Issue link: https://www.cominghomemag.com/i/1520927
Ready for Anything FIVE EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS TIPS YOU CAN USE NOW. We're all at risk for severe weather. Whether it's torrential rain and flooding or extreme heat and wildfires, there's likely some form of weather-related natural disaster that your area is familiar with. To keep yourself and your family safe, it makes sense to be prepared—especially when doing so is easy. Explore five simple things you can do now to prepare for an emergency. 1. UNDERSTAND POTENTIAL DISASTERS. Weather-related natural disasters come in all shapes and sizes, impacting your home, community, city, province, state, and region differently. The best thing you can do for your safety is understand the events you're most at risk for. Talk to your real estate agent or research the disaster history of your home, and reach out to local authorities to identify flood maps and risk zones. These events can hit big: Wildfires. Wildfires can happen anytime. They're uncontrolled fires in forests, woodlands, grasslands, or anywhere with dry, combustible vegetation to fuel the flames. Natural forces, like lightning, can start wildfires, but nearly 85% are caused by humans. Tornadoes. Ordinarily in the spring, summer, and fall, a tornado is a narrow, violently rotating column of air that extends from the sky to the ground. Threats from a tornado include strong winds and lightning. Hurricanes. The Atlantic hurricane season begins June 1 and continues until November 30. Hurricanes are tropical cyclones that bring aggressive weather, such as widespread, heavy rainfall, gusty winds, and significant river and storm surge flooding. Floods. An overflow of water onto land that's normally dry, flooding can occur in any season, but coastal spots are prone to flooding during hurricane season, and cold regions can experience flood-causing ice jams when the weather turns warmer, usually in the spring. 34