WEBVTT - How Can You Prepare for a Hurricane?

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Brainstuff, a production of iHeartRadio, Hey Brainstuff, Lauren Vogelbaum.

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<v Speaker 1>Here along the East coast of the United States down

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<v Speaker 1>through Central America and the Caribbean, hurricane season is the

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<v Speaker 1>period from about June through November when tropical storms are

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<v Speaker 1>most likely to form in the Atlantic Ocean and make

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<v Speaker 1>their way to land. If you've ever lived in a

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<v Speaker 1>place that sees a lot of these storms, it probably

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<v Speaker 1>takes a lot to rattle you. But whenever the National

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<v Speaker 1>Weather Service issues a hurricane watch, it means that hurricane

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<v Speaker 1>force winds are possible in the area within thirty six hours.

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<v Speaker 1>That's winds of seventy four miles per hour or above,

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<v Speaker 1>which is one hundred and nineteen kilometers per hour, which

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<v Speaker 1>means it can't hurt. To batten down the proverbial hatches

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<v Speaker 1>and fill up your car's gas tank just in case

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<v Speaker 1>of an evacuation order. So what does that entail? You

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<v Speaker 1>want to make sure that there's nothing in your yard

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<v Speaker 1>or on your porch that could get picked up and

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<v Speaker 1>flung by the wind. Toys, furniture, bikes, grills, and garbage

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<v Speaker 1>cans can all become airborne projectiles during a hurricane. You

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<v Speaker 1>can further protect yourself in your home by closing up

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<v Speaker 1>storm shutters if you have them, or boarding up your windows.

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<v Speaker 1>It's also good to make sure that you know what

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<v Speaker 1>local shelter locations are available and withdraw some cash in

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<v Speaker 1>case you need it during a power outage, which will

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<v Speaker 1>take down ATMs. If a hurricane warning is issued that

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<v Speaker 1>means hurricane force winds are expected within twelve hours. At

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<v Speaker 1>that point, you might want to crank any refrigerators you

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<v Speaker 1>have to their coldest settings so that any food in

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<v Speaker 1>them will last a bit longer in case of a

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<v Speaker 1>power outage. It's also time to start implementing whatever family

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<v Speaker 1>plan you have in place. More on how to make

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<v Speaker 1>one in a minute, but it's basically making sure everyone

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<v Speaker 1>is accounted for and has the necessities packed in case

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<v Speaker 1>an evacuation order comes through, and making reservations if your

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<v Speaker 1>plan involves going to or meeting at a hotel or

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<v Speaker 1>motel in a safe area should your area receive an

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<v Speaker 1>evacuation order, leaving as soon as possible will help prevent

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<v Speaker 1>getting stuck in traffic, but if you have time, disconnect

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<v Speaker 1>some major appliances so that there's less risk of electrical

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<v Speaker 1>shock when the power comes back and turn off the gas, electricity,

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<v Speaker 1>and water before you leave. Make sure you have all

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<v Speaker 1>important papers and documents with you, ID insurance policies, wills,

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<v Speaker 1>as well as all medications you take or might need.

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<v Speaker 1>You can also put together an emergency kit in advance,

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<v Speaker 1>with basics like food, water, and flashlights. More on that

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<v Speaker 1>than a minute too. If you have an emergency kit,

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<v Speaker 1>it's always good to bring it, even if you're expecting

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<v Speaker 1>to have supplies on hand at a shelter or other destination.

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<v Speaker 1>The closest possible evacuation destination is ideal. The best case

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<v Speaker 1>scenario is often a friend or relative who lives in

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<v Speaker 1>your area but doesn't have to evacuate. If you don't

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<v Speaker 1>have to evacuate, or if for some reason you can't,

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<v Speaker 1>you might decide to hunker down and ride out the

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<v Speaker 1>hurricane at home. First and foremost, remember that most people

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<v Speaker 1>who get hurt during a hurricane get injured by flying

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<v Speaker 1>debris and glass, So don't go outside. Even if it

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<v Speaker 1>seems like the storm is over. You might actually be

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<v Speaker 1>in the eye of the storm, and you could be

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<v Speaker 1>stranded outside when the winds pick up again. Before you

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<v Speaker 1>gather in a safe room in the interior of your home.

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<v Speaker 1>Fill up a bathtub and any spare container is with water.

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<v Speaker 1>You can use that tub water for washing and flushing

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<v Speaker 1>the toilets. If you have a spare bathtub, especially one

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<v Speaker 1>towards the interior of your home, you might want to

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<v Speaker 1>leave it empty. Tubs are always a good place to

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<v Speaker 1>take shelter if you cover yourself with blankets. If you're

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<v Speaker 1>trapped in a building that's flooding, go to the highest

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<v Speaker 1>level that you can, but don't climb into a closed

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<v Speaker 1>attic where you could become trapped by riseing water. If

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<v Speaker 1>you do encounter flooding water, don't walk, swim, or drive

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<v Speaker 1>through it. Even just six inches that's fifteen centimeters, a

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<v Speaker 1>fast moving water can knock you down one foot that's

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<v Speaker 1>thirty centimeters of moving water could sweep your car away.

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<v Speaker 1>Turn around and try another route. But okay. Back to

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<v Speaker 1>family plans and emergency kits. For a family plan, you're

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<v Speaker 1>looking to make sure everyone in your household knows what

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<v Speaker 1>to do and where to go in case of a hurricane.

