Things To Prepare At Home For A Cyclone

Bhubaneswar: With Cyclone Yaas getting ready to make landfall on Wednesday, you should get ready with the following at home.

1. Store water, specially drinking water, in every container you find – buckets, mugs, tubs, tanks, etc. Special Relief Commissioner Pradeep Kumar Jena on Tuesday night advised storing water for 3-4 days.

2. Loose objects like metal sheets, windows, power lines, pipelines, potted plants, etc should be secured with sand bags or wire ties. These can fly and cause injuries.

3. Clear drainage for rainwater. Some places in Odisha are expected to get extremely heavy rainfall, as high as 300 mm.

4. Do not keep overhead tanks empty. Filled ones are heavy and do not fly away.

5. Outdoor units of air conditioners should be screwed in using brackets or fasteners on the roof. If this is not available, place sandbags on top of it.

6. Keep dry food, ready-to-eat food like nuts, biscuits as backup for 3-4 days at least. There is a good chance electricity will not be restored in most affected places before that. Puri city got back electricity after 3-4 weeks post Cyclone Fani in 2019.

Also Read: Reverse Disaster Tourism? Fani-hit Flock To Cities With Electricity

Also Read: After Fani, Power Restored Faster Where There Was Underground Cabling

7. Charge all your phones, power banks, laptops, etc. Turn off phones if you don’t need them and switch to power saver modes to conserve charge. Buy a portable solar charger if required.

8. If you have an inverter-battery backup, check water level and top up with distilled water if required. After the cyclone, use it sparingly. Remember, fans consume more electricity than lights. For generators, stock up on fuel.

9. Park your vehicles inside a safe place that have shutters as wind speeds are strong enough to lift cars and buses off the ground at some places. Also, trees and flying objects can fall on vehicles parked outside.

10. Keep torches with extra batteries, candles and matches.

11. Keep all necessary medications.

12. Get mosquito repellent creams, coils, nets, and sprays.

Also Read: Why Solar Is A Better Choice For Electricity Backup During Cyclones