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The tornado is an air cataclysm. It’s a strong atmospheric vortex that forms a rotating pillar of air which connects the surface of the earth with a cumulus-rain, in rare cases with a clumsy cloud, mostly seen in the USA. It has twelve categories of destruction, but we have seen only the first five of them (thank God). Now you will read about some of the basic spots where you can hide in case of a tornado emergency.
Protect yourself in a shelter.
First that you need to do when the weather radar indicates a tornado is to find shelter. If you are lucky to be at home when a tornado comes, the underground storm shelter is the best place to hide, but if you don’t have one – the basement is another excellent opportunity.
Hide from the tornado in a lower floor.
If there is not enough time to go inside the shelter, going to the lowest level of your house is a great advantage for keeping you safe. For sure you don’t want to be near the windows during the storm, so go in a windowless room like bathroom or closet. If you are in a closet or other room – find a heavy object and hide under it while you are holding it tight with your legs and your hands are on your head. If you are in a bathroom, you must hide in the bathtub, because it will keep your body safe and ALWAYS remember to use your arms to protect your head and neck.
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If the tornado reaches you at school - hallway.
If the tornado catches you at school or work and there is no available basement, the hallway at the lowest floors is a good place to hide. Also, some of the teaching/ conference rooms have no windows and a big table in the middle so that you can hide under it. Take tornado safe position with bent knees and hands on your head and neck for better protection.
Tornado while you are driving on the road.
If you are on the road in a vehicle NEVER try to run away from the tornado, because they change directions really quick, sometimes they sweep with more than a hundred kilometers per hour, and you can get lifted in the air for seconds. The best thing to do is to get out of the vehicle and take shelter in a nearby houses or buildings.
If you are that lucky for not having time to hide anywhere when you get out from the vehicle, or you are just outdoors – find a ditch or low-lying area and lie in with tornado position to protect your body. A prayer at this moment can be needed too (hope never dies).
Hope this article was useful for you. If you want to know how to survive other disasters, follow us. Next one will be the hurricane!
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Other articles that can help you with survival tips:
"Volcano, when the Hell breaks loose"
"Tsunami, the wave that you don’t want to see"
"Hurricane, what to do when it approaches?"
"Avalanche, Surviving natural disasters"
"What to do before, during, and after an earthquake?"
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- Written by: Gianna Esquivel
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In recent years, many natural events have taken the lives of many, while destroying complete towns and cities. The power of nature is huge and unstoppable, but human prevention can make a big difference. Your chances of surviving the hit of a hurricane significantly increase if you get prepared. Some events can surprise you, but not all.
Hurricanes are not earthquakes. In the last, the alert gives you just seconds to react and get safe. Hurricane alerts give you days and in the worst case, hours to do the best possible for your safety. Let's crack down what to do when a hurricane approaches?
To know what to do in case of an earthquake, you can read: What to do before, during, and after an earthquake?
What is a hurricane?
A hurricane is a storm system that is rotating rapidly in a spiral. It has other names like a tropical cyclone, typhoon, tropical depression, etc. In the center of the storm, it’s peaceful, there are no clouds and wind, but around it, there are huge clouds, torrential rain, and raging winds.
They make huge waves in the oceans that can cause catastrophic damage along the coasts. The horizontal size of the hurricane is 2000-3000 km, and the movement speed is 35-50, rarely up to 100 km / h. Many coastal regions will get particularly vulnerable to the impact of a tropical cyclone, compared to the inland areas. Evacuate quickly and on time.
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Do you have time to prepare for a hurricane?
Yes, you have time to prepare a plan to be safe. Hurricanes happen every year. Science and weather services have identified long ago its periodicity and ways to warn the population.
In the north Pacific, hurricane season begins on May 15th, and in the Caribbean and the Atlantic, on June 1st. It ends on November 30th. Global warming is producing a lot of climate changes and that affects the accuracy of predictions and exact dates. But still, these dates give you a useful reference and time to be ready before hurricanes hit your location.
If you plan to travel for business or vacations to these areas during the hurricane season consider a plan too!
