The looming double hurricanes Marco and Laura shows us that we need to do all we can to prepare for natural disasters. However, although families everywhere know this to be the case, people may be a bit confused on how exactly to go about keeping their partners and children out of harm's way.
Luckily, the advice below from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will help give you some pointers on what you can do to keep your loved ones and home as safe as possible:
1) Make sure that all your windows are covered up. Tape here isn't going to do the trick. If you want to prevent debris from crashing through your living room, storm shutters are your best bet. However, if you don't have time to install them, use marine plywood. Little kids love to help their parents with any task, so although you may not want your lovebugs using a hammer and nails, they can certainly assist in passing you the strips of wood.
2) Bring anything that is not secured in your front or backyard indoors, including trash cans and lawn patio furniture. Again, this is great job for kids. For example, you can request that they pick up any small items like dog toys strewn around your property.
3) Create an emergency preparedness kit with your kids. They'll feel special when you ask them what items you think should be included. Of course, don't forget to make sure you have plenty of First-Aid goods like band-aids, hydrogen peroxide, adhesive tape and tweezers.
4) Set aside some time to go over the emergency evacuation route with everyone in your household. Place some emphasis on the fact that, although you may not need to leave your home, being prepared and knowing what to do can make everything a lot less scary.