Preparing For Heavy Rain

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It’s amazing how we love the rainy weather because of the good riddance it brings to us from the heat and humidity. We finally get to see people come out from the comforts of their homes and take pleasure in the fantastic weather. However, as the rains become heavier and more continuous than usual, they disrupt the normal activities of the day. From waterlogged roads to inability to drive your vehicles to difficulty in boarding public transport to getting wet no matter how many umbrellas or raincoats you have, rain can be a genuine pain as well. Sometimes, it comes in the form of a storm that stays for a long time. From power outage, leakage and waterlogging, you experience a significant amount of inconvenience.

Here we are with a few preparatory tips to deal with this difficulty that a rainstorm brings.

Leakage

If you have been living in an old home, there are quite a few spots that experience water leakage when the clouds begin to pour cats and dogs. It is frustrating when you find your basement flooded with water, and you can do nothing about it because well, the damage is already done. To cope with this kind of water damage you must:

– Put sandbags around the doorway: Sand has a high capacity to absorb water. When the rain gets converted into a rainstorm, and it just does not stop pouring, all you have to do is take these sandbags out and line your doorway. If you live in a lower area where water seeps in quite quickly, create a barrier with two to three layers of sandbags next to each other. Most of the times, when a rainstorm occurs, free supplies of sandbags are given out. Even if you’re unable to grab the free ones, buying them is not harsh on your pocket. You can also take care of water in the garage by placing them on the garage door.

– Hurricane Socks: A great alternative to sandbags is hurricane socks that have the capability to absorb as much as one gallon of water at a time. You can reuse them after drying them in the spinner of your washing machine.

– Check the gutter and drainage system around your house: Blocked, or choked gutters can cause the water to come back up which in turn will enter your house. Before the rainy season arrives or when you hear the forecast of an impending rainstorm, get the gutters checked and in the case of any blockage, get them cleared for your benefit. If you find granules in your gutter, it means that the coating of your house’s roof needs resealing.

– To prevent any leakage from the roof, have it checked by the professionals at least two times in a year. This regular check-up will not only save you from the dripping water during a rainstorm but will also save you from an enormous expenditure when a bigger damage happens. If the metal sheet has holes or rusty areas, get it replaced because that is what becomes the leakage spot. Ceiling discoloration is another sign of water leakage. In any case, even after you have made all the amendments you can, and the leakage still occurs, keep a quick fix solution so you can apply it on the leakage spot.

Personal Preparation

– Food and Water: Rainstorms tie you down to wherever you are. The excessive water makes it impossible for you to go out of your place for quite some time. Therefore, you need to have enough food and water supplies to keep yourself and your family fed and healthy. You may think that packaged, and canned food is a good option but not so much because all of them require a particular storage condition and need to be heated before consumption. With no power supply, that might not be possible. MRE meals, such as our XMRE meals, are perfect food option when you cannot prepare food at home because they do not need external heating, are high in nutritional value and come in a lot of variety. These quick and easy meals also provide beverages and snacks.

– Medication: Rainy season in itself is known for some water-borne diseases. A lot of insects thrive in the wet weather which is why you need to prepare yourself when there is a warning of a rainstorm. Consult your doctor and get all the medical supplies you may need. Keep antiseptics and antibiotics ready with you whenever there is a physical cut that bleeds. Have insect repellants to keep the threatening rain-borne insects away from biting you.

Prepare yourself before the storm strikes too hard on you.

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