Always make a plan to be safe if a hurricane approaches.
Hurricanes directly affect the coast and the people living there. But they have the power to harm the inland too, hundreds of miles from the coast. You truly need a plan. A good one will work in most scenarios. Consider the following:
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Prepare emergency supplies.
During and after a hurricane you will need groceries, water, tools, and medicines for you and your family. Think about all these needs and write them down. When the season approaches, you can make the necessary purchases to cover the list. Or you can have some stuff in advance, just check the expiry date of the products and medicines.
About food, get sufficient water for drinking and cans, of food that do not require to be cooked. The reason is simple, during such a storm, it’s not rare that power and even water supplies get cut off. Besides, it’s not recommended to have electronics plugged in when the storm is hitting. And being in a bunker, a gas oven is not a good idea. It can be a life hazard.
Prepare tools you could use to cover a hole at home if you lose a window or a door during the storm. Also the basic tool kit for the car. It’s not a good idea to drive in these conditions but you can need it in case of emergency. And cars sometimes fail exactly when you need them.
Medicines, besides the basic stuff for pain and wounds, consider if someone in your family needs medicine for a specific treatment or illness. Consider being covered at least for a couple of weeks. And very importantly, don’t forget the COVID-19 pandemic is still on. Be sure you take hand sanitizer, soap, disinfecting wipes, and a bunch of masks for all of you. If you have to go to a shelter, it can be crowded, so social distancing will be hard to keep. You are already stressed enough with the natural emergency. You certainly don’t need extra worries (illness). Prevention is better!
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Prepare emergency power sources.
Include flashlights, a portable radio, batteries, and power banks. A radio can sound outdated but in these emergencies, the simplest technology has proven to be more reliable than a modern device whose power demand is higher. Have it as a backup. Have choices for charging your mobile to communicate in case of emergency or to keep updated on the information about the event.
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Keep safe and handy important documents.
Personal identifications from all members of the family, medical documents (prescriptions, insurance, blood types, etc.), passports, house deeds, wills, and whatever else you can need for legal or medical processes.
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Get a fire extinguisher.
The storm can cause fire. If it threats your home or the surroundings, an extinguisher will be useful.
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Get handy emergency numbers.
Register them on the mobile of every member of the family.
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Locate the closest shelter.
Do it in advance and check alternative routes to reach it from your home. If time allows, check that is working and in good condition when the hurricane season approaches. Even if you stay at home, having a B plan (shelter) is a life-saving choice. Your house can get badly damaged and you will need where to stay.
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Make a plan for pets.
Based on the type of pet you have, the plan you need. But talking about the most common, cats, birds, and dogs, check if they are allowed in the shelter, get choices of animal-friendly hotels, or think about friends and relatives living in a different city that could host you and them if you all get evacuated. Consider having food, water, and medicines for them, if needed.
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Download the Hurricane app.
You can download the Hurricane app made by The Red Cross on your smartphone (you can find them on App Store and Google Play). With this app, you can keep informed and in case of an emergency, you can show where you are and if you need some kind of help or if you are safe.
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Strengthen your home.
Cover your windows and doors with shutters and bring in lightweight objects and outside furniture that can fly easily and hurt somebody, like garden imps, propane tanks, benches, and tables.
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Cut off all the services.
Turn off the water, electricity, and propane gas tank, so you can be sure if something damages your home, there won’t be flowing pipes in the middle of the room, flames made by a short circuit, or blown-up gas tanks.
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Prepare your vehicle.
Be sure that your vehicle works. Fix any issue to count with it if needed it. Check you have a full gas tank, so you won’t run out of it while leaving the hazardous area. During the storm, gas stations get closed due to the risks. Taking preserved foods is another great piece of advice because they won’t turn bad in the next few days and you can be sure that you have what to eat.
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Notify your close people.
Notify your relatives and friends where are you going and when you are going to arrive.