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<v Speaker 1>So identify a safe room in your house where everyone

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<v Speaker 1>can gather. If you're sitting at a storm, it should

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<v Speaker 1>be an interior room. Preferably a bathroom or in the basement.

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<v Speaker 1>Stay flexible, though, and be ready to move to an

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<v Speaker 1>upper floor in case of flooding, but also think of

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<v Speaker 1>safe places to meet in the event of a hurricane

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<v Speaker 1>if you're unable to stay in your home, whether it's

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<v Speaker 1>a motel, a friend's house, or a shelter, the shorter

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<v Speaker 1>the trip the better, but if you have pets, make

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<v Speaker 1>sure they can accommodated. Memorize evacuation roots to get there

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<v Speaker 1>from your home, office, or school, and have all emergency

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<v Speaker 1>phone numbers stored in everyone's cell phones. This should include

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<v Speaker 1>an out of state friend or relative that the whole

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<v Speaker 1>family can use as a point of contact. For your

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<v Speaker 1>emergency kit, you should include enough water and non perishable

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<v Speaker 1>food for each person for three to seven days. Everyone

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<v Speaker 1>should have a gallon of water per day. You'll also

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<v Speaker 1>want a week's worth of clothing, medications, BATA supplies, and

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<v Speaker 1>pet items, and any personal hygiene items that you each use.

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<v Speaker 1>After that, some basic tools and other supplies that may

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<v Speaker 1>come in handy, including flashlights and batteries, a first aid kit,

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<v Speaker 1>a weather radio, a multi purpose tool, cell phone chargers,

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<v Speaker 1>a manual can opener, paper cups, and plates, plastic utensils,

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<v Speaker 1>water purification tablets, moist tablets, and garbage bags. You can

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<v Speaker 1>also include copies of important personal documents, insurance paperwork, and

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<v Speaker 1>your pet's vaccination records. A ninety nine percent of your

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<v Speaker 1>job will be complete once you've secured your home, figured

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<v Speaker 1>out your plan, and stocked your emergency kit. At the

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<v Speaker 1>start of hurricane season every year, double check your supplies

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<v Speaker 1>and replace batteries to ensure that you'll be ready to

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<v Speaker 1>hit the ground running if a tropical storm does come

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<v Speaker 1>your way. Once a storm has passed, it's always tempting

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<v Speaker 1>to go outside and see what's going on, but wait

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<v Speaker 1>until the authorities give the all clear signal, and even then,

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<v Speaker 1>watch for hazards like downed power lines, damage structures or

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<v Speaker 1>trees that might fall, and broken glass or other debris.

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<v Speaker 1>If you need to start cleaning up, wear protective clothing, shoes, gloves,

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<v Speaker 1>and goggles. Don't touch electrical equipment if it's wet or

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<v Speaker 1>if you're standing in water. Turn off the electricity at

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<v Speaker 1>your home's main breaker, and don't wade in flood water.

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<v Speaker 1>There could be downed lines or dangerous debris that you

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<v Speaker 1>can't see. The phone lines could be down or overloaded

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<v Speaker 1>at this time time, try text or social media to

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<v Speaker 1>talk to loved ones. Document property damage with your phone

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<v Speaker 1>or another camera. Contact your insurance agent as soon as

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<v Speaker 1>you can to report any damage. By the way, you'll

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<v Speaker 1>want to read your homeowner's insurance policy closely before a

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<v Speaker 1>storm hits. A flood damage isn't usually covered, so you'll

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<v Speaker 1>probably need to take out a separate flood insurance policy

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<v Speaker 1>from the federal government's National Flood Insurance Program. If you

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<v Speaker 1>live in a hurricane country, depending on how long you

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<v Speaker 1>are without power, inspect the food in your freezer to

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<v Speaker 1>see if it's safe to eat. Don't drink tap water

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<v Speaker 1>until told it's okay to do so by the authorities.

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<v Speaker 1>In the meantime, boil water at a roiling boil for

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<v Speaker 1>one minute, or use water purification tablets. If you have

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<v Speaker 1>a portable gas powered generator, use it outside on a

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<v Speaker 1>dry and level surface. Never use it indoors, and never

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<v Speaker 1>pour gas into it while it's running. And of course,

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<v Speaker 1>once you safely get through a storm, it's important to

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<v Speaker 1>make sure that you're ready for the next one. During

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<v Speaker 1>the off season, make sure your plans are updated and

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<v Speaker 1>your emergency kit is refreshed, and if you own your home,

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<v Speaker 1>make sure you keep up with any repairs, tree or

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<v Speaker 1>landscaping work and window protection that you'll need for the

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<v Speaker 1>coming season. And hey, stay safe out there. Today's episode

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<v Speaker 1>is based on the article how to Prepare for Hurricane

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<v Speaker 1>on HowStuffWorks dot com, written by Alison Cooper and John Partano.

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<v Speaker 1>Brain Stuff is production of iHeartRadio in partnership with how

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<v Speaker 1>Stuffworks dot Com, and it is produced by Tyler Klang.

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<v Speaker 1>But four more podcasts my heart Radio. Visit the iHeartRadio app,

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<v Speaker 1>Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.