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Cyclone Survival Tips Making it Through the Eye of the Storm

The truth is that following basic survival protocol may just be the thing you need to make sure that you and your family make it safely through a terrible storm. In fact, this might even be just a typical day for people living in areas which are usually exposed to natural disasters of the kind. If you’ve had to experience the fury of the elements in any way, you know that this is not something you should be taking lightly. This is especially true if you live in an area which is prone to getting hit by different natural disasters regularly.

Being able to employ the proper and adequate survival tips is something of critical importance. This is the main reason for which we’ve taken the liberty of providing you with a few actionable pieces of advice which are undoubtedly going to help you through the cyclone.

The thing about cyclones is that they can strike you anytime and anywhere. As a result, it leaves behind a trail of devastation which usually amounts to a staggering amount of money, typically somewhere in the 7-figures. That’s not the worst part, though. Because cyclones are so sudden, people are commonly caught off-guard. That’s why these disasters also take quite a lot of casualties. This is the main reason for which a lot of governmental authorities as well as different private organizations are struggling to come up with comprehensive, cyclone-proofed infrastructures alongside actionable emergency procedures as well as equipment in order to anticipate this horrible natural disaster. While there are quite a lot of strides in this area, there are a lot of things that you are responsible of handling on your own, should you want to avoid being caught off-guard.

This is what we are going to be focusing on. Below you will find a few very helpful cyclone survival tips which are going to help you out through this devastating natural occurrence.

There are three categories of periods which require your utter attention – before, during and after the cyclone. So, without any further ado, let’s jump right into it.

Before the Cyclone

This is one of the most commonly underrated periods. If you are located in an area which is well known for being prone to getting hit by a cyclone, you owe it to yourself and to your family to ensure that your home is protected or at least prepared for a cyclone of any kind. Here is a comprehensive checklist that you might want to consider:

  • Coordinate with the local authorities regulating building control and determine whether or not your home is up-to-date with the current requirements as per the cyclone safety standards. This is an incredibly important thing to consider.
  • Prepare your garden or backyard, if you have one. Cut off lose branches and dead ones – this is going to prevent them from breaking off and falling on your house and causing considerable damage.
  • Consider installing metal roll-ups where you have glass doors as well as windows – this would allow you to react quickly as the cyclone starts to break loose.
  • Be careful with your outsides. Remove all loose furniture as well as decorations and make sure to store them inside. Keep in mind that these could quickly turn into deadly, loose flying objects which could cause serious damage.
  • Park your car under a shelter which is particularly extruded. Always have the parking brake on.
  • Check if the authorities allow you to pick up your kids from school – it might be safer not to do so and leave them there as the school will have the necessary cyclone survival protocols and you’d be putting them in jeopardy if you do otherwise.

This is a comprehensive list that would allow you to be prepared or at least to have the necessary alertness, should disaster strike.

Prepare Your Emergency Kit

This is also something that you need to do in advance. There is quite a lot of information on the internet which relates to preparing your own survival kit. You will need the most important survival tools in order to make sure that everything is handled as per the highest standards.

Now, there is one thing which is absolutely integral and it needs to be accounted for when you are preparing your survival emergency kit. This could easily be the most important part of cyclone survival preparation.

MRE meals – that’s what’s capable of being a game changer and a potential life saver. Meals Ready to Eat are absolutely necessary when it comes to it. Keep in mind that a cyclone could leave you without electricity and stuck in your home for days. These are disasters which are particularly devastating and you might have to wait for quite some time until help gets there. This is when the food in the fridge will start going bad and not edible. MRE meals, on the other hand, are designed with this in mind. They have particularly significant and long expiration dates and you can rest assured that they will be ready to eat. One of the best brands out there is our XMRE. They have a significant variety of options and you will certainly find something that fits your needs. Make sure that you take this into proper account as it’s undoubtedly a critical cyclone survival step.

Get a Storm Cellar

Now, this is optional, of course, as not all people could actually afford spending the money on it. However, if you have money to spare and you haven’t done it already – a storm cellar could be all you need to get you safely through the eye of the storm.

Hire licensed contractors to engineer a professional storm cellar and you can rest assured that there is nothing to be worried about when it comes to cyclone survival. These are usually created underground but they could also be engineered in another fashion.

