How to Survive a Hurricane

It’s time to batten down the hatches. An unforgiving, uncompromising, and unstoppable force of nature is heading your way. A hurricane.

Hurricanes are one of the most destructive forces that nature can throw at us, covering an average diameter of almost 500 km (300 mi) with deadly storms. Do you even stand a chance of living through one?

Well, hold on to your hat, because today you’re going to learn how to survive a hurricane. A hurricane is a type of tropical cyclone that can cause high winds, torrential rains, storm surges, and massive amounts of flooding.

And if that’s not bad enough, there are a lot of ways a hurricane can kill you. You could be crushed by a heavy, flying object, drowned in a flood, or even buried in a landslide.

The point is, they’re not a force to be taken lightly. So, let’s say the weatherman cancels your plans for the day by telling you a hurricane is coming your way. What do you do?

Can you outlast a force of nature? Or is it time to kiss your butt goodbye?

STEP ONE: PREP

Even before the hurricane makes its way to you, you can stack the deck in your favor. You can do things like installing permanent storm shutters, trim the trees around your home, and invest in a small generator for when the power goes out. You should also keep a reserve of things like bottled water, non-perishable food, emergency lighting, and my personal favorite, first-aid kits. And if you want to go the extra mile, consider building a safe room.

STEP TWO: LISTEN

Take the hurricane warnings seriously. When people ignore hurricane warnings, they put themselves in terrible danger. If an evacuation order advises you to leave, get out of Dodge. If an emergency alert tells you to find shelter, go find shelter. Seems simple enough, right? Now, all we have to do is, uh oh, it’s here.

STEP THREE: LOCKDOWN

Stay indoors away from any windows or glass doors. You do not want to be outside when the hurricane comes to town. Take refuge in a small room, like a closet, or a hallway on the lowest level. Basically, any place without windows. Next, take cover on the floor under the table or another sturdy object. Brace yourself. This is going to get bumpy.

STEP FOUR: RECOVER

OK, it looks like the storm has passed, but you’re not out of the woods yet. Just because the hurricane isn’t trying to break down your door anymore, doesn’t mean it still can’t hurt you. Now would be a good time to let your friends and family know you’re safe. Text your mom, your buddy, and maybe I should text my ex, Stacey. I wonder if she still thinks about me. No, gotta focus.

Time to check on your supplies. Open your fridge and see if anything has remained at 4°C (40°F) or colder. You can eat that. Otherwise, it’s garbage. Also, you should ditch any food that has come into contact with floodwaters, as it may carry waterborne diseases, chemicals, or other nasty things. DO NOT drink the tap water until you’ve been given the OK to do so.

And now the fun part, taking pictures of all your trashed stuff for the insurance company. You do have insurance, right? Congratulations, you managed to survive a hurricane. Now keep in mind, no two are alike. In this case, we were lucky to hunker down in our own home, but next time we might not be so fortunate.

Surviving a hurricane all comes down to preparation and planning. The more you can do to prepare ahead of time, the better chance you have of making it out of this in one piece. Get supplies, food, first-aid supplies, and always be ready. Nothing is sacred to the hurricane. After all this, I think you earned a well-deserved break. Why not go on a tropical vacation?