Climate change has become a hot-button issue in recent years. The earth’s climate is changing at a rapid pace, and we are left scrambling to fit into Mother Nature’s plans. Inclement weather events have been on the rise in the last decade, and it has had disastrous effects on the economy.
There has been a significant loss of lives, livelihoods, homes, and jobs caused by bad weather. Thankfully, technology has advanced to help us deal with the fallouts of bad weather as well. Thanks to scientific advancement, we are much better prepared to pick up the pieces after a major weather event like a tornado or a snowstorm. So how do you prepare for bad weather? Let’s find out!
Weather Forecasts Should Be Your First Priority
The best way to prepare for an incoming bad weather event is to know that it is coming. You don’t want to know about severe weather events at the last second. This is because of multiple reasons. Firstly, it is likely that when these events start showing up on the news, it might be too late to make structural repairs on your home or vehicles.
Secondly, by the time word gets about the weather event, you might be hard-pressed to find the equipment you need in stores. On the other hand, if you follow reliable forecasts like the tomorrow.io forecast, then you can check and refill your inventory without worry. You can also reschedule your work if you work outdoors. Your clients will appreciate the heads up on the delay!
Stock Up
Bad weather often means you’re left without essential services like electricity and water. In such extreme cases, you need to have supplies on hand that will help you survive these challenging conditions. Being prepared to live through extreme weather events means having a well-stocked pantry with emergency supplies like canned food, bottled water, portable stoves, and more.
One thing that people overlook when preparing for disaster is that you might need more supplies than you anticipated. Thus, always stock emergency supplies for more people than you usually have in the house. If you have a four-person family, stock your pantry for six. You’ll thank yourself when the lights go out and your heating stop working in a snowstorm!
Don’t Forget Batteries
Most emergency stocks contain a variety of flashlights, floodlights, and other portable electric gadgets. But what happens when your batteries run out? It’s easy to forget to stock up on extra batteries because you don’t have a visual on them. But batteries are as important as the lights and fans themselves!
As an added bonus, in severely challenging conditions, you can touch batteries to steel wool to act as a makeshift fire starter too! You never know how long services will be out, and by stocking both battery-operated gadgets and batteries, you can be prepared to see through dire conditions for many days.
Check Your Weatherproofing
If you live in an area that experiences a lot of bad weather conditions, it is likely that you already have a weatherproofed house. However, it is still necessary to check the weatherproofing wherever possible before any major weather events. You should do a sweep a week before the storm is expected to hit your area, keeping a special eye out for edges and corners. These experience the most wear and tear and are likely to show damage.
In case you are unsure of how to check this, or in case your house doesn’t have weatherproofing yet, consider hiring a professional. Cold weather can cause water to freeze in your pipes, increasing the chances of the pipes bursting. This is expensive to fix but can be simpler to prevent.
Update Your First Aid Kit
Weathering a storm is pretty scary. Tensions run high, visibility can get very low, and there is a disruption in our everyday lives that can be disturbing. There is often a corresponding increase in accidents to extreme weather events, and this is why you need to have a stellar first aid kit at hand. This kit should include a few over-the-counter medications that you should check on for expiry every 6 months.
First aid kits should have wound disinfection and treatment supplies and some essential antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medicines. It is also a good idea to have digestive medication on hand as well, along with non-prescription medication for aches. If you live in areas where extreme weather events frequently cut you off from essential services, it is a good idea to take a first aid class in case of emergencies.