Try reserving a hotel in a safe area a week before, because the rooms will get hired very quickly, or just to go on vacation during this time. Remember that dream place that you never had the time to visit? – Well, now you have! No one said that the only thing you should do during this time is to panic?! Take advantage of this free time and travel to the places you always wanted to visit. Share your tips and experiences with us PackandGo.info @packandgoinfo @packandgo.info @packandgo.info
What to do when a hurricane arrives?
If a hurricane arrives, take it seriously! And execute the good plan you already have.
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Check the weather reports.
Keep informed about weather conditions. Information, from official sources, will be your compass to know how dangerous the emergency is, and the steps you have to follow. Don’t underestimate the warnings!
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Understand the meaning of a hurricane “watch” and “warning”.
Understanding accurately the terms involved in a hurricane event is vital to avoid unnecessary panic and to follow the best steps to be safe. Most weather services use two alerts.
A hurricane watch points out hurricane conditions, meaning sustained winds of 74 mph, miles per hour, or higher are possible in a specific area. The alert of a hurricane watch is announced 48 hours before the tropical-storm-force winds (sustained winds of 39 to 73 mph) are expected to begin.
A hurricane warning is announced 36 hours before tropical storm-force winds are expected in a specific area. This alert is more serious and not to be ignored. It’s assuring you the storm will truly hit an area.
If your country uses different alerts, be sure you understand accurately their meaning. Panic or spreading misunderstandings only make worse an already serious emergency.
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Solve quickly the dilemma: To leave or to stay home in a hurricane emergency.
It certainly is a hard dilemma. To stay represents risks, your life could be threatened. To leave is hard because nobody wants to consider the scenario of losing everything they own. But your life is what matters the most. Don't take it as a hackneyed phrase, it's true!
You have three choices.
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Follow the authorities' instructions.
They always give an official announcement about what’s better for people to do. They monitor the hurricane all the time to know its trajectory and power. If roads get damaged, authorities can consider it risky for people to drive and their instruction can be for you to stay home.
In this case, be sure you have a safe place (home or shelter) to stay. Follow tightly the security measures. And execute the plan you already have (we explained it at the beginning). As a part of it, you should have already your emergency supplies, lights, extinguisher, important information, etc. So stay inside and keep informed and calm. Don’t go outside, remember that curiosity killed the cat! Wait for the official sign to go outside.
Stay away from windows. The best is to cover them to avoid pieces of broken glass flying around if the storm breaks them. But prefer to stay in a room without windows or with small ones.
Use phone calls smartly. Reserve them for emergency use. You can overwhelm the network and others may need help.
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Don´t hesitate and leave if a hurricane approaches.
Especially if you live in an area that yearly experiences hurricanes, you don't have to suffer this non-stop. Prepare a plan to leave. Nature is not hundred percent predictable. There will be hurricanes, that’s for sure. But even if last year's hurricane was lighter, there’s no guarantee the upcoming one won’t be harmful. Your house withstood the hurricane last year, well this year can be different. You can plan from the beginning to leave when it’s appropriate and this will reduce the stress of taking a nervous decision at the last moment. Perhaps you have friends or family in another city who can host you for a while or you can rent a place for a week or two.
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Evacuate without wasting time!
If there’s a clear evacuation order, don´t ignore it. Such orders are not given just because.
Every second counts to take yourself, your family, and your pets away from danger. Think that the earlier you evacuate, the faster you will make it out of the hazardous area. Usually, people leaving at the last minute get stuck in the evacuation routes or they don’t find such routes if the storm already caused floods or blocked them with debris.
Again, execute the plan you made. It works also in this scenario. Especially, the part about unplugging all appliances, and turning off the water, electricity, and gas. If you have time, of course.
Take some of your emergency supplies and important documents. The number of things to take will depend on the way you will leave. Having a car you can fit most things. If you go on foot, take the basics. Choose a road recommended by authorities. Others can be gone.
Conclusion.
Having a plan if a hurricane approaches is life-saving. The better designed the better your chances of surviving. Keep safe! And never underestimate the power of a hurricane.
