How To Always Be Prepared For A Storm

5/29/2023 (Permalink)

Residents living in New Jersey, especially towards the shore, are aware of how our storms can be. Our area has dealt with heart-breaking hurricanes, floods, and even crazy snow storms. Knowing that, it’s always a good idea to be fully prepared for a storm - especially with the summer on its way.

Since we’ve dealt with coastal flooding, widespread power outages, and economic impacts - we should know how to be ready for when a storm is headed our way. While extreme storms may not be in the forecast in the immediate future, it’s always a good idea to be prepared for one to hit.

5 Steps to Prepare for a Storm in New Jersey

Step 1: Make a Plan
Be sure to create an emergency plan for you and your family that includes a meeting place in your home, in your neighborhood, and outside of your neighborhood.

Step 2: Make an Emergency Supply Kit
Prepare yourself and your family with a kit that includes items that will help you stay self-sufficient for up to three days, if needed.

Step 3: Stay Informed
Use credible websites to get informed about natural hazards and emergency preparedness. Contact your Country Office of Emergency Management to learn about the localized information sources provided by the U.S. It’s also beneficial to sign up for any emergency alerts.

What You Can Do to Your Home to Prepare

An active storm season in NJ can test the boundaries of your home, but you don’t have to give up what is otherwise a fantastic location to live. While you may not be able to fully prevent your house from flooding, there are several ways you can prepare.

• Put sandbags out as a barrier against rising water
• Install a sump pump in your basement or the lower level of your home
• Place outlets or sensitive equipment on a shelf or high up on the wall
• Board up your windows if high winds are expected

Tornado Preparedness

Tornadoes are not common in New Jersey, but there have definitely been enough to make us want to prepare with an emergency supply kit.

• Your kit should include items that will help you stay self-sufficient for up to three days.
• A battery-powered radio should be included to help you keep track of the tornado.
• Your plan should entail evacuation steps, a place to reunite with loved ones, and an out-of-state contact person.

Identify a safe place in your home where family members can gather if a tornado is headed your way.

• Choose your basement, a center hallway, the bathroom, or a closet on the lowest floor.
• If shelter is not available, lie in a ditch or low-lying area a safe distance away from structures.
• Know the signs and watch the sky.
  Tornadoes don’t always have a visible funnel.
• An approaching cloud of debris can mark the location of a tornado if you don’t physically see one.
• They can be accompanied by heavy rain or hail, followed by either dead calm or an intense wind shift.
• Listed for a loud, continuous roar or rumble that doesn’t fade like thunder.
• Look for a persistent lowering of the cloud base.
• At night, watch for small, bright, blue-green to white flashes at ground level, which means power lines are being snapped by strong winds.

We hope that this blog helped you with some insight on getting prepared for a storm. Always keep an emergency plan set and ready for any type of storm, regardless if it is small or severe. You never know what mother nature has in store for us!

About SERVPRO Team Harvey
SERVPRO of Aberdeen/Holmdel is proudly owned by Lance and Jennifer Harvey - a husband and wife duo that owns three other SERVPRO locations, including SERVPRO of Lower Manhattan, SERVPRO of West Somerset County, and SERVPRO of Hoboken/Union City.

We understand the stress and worry that comes with a fire or water damage and the disruption it causes your home or business. Our goal is to help minimize the interruption to your life and quickly make it “like it never even happened.”