Severe Weather Tips

With my phone blowing up about flood and severe weather warnings, I though I’d share these tips that were emailed out to me in preparation for this weekend of wild weather incoming. :cloud_with_rain:


[Four people standing on rock near body of water photo – Free Australia Image on Unsplash]

While it is focused on apartment life, there are some good general tips for any situation here, too. :black_heart:

  • Remove valuable items from the basement or any storage areas which may be susceptible to flooding.

  • Clean debris from your balcony drainage.

  • Bring in any outdoor items that may be damaged or cause damage during a storm.

  • Charge your mobile devices in case of a power outage.

If you have a couple of power banks, charge those, too! They can be very useful.

  • Locate important documentation and place them in a safe place.

Actually, I would go one step further and suggest always knowing where important documentation is and ensuring it is always in a safe place!

  • Place supplies in your vehicle in case of an emergency evacuation (food, clothing etc).

While our situation isn’t dire enough to do this, do consider it if you’re ever in the path of a really serious weather event!

We do have a couple of “bug-out” bags for each of us, though. For my partner, it’s a backpack with some spare clothes and other essentials they may need if we ever have to just get out the door and won’t be able to return for a while.

  • Make a household emergency kit (first aid kit, torch, batteries etc).

Another suggestion that I would recommend everyone has at all times.

There are lots of resources online to help you put together first aid and emergency home kits. I’ll share some later when I find them again. I’ve learnt from this research that the premade kits have a lot of useless things to make them seem better than they are.

  • Monitor news and weather applications.

  • Enter important contacts into your phone (emergency services, friends and family).

Again, more good general advice. Always have important contacts in your phone!

  • Fill containers with water. Place in freezer to act as ice to keep food cold in the event of a power outage.

We have a few containers meant for camping that we keep potable water in just in case we ever lose access. Those can be useful too, to ensure we can stay hydrated for longer or simply have something to clean with, which can be very useful if any of us get injured!

We are on a lower floor of the apartment building, so we generally don’t have to worry too much. But, for example, the higher-up floors in apartment buildings often need power to have water pumped up to them, so a loss in power often means a loss in water, too!

  • Communicate with loved ones regularly, especially if you choose to leave your home.

  • Bring pets indoors.


[Brown bench front of body of water with thunder storm photo – Free Palm beach Image on Unsplash]

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One thing we learned about Hurricane Season in Florida is to place a glass of water in your freezer. Once it’s frozen, put a penny on top. If the power goes out, this can be used as a good gauge for whether or not you have to trash all the food in your freezer. If you open the freezer and the penny is at the bottom of a frozen glass of water, you know everything in your freezer thawed out and then froze again, therefore making it unsafe to consume.

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Whoa. :scream: That’s a great one! Thank you for adding it. :black_heart:

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You’re welcome! :heart: Thank you for posting all of these, too. They’re really good tips to have and remember!

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This is great, bookmarked. As a backup, as we get alot of rain Thor!!! we always have car chargers and drinking water, toilet roll, snacks,blanket, torch, meds and shovel in the car, and keep the petrol tank full. If the house fails you can live in the car. :rofl:

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Daily use items are often forgotten in an emergency. Please remember medications and daily vitamins, shelf-stable food and water for up to three days.

Remember, you might not be able to cook on the road, but bring a lighter or some matches in case. A mirror can be used to signal for help. Zipper bags can help preserve electronics and food from dampness. Garbage bags can double as rain slickers, a tent, or blankets. Tin foil can be used to cook or focus the warmth of a fire into a sleeping shelter. Steel wool can be used to help a fire catch. Bring nylon rope, too, for many purposes. The Hardy Boys Mysteries series once put out a list of these things, which would fit in a fanny pack as a survival kit. I keep mine in a wheeled backpack with travel supplies in case I have to go to Indiana for a family emergency. Mine also includes something to dig a latrine with, a collapsible cup for toting water, a wire saw, bug spray, a bandanna, and glucose pills (aka candy) for extra energy between foraged meals.

