If I asked you if you had a plan for pandemic, an EMP strike, extended civil unrest or a complete economic collapse, I bet you would say you did for some, if not all of those listed. Now let me ask you this; have you ever said “oh it’s just a thunder storm”?
The number of people that die each year due to pandemic, EMP, extended civil unrest and complete economic collapse is a big fat zero! However, hundreds of people in America every year are killed and billions of dollars in damages are caused by severe weather. Here are some quick facts:
Lightning
Causes an average of 55-60 fatalities and 400 injuries each year
Occurs with all thunderstorms
Costs more than $1 billion in insured losses each year
Lightning can strike up to 20 miles away from the parent storm.
Based on the speed of sound, if you can heat the thunder clap, you are within 20 miles.
Tornadoes
Cause an average of 60-65 fatalities and 1,500 injuries each year
Can produce wind speeds in excess of 200 mph
Can be 1 mile wide and stay on the ground over 50 miles
Straight-line Winds
Can exceed 125 mph
Can cause destruction equal to a tornado
Are extremely dangerous to aviation
Flash Floods and Floods
Are the #1 cause of deaths associated with thunderstorms, more than 90 fatalities each year.
Hail
Can be larger than a softball (5 inches in diameter)
Causes more than $1 billion in crop and property damage each year.
Stay informed
There are a few different ways we can stay informed, one is to alert us of the weather (if we’re not outside in it), the second is more detailed information when we are aware of it. A couple of great ways to get alerted to severe weather are weather alert radios and having a text sent to your phone.
We have a couple different types of weather alert radios, each serving different purposes. I would recommend either. The first is a Reecom R-1630 and works great as a stationary base.
You can program it for single or multiple counties and it has different sounds for watch vs. warning. It has a screen that will tell you the type of alert and the time it expires.
The second weather alert radio we have is a Midland HH50.
It has fewer features but is great for times when you’re out and about. It can be set to alert you if either a watch or warning is declared but also has a radio feature so that once the alert has sounded you can find out what is going on.
Another way to get informed about oncoming severe weather is to have a text message sent to your cell phone. I don’t use this service but I wanted to find an example in case this would be of interest to you. The Weather Channel provides this service but it tends to be buggy because it is new. I am sure there are others.
Shelter from the Storm
There are millions of people who live in areas that are subject to severe weather, who don’t have the option of having a basement. Know where your closest community shelter is. If there is not one or you don’t have time to get to it, a room with no windows is the safest place to be. Ideally this would be the bathroom, as you can get in the tub and use a mattress or couch cushions to cover you. A closet is also an option. If there is no room in the closet, overturn the couch, push it against a wall and crawl into the void.
Taking the Storm Seriously
Granted, there are times in life when we’re thrown into a situation completely out of our control. But I have to wonder how many people die each year needlessly because they weren’t being prudent. How many people felt inconvenienced by the storm and drove through it? How many people were attracted to the awesome, dangerous beauty of the storm? How many people attempted to drive though a “little water on the road”? How many of them said “Oh it’s just a thunderstorm”?
Please click here to vote for Prepared Christian as a top Prepper site!
If you liked this article please think about sharing it on the social media listed below, thanks!
