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
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?
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.
Take the hurricane warnings seriously.
When people ignore hurricane warnings,
they put themselves in terrible danger.
"This moves 20 mi to the west,
and you, and everyone you know, are dead."
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.
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.
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 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 kits,
and always be ready.
Nothing is sacred to the hurricane.
After all this,
I think you've earned a well-deserved break.
Get some sun,
enjoy the smell of the ocean
wait a minute ...
Oh no,
is that a tsunami?
Well, the good news is,
we're here to help you survive
whatever life throws at you.