Hurricanes: Would you be prepared in the case of one?

Anela Toskic
January 19, 2018

Hurricanes, natural disasters, and fires are all over the news nowadays. Hurricane Harvey and Irma, fires in the Bronx and Hamilton Heights are all very dangerous and life threatening situations, but would you know what to do in the case of one?

Hurricane survivors evacuating after their homes have been flooded.

Hurricane Harvey caused 200 billion dollars worth of damage. Hurricane Irma caused 66.77 billion, and later Hurricanes, like Katrina and Sandy, with over 170 billion dollars. There total death toll is over 2,000.

The destruction of earth’s land, sea life, and increase in not only the number of natural disasters that occur but also the damage they bring about, makes being prepared very important.

On the topic of global warming and its effects, science teacher Ms. Klimowicz said, “I think global warming is a huge issue that’s being largely ignored by laws and policies in the US right now. I think we’re making really poor decisions based on different economic motivations, and we’re not really thinking about the long term implications of global warming.”

Some important tips to remember in case of a hurricane are:

  • Find shelter if necessary, than stay inside and away from windows or glass doors in case they break.
  • Hurricane victims carrying their loved ones out of their homes in order to find help.

    If there is flooding or loss of power, make sure to turn off electricity and electrical appliances.

  • Listen to the radio in order to stay informed on what is going on.
  • Pack an emergency first aid kit with things like bandages, medication, gloves, gauze pads, alcohol wipes and more.
  • Pack a “Go Bag” filled with canned foods, bottles water, matches, radios, batteries, flashlights, blanket, change of clothes, form of identification, etc.
  • You should also have an evacuation plan in case of emergency.

When asked about what he knows about being ready for a natural disaster like a hurricane, Shane Hemphill, a senior at iSchool said, “ I’ve actually never really thought about what to do in the case of an emergency like that, you never really think it’ll happen to you.”

Another senior at the iSchool, Jorge Ventura said, “I’ve actually spoken to my mom about having a bag stowed away for emergencies that is filled with stuff like canned foods, water and first aid kit supplies, it’s nice to have that kind of reassurance.”