Many unfortunate people on the East Coast today are still dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. Millions are without power, streets are flooded, and there is widespread devastation. After the storms that rocked the East Coast this summer, more people were prepared for storm safety.
Let Hurricane Sandy be a lesson to us all to brush up on storm safety tips.
Flooding And Storm Safety
If the water level is rising in your area and you feel your house may soon fill up, turn off your power at the circuit breaker or fuse box. Water is a conductor for electricity, so remember this and ensure your hands and surrounding area are dry if you find you must deal with your circuit breaker in any way during a storm, and don’t drive over fallen power lines in a storm.
If flooding threatens your community, learn the evacuation plans, warning signals, and emergency shelters beforehand.
Many of the near eight million on the east coast were without power and trapped because of the storm and they had to rely on supplies they had in their homes. It’s important to stock up on necessary items if a large storm or natural event threatens your community. Check out the CDC’s checklist for arranging your home’s storm safety and emergency preparedness kit.
After the storms that rocked the East Coast this past summer, many residents wised up and purchased backup generators. These can be excellent items to temporarily provide power during an outage. However, generators can pose a threat to safety so be sure to read up on the manufacturer’s guidelines of use. The generator, like a motor, expels carbon dioxide so only operate in open air. Use heavy duty, outdoor cords when plugging appliances into your generator. Do not hook your generator up to your home’s wiring unless an electrician has installed a transfer switch.
Sometimes natural disasters are unavoidable, but being prepared will help you and your family safely and comfortably weather the storm. If you have more questions about storm safety preparedness or you’d like a licensed technician to install a transfer switch for your backup generator, contact us today! Blizzard season is just around the corner!