How to Keep Your Family Safe in Bad Weather

Global warming has moved beyond a worrisome glimpse into the distant future. We are already seeing the fallout happen in real-time, with extreme weather, heat waves, record storms, and droughts.

As frightening as this sounds, you can take action now to prepare yourself and your family for an emergency. To help you get organized, here are our top tips on how to keep your family safe in bad weather.

Recognize a Flash Flood

Flash floods aren’t the same as a regular heavy rain shower. They happen fast, and the rain is typically so heavy that normal drainage won’t work, hence the flood.

You must act quickly in a flash flood because the waters can rise rapidly. If you are traveling and spot rising waters ahead, the best advice is to turn back. If you are stuck in one location, move to the highest ground you can find.

Keep an Emergency Kit Handy

It’s worth having an emergency backpack you can grab in dangerous weather conditions or when you need to evacuate quickly. You should pack:

• A first aid kit
• Bottles of water and some snacks
• Waterproof warm clothing
• A blanket
• A flashlight
• A whistle
• A windup phone charger

Keep your storm safety kit stored in an easily accessible cupboard at home. When traveling, store it in the back of your car.

Familiarize Yourself With Exit Routes

You might find your emergency routes blocked or too dangerous to travel in a weather emergency. You don’t want to panic, so you should always plan for every scenario. Study a local map and note all the major routes.

Note locations of hospitals and find out if your local area has public evacuation buildings for emergencies.

Monitor Weather Forecasts

Weather forecasts aren’t perfect, and they can change by the hour. Even when a weather situation like an electrical storm seems unlikely, that might change.

To continually monitor the local weather news and be prepared to change your plans at the last minute should the weather change. Here’s some background information if you need to know what is an electrical storm.

Secure Your Home

If you receive warnings about a tornado or hurricane, you must do what you can to help secure your home. You’ll want to store away any outdoor items that could get blown away.

That includes tables, chairs, bins, and any other garden furniture. And keep trees well-trimmed to avoid loose branches causing a safety hazard in high winds.

Invest in a Power Generator

Emergency power could be a life-saver during an extended power cut from a storm. Shop for the best deal you can find and buy a portable generator that you can keep handy for emergencies.

Be Prepared for Bad Weather

There is not much you can do to prevent an upcoming storm or tornado. But you can do lots to prepare for the worse and take action to help keep your family safe. These tips will help get you started.

Our home improvement section has information on renovating your home for bad weather conditions – why not take a look?