Living in Tornado Alley, it is especially important for my family to prepare for violent weather. Deadly storms, tornadoes, and hurricanes ravage households across the country each year and are constant reminders that Mother Nature has a temper. These storms seem innocent in the beginning, but each year no matter how many safeguards are in place, communities all across America are stripped of their resources, people, and livelihoods in the blink of an eye. It is heartbreaking to see so many people affected time and time again when it seems there are so many precautions that can be taken to ensure people aren’t killed and possessions aren’t lost. But, no matter how many safety measures are in place in any town or community, it is always a terrific idea for you to take personal precautions, just like my family does, in order to prepare ahead of time for the storms, know what to do during the actual event, and, unfortunately, what to do in the storm’s aftermath.

Preparing before the storm can be just as important as taking safety measures during the storm, if not more so because it can eliminate some of the guesswork and prevent harm from coming to your family, pets, and belongings. We can’t all be meteorologists; so having certain supplies and courses of action prepared ahead of time can save heartache afterwards.

I did some research online after the latest bout of tornados in my region and I found a good checklist to make sure that my family isn’t devastated by an abrupt storm.

We created an emergency supply kit including medical supplies, our prescription medicines, non-perishable food that doesn’t need to be cooked, bottled water, clothes, and blankets. Since we have all of these necessities together in one spot, it’s very easy to grab the kit and head for safety without wasting valuable time that can mean the difference between life and death. Also, should disaster catch us, our emergency supply kit will help us survive until help arrives.

As a homeowner, there are many insurance policies that I need to have so, we reviewed all of our policies and included extra copies of them and other important paperwork in our emergency supply kit so that we know exactly what we have should disaster strike.

Also very important was the creation of an evacuation plan. Luckily our ranch style home has a basement that we can seek cover in and some other homes may have safe rooms or, in luxury house plans, there may be plenty of spaces to choose from, but many other homes, for example A-Frame homes which have many windows, aren’t so lucky. You need to review your evacuation plan and have solid decisions in place of where you and your family will stay if you do need to leave your home or have no home to return to. Consider informing family and friends of your plan so they know where you will be after a weather tragedy. And, remember if you have pets like we do, be sure that your plan includes their safety as well since many storm shelters will not allow animals.

While I personally do not have to deal with hurricanes, I have an aunt who braves the hurricane season every year on the coast. She covers her doors and windows in the event of a hurricane but as with everything, she needs to test out her plans to make sure they actually works.

Should a major storm be imminent, especially a hurricane, tape the inside of large paned windows with an “X” along the full length of their diagonals. This keeps glass from flying everywhere if the windows break or crack.

Keep at least one battery-powered flashlight where it can be located by everyone in the household. We have a cabinet right off the main hall and next to the basement where we keep our flashlights and extra batteries and we also leave a flashlight downstairs in case there really is no time to retrieve the supplies from upstairs. Also, we keep a battery-powered radio with the flashlights in order to receive further weather information if the power is out.

Always a concern during a storm, water damage can result in the highest repair expense for homeowners. We inspect our roof twice a year, once in the Spring and once in the Fall. In order to do this, we use binoculars to scan the outside of our roof and we take note of anything that seems to be a problem like loose or damaged shingles or missing nails. Then we also check for water stains in our attic, on our ceiling, and around our windows. Although it may seem like an extensive process, it’s always much better to catch the problems early before they spiral into expensive repair bills.

Before storm season, we always take a walk around our yard and even look at our neighbors’ yards looking for anything that might prove dangerous during a storm. We pay close attention to any trees that are dangerously close to power lines and trees that could damage the house. Unfortunately a few years ago, a tree in our backyard toppled over during some strong winds, but luckily it didn’t cause any damage and we are even more careful than before. If you feel uncomfortable cutting down trees near your home or near power lines, hire a professional.

We recently installed surge protectors throughout our home to plug all of our electronics, media equipment, and appliances into so they don’t get damaged during an electrical storm and heavy lightning.

In addition, you should be sure to have one phone in the house that does not require electricity to operate. Cordless phones and phones attached to answering machines require electricity so you will need a traditional analog phone or, more likely, a cell phone.

In order to feel more safe and secure, I signed my family and me up for first aid and CPR classes at the local hospital, but the American Red Cross also provides these services and the peace of mind is certainly worth it. Just as a rule of thumb, when the weather forecast has been threatening nasty weather all week, we make sure to have a full tank of gas incase the gas pumps are out of service when there is a sudden loss of power.

Even if the local news begins to display warnings in nearby areas but not ours, we remove outdoor items, like deck chairs, that could become airborne during strong winds. When a storm is within sight or is being reported, we move to our basement and avoid areas where large pieces of furniture rest on the floor above us. However, not everyone has a basement, so they should move to an interior room, cover their heads, find a place under immobile furniture, or wrap blankets and pillows around themselves to avoid sharp glass, nails, and other debris.

In addition to all of your preparation before the storm, it’s very important to take certain precautions during the severe weather. My dad always told me and I have always told my family that not taking a shower or bath or using a corded phone during a storm will help prevent any chance of electrical shock. Also, we make sure to stay away from windows where flying debris can cause sudden injury and close all blinds and draperies in the event our windows do begin to break. This way, the windows treatments can at least slow down the flying glass. Finally, common sense tells us to not go out in severe weather, but if, for example, you feel threatened by rising waters in a hurricane, then seek higher ground and follow instructions given by civil defense personnel.

Luckily, my family has remained safe from any severe weather damage, however many are not so lucky and it could happen at any moment, so I researched some steps to take after the storm has passed for my family to review in case we are struck by disaster.

The first tip tells us to keep away from any downed power lines because they can sometimes spark and snap, which can be very dangerous. If anyone you know experiences electrical shock, then call 911 or your local emergency service immediately.

Then we need to be careful when approaching all fallen items and debris especially those that are metal because downed power lines might be hiding within the debris. Also, we should stay out of heavily damaged houses since they could possibly collapse at any time and we shouldn’t use matches or lighters in case leaking gas or fuel happen to be nearby.

In regards to generators, never hook them up to your home’s electrical system and connect appliances directly to the generator with properly sized power cord. Finally, make sure the generator is grounded, ready for safe use, and in a well-ventilated area.

Just in case you aren’t home when your power returns and the power outage has lasted longer than a few hours, then you should turn off your range, toaster over, and iron. In addition, turning off your air conditioner and water heater when power goes out prevents system overload when power is turned back on. Ideally, you should turn them back on 30 minutes after power has been restored.

Wear hard-soled shoes if you walk around the outside of your home after a storm and even wear the hard-soled shoes during the storm in case the worst happens. Avoid driving if possible, allowing the roads to remain clear for emergency vehicles and personnel.

Finally, remain as calm as possible and stay alert. Listen for information from local officials, police, and other emergency personnel so that you can get the help you need as soon as possible.

The storms we see blowing across the country today have been some of the strongest, most intense storms in history. Because of weather’s unpredictable nature, I have tried to prepare my family in the best way possible: through information. Keeping aware of the weather and taking precautionary steps before a storm can very well save a life but my family also needs to make certain they know how to handle themselves during and after such a destructive event.

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