5 Easy Things to Do To Prepare for Severe Weather

Have you ever been stranded inside of your home waiting for someone to come rescue you and your family during a severe weather-related event? If not, I would consider you luckily; however, that wasn’t the case for me and my family on August 14, 2016. It was a quiet afternoon going into the evening when the rains finally stopped, but little did we know we would wake up to water in our home. 

It might be the end of Labor Day and the fall season is upon us, but September is the peak of hurricane season and if you don’t have things in preparation you could be scrambling at the last minute. 

 

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Here are a few things I learned after the flood of 2016 in Baton Rouge Louisiana.

 

 Street impacted by street flooding

Besides watching the news endlessly to see if a storm is coming your way or not, it’s imperative to make preparations ahead of the storm.

 

Before a storm is even imminent do the following: 

  • Prepare your home

  • Keep important documents safe

  • Always have emergency cash available

  • Have an evacuation plan

 

 

We watched on August 12, how the flood waters wreaked havoc in different areas of Baton Rouge; however, when the rains finally stopped we had no idea days later that those same waters would creep into our home in the early morning of August 14….just thinking about it brings PTSD. 

 

The following are things I didn’t pay close attention to or either didn’t understand, but here are some things I think had I known better I could have done better. 

 

 

  • Pay close attention to River Stages near your home. Meteorologists during the weather forecast will tell you your local flood stages in the area. It determines the water levels at which a body of water has peaked before it falls back to normal levels. That’s what happened to our area, the Amite River reached its crest on August 14, 2016, emptying into our neighborhoods.

  • Always have extra cash on hand and place it in Ziploc bags and for extra protection a money bag. You won’t be able to use it right away if it’s been sitting in invested water for a long period of time. Which brings me to my next two points. 

  • Store items on shelves in closets or in the attic. Try not to leave shoes, valuables, or other items on the floor. Ahead of a severe storm you should pack up as many items as possible and put them in storage bins as high as possible. 

  • Invest in a fire & waterproof safe to store important documents like birth certificates, marriage licenses, jump drives, etc. 

  • Invest in Flood Insurance and get Content Insurance to replace your personal belongings. 

  • Have an emergency plan and supplies and go over this during your family meeting.

 

 National Guard Rescue Vehicle

National Guard Rescue Vehicle

 

 

Flood Water visible from a National Guard VehicleNational Guard Rescue Vehicle

 

Demolition Day from a house that had water damage

 Demolition Day 

 

Despite having to remove about 2 ½ to 3 feet of drywall, we were lucky. After speaking to some people afterwards in addition to hearing reports on the news, water rose to their attics. Which meant everything had to be gutted. 

I’m thankful no one was hurt during this traumatic event, but despite sometimes still having anxiety during heavy rain events we learned a lot and are better prepared because of it. 

We can’t hide from Mother Nature, but we can be aware and take the necessary steps to stay ahead of the storm. 

Share this post with a friend to help them be prepared when bad weather is imminent. 

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