PackandGo.info @packandgoinfo @packandgo.info @packandgo.info
Other articles that can help you with survival tips:
"Volcano, when the Hell breaks loose"
"Tsunami, the wave that you don’t want to see"
"Tornado, where and how to hide?"
"Avalanche, Surviving natural disasters"
"What to do before, during, and after an earthquake?"
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- Written by: Angela Angelova
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What does Tsunami mean?
The name comes from the Japanese language, and it means “harbor wave”, but it can also be heard like the Tidal wave and Seismic sea wave. These are series of huge waves in the sea, made by earthquakes, underwater volcanic eruptions or explosions (some of the explosions are from detonating underwater nuclear devices), meteorite impacts, etc. When the waves get close to the seaside, they start getting bigger. Their high is around 15m, but rarely it goes over 30 m while the movement speed of the wave is from 400km to 800km/h. This can cause severe damage to the coastal areas.
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Can we find out that a tsunami is going to hit us without hearing it from the media?
Yes, there are some guides which will help you to recognize an incoming tsunami. One of the first signs is the earthquake. If you live in a near coastal area and you feel an earthquake, it is possible that a tsunami will come soon after it. Seeing odd behavior in the animals is another way of recognizing it. Animals are very sensitive creatures, and their sensational system is way more evolved than ours. They can feel that something bad is going to happen sooner. You will notice that every animal is heading to leave the dangerous area. Birds are grouping and flying away in flocks in these situations and dogs start barking very loudly with anxiety in their eyes, or they are trying to find a shelter near people.
What should we do to keep us safe when the tsunami hits?
When the tsunami hits your area, you should evacuate as fast as possible. Don’t make a mistake to waste time in taking your belongings with you, no matter how expensive or rare they are because this can cost your precious life. The only things you should take in this time is your family, safety pack if someone gets injured, some warm clothes if you get wet and your animals. Many people leave their pets in cages when a critical moment comes which is a death warrant for them. When you adopt an animal, you get responsible for it, and its life and if you can’t take them with you, at least set them free so they can have the chance to save themselves. If there is not enough time to properly evacuate, try to find a solid building and climb up to the last floor, but if you can’t encounter a close building try at least to climb up on a tree. The worst thing that can happen to you is to get reached by the water. The only thing you can do in this situation is to find a floating object that you can hold on to it very tight. This way the object will keep you above the water and won’t let you get drowned.
I hope that it will help you in case of a tsunami. Share your comments with us!
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Other articles that can help you with survival tips:
"Volcano, when the Hell breaks loose"
"Hurricane, what to do when it approaches?"
"Tornado, where and how to hide?"
"Avalanche, Surviving natural disasters"
"What to do before, during, and after an earthquake?"
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The volcano is a rupture in the Earth’s crust, which allows hot lava, gases and volcanic ash to come out of the Earth’s bowels to the surface. Most of the volcanoes are underwater, but the ones that are on the surface can be found mostly in the areas where tectonic plates are diverging or converging. The lava that erupts from the volcano comes 3000km down from the core-mantle boundary. One of the biggest volcanic hotspot areas on the Earth is in Hawaii.
If there is a volcano that is going to erupt soon in your area, here are some tips on how to prepare for it.
Volcano evacuation plan.
The first thing you need to do is to make an evacuation plan. Find a safe area where you can stay and if you want to be in a hotel, try reserving a room a few weeks early, because all the hotels will probably be full up several days before the eruption. When you are done with this, tell your relatives and family where are you going and leave a contact number for the hotel in case someone of them wants to emergency contact you.
When the volcano erupts.
If the volcano eruption is going to start soon and you are close to it, find a mask for your face or make one from your clothes, because the most health danger things about volcanoes are the gas and the volcanic ashes that pollute the air. If you are close to them and breathing with no mask on, they can be deadly. If you are indoors, close the windows and the doors very tightly, so the gas won’t be able to come inside, but in case you are outdoors during the eruption, find a stable building and stay indoors. You will need a surviving kit with the basic medical materials inside in case of injuring like masks, water bags, bandage, emergency blanket, flashlight with extra batteries and preserved foods. Another thing that will be good for you is to keep the gas tank of your car full, so you drive away if it’s needed.