During the Cyclone

This is likely to be the most challenging part. Of course, the way you behave and act in situations of the kind is particularly individual and it would be dependent on so many different factors. Some of them include whether you have a cellar or not, the strength of the cyclone, its longitude, severity, type alongside a range of other things to consider.

However, we’ve taken the liberty of providing you with another particularly comprehensive checklist which is going to ensure that you are a bit safer through the occurrence. These cyclone survival tips are designated to get you through the few long hours which will take place during the disaster itself.

  • Turn off the main supply of gas and the water valves as quickly as you can. Unplug all of your electrical appliances immediately. The last thing you’d want is a fire to break loose or to get your home flooded because a pipe has failed.
  • Head for the shelter as quickly as it’s humanly possible. If you do not have a shelter – stay in the lowest as well as the strongest part of your home. It is absolutely imperative to stay away from glass windows and doors.
  • If you feel like your home begins to break down, cover yourself with the largest mattress in the house. Add more layers to your clothing in order to potentially soften all sorts of blows. Make sure your family members do the same. Hold on to something particularly strong.
  • Do not undertake any actions if the winds die down immediately. Cyclones relapse. In order to be sure that everything is gone through, wait for the emergency services or the NOAA radio to announce it officially. If you are in the eye of the storm, you might experience a calm in the atmosphere, but this only means that the largest threats are yet ahead. Do not go out until you hear the announcements!

Now, it’s true that not all cyclones are that dangerous, but should you find yourself in a life threatening situation, make sure to employ the aforementioned cyclone survival tips. It is also not a bad idea to practice these steps with your family without any sudden threat. This will ensure that all of you are properly aligned when the cyclone does hit.

After the Cyclone

Wait! That’s one of the most important things that you might want to take into account. It is absolutely critical to wait! Do not go out immediately. Remember how we said that you might be in the eye of the storm? Well, after the storm had passed, there might be some imminent threats to your property. Trees as well as all sorts of loose structures like lamp posts and others of this kind present an actual threat. Assess the situation.

Most importantly, and we know that it’s been said before but it’s just so critical – wait for the “all clear” from the local authorities. Do not go out before that.

After that, you should check for damages. It’s quite common for gas leaks to appear after serious cyclones and this could present significant hazards. Do not attempt to use any wet appliances as you certainly know that water and electricity doesn’t go hand in hand.

A lot of the authorities would also provide a lot of further instructions. Make sure to keep your eyes and ears wide open. This is something important and you shouldn’t underestimate it.

If required – evacuate!

Now, this is also something which requires a bit of advanced planning. If you live in an area which is prone to cyclones and to other natural disasters, it might be a very good idea to secure an alternative evacuation destination – you know, just in case.

There might be flooded streets, lack of electricity, sinkholes and a whole lot of other complications which might require you to leave your home for quite some time. Of course, your home might also be devastated from the occurrence. If that’s the case, you have no other choice but to find temporary shelter and evacuate. It would be much better if you have some sort of plan in your head – that’s for sure.

Contact the Insurance Company

Again, this is something which requires pre-planning. If you are in an area which is prone to cyclones, it is only logical that you have your property insured against this risk. This will cost you a certain amount of money in the form of monthly premiums, but it’s something which will potentially save your entire future. Just imagine having to rebuild your home from scratch and investing all that money right after the disaster has struck. This could be financially devastating.

Pick up an insurance plan which is accurate and appropriate. Account for the overall likelihood of natural disasters and make sure that you are well protected and secured – at least financially. This is the only thing that could do with absolute certainty, so make sure to take it into account.

As you can see, there are quite a lot of things that you might want to take into consideration in order to be well prepared for a cyclone. We know that all of the above might seem like a lot of work. However, ask yourself this – is it worth risking your life and the life of your family members, just because you aren’t willing to put in a bit of time and effort? Life has its own challenges and they are sometimes going to put you to the test, pushing your limits even further. This is something that you need to understand.

If you live in an area which is particularly prone to cyclones or any other form of natural disaster, you owe it to yourself and to the ones around you to employ the necessary safety protocols and to ensure that everything is handled perfectly. This is something which could potentially save your life and there is nothing more important than this. Hopefully, you’ve found all of the above helpful in any way and you will consider doing it if you haven’t already!

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