Storm warnings

Mother Nature would like a word

Hurricane season starts next month and for those of us who remember storms like Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Sandy, and Hurricane Harvey, it’s no mystery why being ready for what’s essentially a giant rainstorm with a lot of wind is an essential part of self-defense and personal protection. Named storms like these that affect enormous swaths of the country might not be as exciting to think about as a faceless mugger in a dark alley, but they should be just as or even more scary to you.

The immediate problems brought by a hurricane are pretty obvious: your home might leak from above or flood from below. The winds can cause objects to be blown around and damage your home, your vehicle, or even you. As part of that damage, your electricity might go out, roads might become impassable, and you might even lose access to fresh, clean water that is safe to drink. You might think you’re safe because you don’t live in storm country, but are you really sure you’ll never be directly affected by one? You might be surprised at how far-reaching they can be. Some of the effects can also lead to problems much further away, as resources are directed towards fixing storm-damaged areas and supply chains are disrupted. When dozens or hundreds of utility trucks show up to fix downed power lines after a hurricane, they can’t fix electricity problems back home. And when a major port is shut down or a major highway flooded, it can slow down food and other necessities arriving in other parts of the country.

Meanwhile, you might be stuck on the road or at home, on your own to manage your route home being blocked, water suddenly coming through the roof, the basement getting wet, the power blinking, the dog freaking out, and more.

All that without even thinking about when the devastation of a storm brings out the worst in people along with the best. For all of the stories about neighbors helping neighbors and businesses giving back to their communities, we also hear about the selfish hoarding supplies, folks using the opportunity to steal and loot, and other bad behavior in the aftermath. We do have to think about those problems, but I think it’s more important to focus most of our time and energy on the ones we know are more likely to affect us. So what can we do?

First is to make an honest assessment of your life and how it may be affected by a storm. If you own or rent a house, do you know if your roof is in good shape? If you have a ground-level apartment, do you know if it’s likely to flood? Do your windows have a bit of a leak when the rain really gets going? Does the power “always go out” when it gets a little windy? Has your favorite route home gotten a little soggy after even just a regular rain? Does your mass transit get a little sketchy when the weather gets bad? Once you figure those things out, fix what you can ahead of time or start making alternate plans. Maybe everything you store on the floor needs to go into plastic bins. Maybe you need a generator. Maybe you have to figure out other ways to get home if your usual becomes unavailable. Maybe you flat-out need to consider moving or making sure that next time you move, those things are less likely to be a problem.

As another part of pre-planning, you need to pay attention to the weather. It’s not just so you know what to wear if you actually plan on going outside that day, but also so you don’t get surprised by a big storm blowing into town. Hurricanes tend to stick to a specific season, so you might only check the National Hurricane Center from, say, June through November, but they can come early and late too so you might check May through December. Or you can keep an eye on the National Weather Service, including the one for your specific reporting area, or some other local news source (my county has an emergency alert service, for instance). Make it part of your daily habit, set up email/text alerts, get the app for that, whatever it takes so that you’re not finding out when you notice that the bread and milk shelves are bare at the local supermarket.

Then regardless of what you “know” can be a problem where you live, make sure you take care of both long-term and short-term general storm preparation. This might include things as simple as (and in no real order): buying and stashing a case or three of bottled water; keeping your external backup batteries for your electronics charged; buying a few extra cans, boxes, or bags of food that stores well on every shopping trip so you don’t have to rely on stores being open; if space allows, getting a chest freezer that can keep food from spoiling even during an extended power outage; putting important documents in safe, dry storage and making electronic backups; ensuring that you have emergency cash set aside if credit, debit, or ATM cards don’t work; learning and recording important phone numbers and contact information for family, repair services, and insurance coverage; and and…I’m sure you can think of something I’ve missed and will share below (I’ll leave the comments open for everyone today).

By the way, while this is in the context of hurricanes, think about your own local weather phenomena. The way Mother Nature hits you might be different, but the resulting problems - and solutions - are often very similar.