Maps would be good in case the electronics go down and usual roads are blocked. Wet wipes are important in case there is nowhere to use a bathroom or clean up. If there is emergency weather with kids, bring a stuffed toy and something to keep their minds entertained to help you keep your sanity.

Growing up in the north end of tornado alley, I learned to prepare my life purpose to be taken along. I’d scan my books into the computer at the first threat of weather and save a copy to a jump drive I could take with me so I didn’t lose my work. Some forms of Purpose work differently, but it is worth thinking about. I always kept a bag in the closet or bathroom, where there are no windows for the weather to get in and destroy. That’s where I’d be in rough weather, anyway.

I’ve seen way too many cars smashed by downed trees to keep emergency supplies in a car. Yes, it would be quick to leave, but it seems better to me to have a “bug out bag” by the front door or somewhere easy to grab and go, in case you don’t take your own car.

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A travel altar would be a good thing to add.

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Yes, I’m going to do this and put in my car thankyou :sparkling_heart:

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You’ve described my own bag quite well with the supplies, too. :smile:

I’ve also got a torch, multitool, foldable knife, compass, small USB power bank, metal water bottle with a wide rim, small first aid kit, and a few other things. My keyring has small tools for cutting my seatbelt and breaking a window if I need to. But I’ve gotten a few ideas from you that I need to add!

Agreed, especially since many people don’t have cars. Or the car may not be a viable or safe option. I keep my bag in the hallway cupboard below where I put my keys.

Ou car is in the parking garage downstairs, but it’s possible that anything underground can flood, too. Or that, for some reason, the garage doors break, and the car can’t leave.

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I already keep water, blankets, garbage bags, battery, and first aid kit. Boys play travel ball so we’re always prepared! I have to work on a few more things and get a go bag for the house or car. Thank you for this. Having a disability makes me more aware of what I need in an emergency.

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Very good (and potentially life-saving!) advice :pray: This time of year can be really rough in some parts of the world with monsoons, flooding, storms, etc. Always better to be equipped with knowledge and emergency supplies just in case.

This is great, @starborn - thank you so much for thinking of all of us and helping to keep us safe! :heart:

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We were fortunate and avoided anything serious here, but there were many disastrous floods across Sydney and parts of NSW (the state). Trees are uprooted everywhere and many have fallen onto cars, as you’d expect.

Even in the CBD, there were sights such as these:

There have also been bushfires and storms with gale-force winds recently in Victoria (the state to the south of us)… Go figure, Australia.

Photos from https://www.9news.com.au/national/weather-news-pictures-2024-australia/73f884dc-c35e-44d4-a350-74a73289706d

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I’m so glad you are safe @starborn. It’s Spring in Texas which means tornado season. :tornado:

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Please stay safe :heart:

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@starborn Glad you’re ok lovely, but well, Australia does things in a large way, have placed a prayer for your country in my prayer box :green_heart:

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@Ostara Thank you. I hope you will be safe this season. :pray: :black_heart:

@Devenne We will do our best. :black_heart:

@tracyS True, Australia only knows extremes in weather. :laughing: Thank you. :black_heart:

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Oh my goodness!! So glad you are safe @starborn :purple_heart::purple_heart::purple_heart:

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Oh wow! I’m glad you’re ok @starborn

We had a small earthquake the other day. Very rare for Pennsylvania. Started in New Jersey. 4.8

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I heard about that the other day. That’s scary. Many years ago I lived in a two story townhouse. I woke up to the house shaking. At first I thought it was a tornado, but then I noticed it was sunny out, so it must be an earthquake! I went downstairs and turned on the news and there was nothing on the news. I decided I was crazy and wasn’t going to tell anyone about my house shaking. :rofl: A little while later, my mom called me. There was an explosion in a town 2 hours away from me (the same town I work in now). People were feeling it 4 hours away. That’s the closest I’ve ever been to an earthquake.

@starborn I had nightmares about tornadoes last night! :rofl:

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Yea it’s surprising how far away you can be and still feel it!

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