“Tropical Storms When Disaster Strikes, Be Ready”

Imagine losing your home, car or other possessions. If you are weak at preparing for a tropical storm, this is a definite possibility.

Hurricanes are the worst natural disaster to strike the United States and thousands of families have seen their lives destroyed. Compared to tornadoes, Hurricanes on average are about 2,000 times bigger.

Hurricanes are a deadly mix of rain and wind. One hurricane stirs up millions of miles of air and can dump more than 2.4 trillion gallons of rain in a day.

Hurricane home preparation often begins with the windows. There are several ways to protect your home during a tropical storm.

Use storm shutters, such as accordion storm shutters, aluminum storm shutters or high velocity hurricane shutters. These will protect your home from debris and protect you and your family from injuries due to broken glass.

Shutters work better than hurricane blinds, which are not certified for hurricane protection.

There are other ways to prepare for a hurricane, including having an emergency kit with food, water and other supplies to last for 72 hours. Know your community’s evacuation route and how to find higher ground.

While people have more tools to prepare, they are dealing with worse conditions than in past years. Five of the 10 most costly hurricanes in the United States have occurred since 1990.

Hurricane Katrina (2005), the third-deadliest in American history, is the most recent example of how weather is getting worse over time. Katrina wiped out towns in Louisiana and Mississippi.

So when should you start preparing for a tropical storm? As soon as you hear your local weather person use a name to describe it from a list selected by the World Meteorological Organization. Fortunately, you will have a few days to get ahead of the storm.

To survive a disaster, make sure you have preparing for a tropical storm down to an art. It can save the life of you and your family. Read more.