Hurricane season: Preparing is protecting yourself!

Even if we already knew it, the Irma phenomenon made us painfully aware of the importance of properly preparing our environment for the possible passage of a cyclone. In order to minimize the consequences of the force of the winds and torrential rains, here is the list of essential actions that the Community urges you to practice today.

• Clean and secure the surroundings of your house and your garden.

• Prune the trees located nearby.

• Remove all large bulky items - sheets, boards, scrap metal, etc. - which could become dangerous projectiles during strong winds.

• Check and if necessary consolidate the roof of your house, as well as hanging the sheets and replacing or adding screws every 50 centimeters.< br />
• Check the shutters and if there are none, provide plywood protection to protect your windows and bay windows.

• Consolidate the house at the level of doors and windows.

• Ensure good maintenance of channels and gutters for good evacuation of rainwater.

• If you live in a flood zone, be sure to prepare in advance a protection system that will mitigate the penetration of water into your home: metal plates, sandbags, silicone.
< br />• Designate a safe room, without windows or doors opening to the outside in case your house becomes vulnerable.

• Organize your possible evacuation and speak about it now to the person near you who could accommodate you in an emergency.

• Build up and store in a safe place a sufficient, long-life food reserve: rice, canned goods, sugar, oil, biscuits, etc. as food for babies and animals.

• Provide a supply of drinking water, at least 10 liters per person per day.

• If you usually cook with electricity, get a small gas stove.

• Have a radio and electric lamps with a spare batteries, or even a small generator with a small fuel reserve.

• Store in a defined and accessible place equipment and tools likely to be useful after a cyclone: ​​axe, saw , nails, hammers, tarpaulins, plywood...

• Have a first aid kit: dressings, disinfectant, hydrophilic cotton, compresses, plaster, as well as your medication if you are following a medical treatment.

• Check that your home and vehicle are well insured.

• Make sure that you and those around you are familiar with the safety instructions.