Expert Explanations: Keeping Safe in Extreme Weather

By Dawn Aulet 

Patch put together some tips to keep your home and self safe in extreme weather.

It's Springtime and that means extreme weather. In Illinois, that usually means thunderstorms, lightning and threats of tornadoes.

There are things you can do to make your home safer even before extreme weather hits.

The following tips were put together from Weather.com.

1. Create a disaster supply kit. Weather.com suggests you can easily put one together over a five month period. It includes such things as three gallons of water per person and non-perishable food, such as dry cereal or peanut butter. You can find more information on how to create the kit by clicking here.
   
2. Inspect your home. Homes built to code ride out storms the best. This is especially true in extreme weather. One of the more surprising tips is to replace the gravel or rock landscape material outside your home with shredded bark. More info on home improvement tips can be found by clicking here.
3. Decide on a shelter location ahead of time. Although most homes in this area have basements and that is where a family would go if a tornado threatens, that is not always true. In addition to a location for shelter, families may want to decide on an emergency meeting place if family members are separated.
4. Be aware of the threat of lightning. In the United States, phone use is the leading cause of indoor lightning injuries. Again, the safest place is in the basement, however, you should avoid contact with concrete walls which may contain metal reinforcing bars. Also washers and dryers should be avoided since they not only have contacts with the plumbing and electrical systems, but also contain an electrical path to the outside through the dryer vent.
5. Double check your insurance policy. This is an especially important tip if you are in a flood-prone area. Many homeowner's policies require a second policy for flood insurance. Check while your home is dry so you are protected if you flood. For more information on preventing water damage,  click here.