When natural disasters happen, almost nothing is safe from the damage they cause. Floods, tornadoes, and hurricanes, which can be very dangerous, all cause a lot of damage worth millions of dollars. When nature goes crazy, most of the time all we can do is get out of the way or do what we can to keep our property from getting damaged.

Randy Wagner, a Texan, did just this to protect his home from damage during hurricane season. Randy spent up to $8,300 on a 400-foot-long piece of plastic that would keep floodwaters away from his home during the Hurricane.

It was a crazy investment, and many of his friends and neighbors thought it was crazy for him to spend so much money on the plastic and waste so much time putting it up.

But Randy’s incredibly smart way to keep his house safe from the storm was something they thought was crazy. Randy built a fence around his house that was 400 feet long. When the flood came, his neighbors thought the plastic wouldn’t be able to keep the water out, but it did. His investment of $8,300 saved him from damage that would have cost him up to $150,000 to fix.

When a hurricane is coming, it is important to know what to do, just like Randy. Here are some simple things you can do to help.

Know where to go: It’s important to always be aware of your surroundings and know the best evacuation routes before you’re told to leave. You should also plan where you will sleep. Make a kit bag with the basic things you might need in an emergency, like a flashlight, batteries, some cash, basic first aid supplies, and medicine.

If you’ve been told to leave your house, you should never, ever stay there. If you haven’t been told to leave and will stay at home, you should get emergency supplies that will last you several days even if you don’t have power or water. You should also make plans for how to get in touch with your family or even the whole neighborhood in case of an emergency.

Online, it’s easy to find out about your community’s emergency communication service.

Preparing Your House

As part of getting ready for a hurricane, you should also try to protect your home as much as possible to avoid or lessen damage. Before hurricane season, cut back any tree branches that are close to your house. If they fall when the wind blows, they could damage your house or other things nearby. Clear out your rain gutters and get rid of any debris to get your home ready for the extra water that will be coming in. You should also fix and strengthen the roof, windows, and doors so they can stand up to the force of the weather. Storms almost always cause power outages, so you should plan ahead and install a generator or buy a portable one. If you can afford it, you might want to build a “FEME safe room” or a “ICC 500 storm shelter” above the level of flooding to protect yourself from strong winds.

Also, if you are not leaving your home, plan to stay there and let your friends and family know where you are. Stormy weather is not a good time to be on the road. When you stay inside during a hurricane, close all the windows and storm shutters and stay away from the windows so you don’t get hurt by broken glass.

Make sure your refrigerator is set to the coldest setting to keep your food fresh for longer, even if the power goes out. Try to know what’s going on with the weather and any emergencies.

What to do when there are 36 hours until a hurricane hits?

You should turn on the TV or whatever else you use to find out about the weather and emergency instructions. Check the emergency kit you put together to make sure it has enough of the most important things you need. Set up a way to talk, preferably by sending messages or emails, which are more reliable than calling.

Talk with your family again about how you will get out of danger. Keep your car close by and in good shape in case you need to run away at the last minute.

What to do when a hurricane will hit in 18 to 36 hours?

Mark the website for your city so you can quickly get weather and emergency updates and instructions. Take away patios, trash cans, and other light things that can easily be blown away by strong winds. You can bring them inside if it’s safe to do so, but you should keep dangerous things like propane tanks outside. Make sure that all of your windows are shut tight. If you can, you can put boards over your windows.

What to do when a hurricane will hit in 6 to 18 hours?

If your TV or radio is still on, turn it on to see what’s going on. Also, you should check the weather website every 30 minutes for new information. Storms can go in any direction and change speed and direction very quickly. Make sure all of your phones are fully charged in case the power goes out.

After a Hurricane?

Listen for news and instructions, and check on your family to make sure everyone is okay. Don’t go back home until you’re sure it’s completely safe to do so. When going home, don’t walk or drive through floodwaters because they can be dangerous and may contain debris or hide dangerous spots where the ground has been washed away or is unstable.

Due to downed lines, electricity can also get into the water. Take a picture of the damage to your property so that your insurance company can see what happened.