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One of the first signs showing that the volcano is going to erupt right now is an earthquake. During that time, find a shelter immediately and wait for it to pass. More about the earthquakes and how to survive them can be found in our article "What to do before, during, and after an earthquake?".
Share your comments!
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Other articles that can help you with survival tips:
"Tsunami, the wave that you don’t want to see"
"Hurricane, what to do when it approaches?"
"Tornado, where and how to hide?"
"Avalanche, Surviving natural disasters"
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Working days, responsibilities, tasks… when we finally have the chance to plan a nice break, a day, a weekend, or more, the beach is one of the greatest ideas we can have. At least this is what I think. But definitely, talking about trips there are no rules. Not everything necessarily fits with everybody.
Recently, a friend who was really busy and tired after a work project told me she desperately needed a break. Without hesitating, I said, “go to the beach”. But her face showed me it was not the idea she wanted to hear. A long time ago she hasn't been on the beach because the memories she had were everything but nice. She experienced an expectation vs reality situation. Here you have some of her points.
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Disadvantages of beach holidays.
- Walking in the burning sand is so annoying. Sometimes it is not fine so you walk on burning rocks.
- Sunscreen is really necessary but when it mixes with sand, the result is a heavy mask not only on your face but also on the whole body.
- If by any chance the weather is windy, that's not pleasant.
- For sure you will choose a pretty cool beach to enjoy the day. Sadly, those beaches are full of sellers. Yes, if you know about that destination, be sure many more also know and they go with plenty of different objectives. From offering you massages, tours, handmade stuff, clamshell bracelets and necklaces, all kinds of food, beverages, clothes, glasses, toys to very exotic things like shark jaws to hang on a wall. And they insist all day, it doesn’t matter they see you having a great nap.
- If the sellers give you a break, ‘fun’ won’t stop because you have insects to walk on you and bite you anytime.
- And sex… sex can be a nightmare.
I stopped her here because ok, I got her points but I have a different experience and I love the beach. Usually, our imagination, influenced by movies and other stuff, shows us just a pretty cool, relaxing, and romantic side from leisure. We would like just to arrive at the chosen destination for the fun or romance to happen magically. Every landscape has its challenges but the beauty they offer is priceless. To be prepared is the clue to enjoy. If we get ready to face the basic challenges, we can have a great experience.
By the way, if you enjoy this article you can also like "Expectation vs reality: first time into the forest!".
How to enjoy the beach? - Tips.
- Heat, yep, it is the biggest issue to take care of not to damage our skin and health. But it is not hard. Just choose the ideal sunscreen for protecting your kind of skin. Variety is huge nowadays. You can check our recommendations for choosing the correct sunscreen in this article.
- If it gets too windy, you always can hide in a nice bar to enjoy a beer. The weather can get better or you can get a cool party there. Don’t get frustrated about things you can not control like nature. Remember you are there to enjoy, to rest, to have fun. With this in mind, you will develop a very nice and useful skill of adaptation.
- To avoid sellers you have choices. First, don't go only to tourist places. As my friend said, everybody, will be there waiting for you and your money. If they are so worthy to be visited, go but try to be there early in the morning. Sellers work all day and for sure they also party so they won't appear before 10 – 11 am. Once you had enough, move to one of the plenty of hidden paradises every beach area has. There is also the choice to look like a homeless. Abandon a bit your look not to be bothered. Lack of money is not attractive to sellers.
- Insects can be annoying and even dangerous. With them, the ‘homeless strategy’ sadly doesn't work. But there are many repellents you can try. From the very effective but a bit toxic ones to organic and natural choices. There are some products to make your clothes work as repellents.
- About sex on the beach, here I finally can’t argue. Whoever who had tried can tell you. If sand is uncomfortable in the legs, arms, face… Imagine in your most delicate parts or around the condom! Don’t forget the friction factor.
Now you know how to be prepared! Your expectations won't be disappointed by reality. Enjoy your next beach holiday!
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