If you live in a hurricane prone area, you probably know what to do ahead of the storm.  After all, there is plenty of literature available that will help you and your family to put together a family preparedness plan, a survival kit, and anything else that will help you to get ready for the storms that may come knocking this season. There is decidedly less information available that deals with the proper behavior to have during a storm.  In part, this is due to the fact that each storm is different, and there really are no hard and fast rules.

Yet what about the behavior each survivor should exhibit after the storm?  Once the clouds are cleared out, the sky is once again blue, the rain has stopped, and the twisters are gone, what should you do?  Are there certain things you should not do? Here are some safety and health procedures to follow after the hurricane is over.

First and foremost, do not leave your safe room of shelter until you receive an official go ahead.  After all, perhaps you are simply experiencing the relative calm of the storm that is associated with the eye of the storm, rather than the end of the storm itself.  To this end, your battery operated radio will be your best bet for information.

Once you are given the okay to go outside, do so with extreme caution.  Remember that the storm has probably picked up debris and sometimes even heavy items and simply deposited them at random all over the landscape.  You may have some things precariously balanced on your roof or in the trees near your home.  So be sure to look up!

Similarly, the storm may have damaged the trees surrounding you.  Maybe there are tree limbs that are hanging on barely, or trees that may fall over at the slightest provocation.  Be aware of the state your landscape is in.

Of course, you also want to look down.  Are there downed power lines that have fallen on your property?  If you see any lines – it does not matter if they are phone lines, power lines, or any other kind of utility line – stay away from them and instruct your children to do the same!  If these lines are touching puddles of water, stay away from these puddles as well. Water is a conductor for electricity, and if you get in contact with a puddle that has a power line in it, you may get electrocuted.

Stay away from rushing waters. Flooding will be a problem for a while, and the fast-running waters are strong enough to sweep you off your feet and drag you to deeper waters.  Instruct your children to stay away from them as well.

If you are returning to your home and find it flooded, but you will be able to do some clean up, do so cautiously.  Some animals, such as snakes and even alligators, may be in the water and you will need to be on the lookout for them.  In addition to the foregoing, the water may also be contaminated with raw sewage and other illness causing objects, and it is important to thoroughly wash yourself after you have gotten in contact with the flood waters.

Even though you might be tempted to light a fire in your charcoal grill inside your home to stay warm, do not do it!  You may get exposed to carbon monoxide which will kill you.

As you can see, the proper behavior in the aftermath of a storm is just as important as the preparation before the storm. Do use common sense, and make sure you are aware of the dangers around you before you venture out of your home.

 

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