
Additionally, you should consider buying first-aid kits in your pharmacy alongside all sorts of over-the-counter drugs. This should help you prepare for anything that might happen to you and your family when the hurricane hits.
By the end of the day, your investments into these supplies wouldn’t go to waste. First-aid kits can be used if someone had a minor cut inside your home, and the food supplies can be used months before their expiration date. Ultimately, it’s worth refreshing these supplies if you had used them early on in the year.
Repair Your Home
Your home is going to be your first line of defense against a hurricane, and if it is ill-prepared for it, you’re going to have to evacuate.
Preparing your home for a hurricane requires you to check your home’s foundations. It’s also important to install a sturdy rain gutter at the sides of your home so that the rain won’t damage and depreciate the foundations of your house. This will also help redirect water into the sewers so that you won’t have flooding near your home.
You must repair any cracks in the walls or holes inside your home. These can easily let rainwater in, and during strong hurricanes, it would only take a few minutes before your house is flooded. Also, consider installing a flood barrier on your doors if there’s a risk of flooding near your area.
Prepare an Evacuation Plan
Lastly, you’re going to need to prepare an evacuation plan for your family. Consider your options and keep an eye out on evacuation areas near your neighborhood. Purchase a walkie-talkie and ensure that everyone in your family has one. Set a meeting point just in case someone in your family gets lost.
An evacuation plan can be made for months, and it can be used for all sorts of natural disasters. Remember that your life is more important than your home or your belongings. Insurance can always pay for those, but it can never pay for your life. So have an evacuation plan ready when things turn for the worse during a hurricane.
So these are the various ways you can prepare yourself and your family for a hurricane. Always remember never to panic and consider your options. You may never know the life you might save is your own.
