The U.S. has finally gotten through yet another tough hurricane season that ravaged parts of our country. Texas, the Gulf Coast, and Puerto Rico are still recovering from all the damage that was done.
In the process of enduring these terrible storms, the storm victims are sharing methods and ways they found worked well to protect their home from flood waters.
When one thinks of how to prepare for a storm, you often think of sandbags. According to the Independent Journal Review, they won’t really help in evacuation zones but they can be helpful in preventing flood damage in other areas.
You also shouldn’t solely rely on sandbags, but they can help.
“We tell residents not to rely on sandbags to protect their homes from flooding or storm surge,” a spokeswoman from Pinellas County, Florida, Irena Karolak, told Tampa Bay Times. “With hurricane storm surge, the best thing is to brace your home, windows and garage doors and protect yourselves.”
Sandbags, however, can be sold out rather quickly when news of an incoming storm spreads.
“To do it most effectively, you’ve got to completely seal off all the ways water can get into your foundation and through the ground floor.” Craig Fugate, the former Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator, said. “What the average person needs is far beyond the number of bags you’re going to get from most of these centers.”
But there are other things you can use if you’re in a pinch if you don’t have sandbags. A Facebook post by Edward Obediah Sweat, which is no longer public, says that you can use a trash bag filled with one-third water as a “good substitute.”
He also mentioned using duct tape as a good way to seal of your garage from water intrusion and that five-gallon paint buckets can be used to prop up your furniture so they don’t get wet.
If you’re leaving evacuating your home, don’t forget to trip the main breaker so that the electricity doesn’t cause a dangerous situation when exposed to water. Sweat claimed that a volunteered was fatally electrocuted when he went to check on a house because the power was left on.
In a final tip, on a lighter note, he made advised people to be wary of what they wear to bed.
“Nothing looks worse than seeing people on the news in water-logged nightgowns and boxer shorts,” he said explaining that you should also wear hard-soled shoes, carry ID, a flashlight, and have a white sheet on hand in case you need to signal for help.
Here’s what he said in his full post, according to American Web Media:
“To my Florida friends and family… Some things I learned about hurricane damage management. Plastic bags 1/3 filled with water make good substitutes for sandbags at doorways. Paint cans or 5-gallon buckets can support and elevate your furniture if you are going to get water in your house. Wear clothes to bed nothing looks worse than seeing people on the news in waterlogged nightgowns and boxer shorts. Plus it is helpful slogging through the water at night.
If you get water up to your electrical outlets or you evacuate, trip the main breaker… a volunteer was electrocuted and died here walking in knee deep water due to power being on at a house he was going to check on. Wear hard-soled shoes and gloves if you wade in water.
Use duct tape to seal your garage door to the floor to prevent water intrusion. Everyone should have an I.D., a whistle and a flashlight on them once the rain comes. Have a queen or king-sized white flat sheet to signal for help from boats and helicopters. Map out a couple of escape paths, leave before these become flooded.”
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