Storms Predicted for November

Stormy Weather in November

Three major storms are predicted to hit Britain in November. It is thought the storms will be as bad as the storms of 1987 or possibly worse. It is suggested that winds could gust up to 130m.p.h and cause structural damage to properties, fallen trees and flooding. The three fierce weather periods are predicted as:

Friday 26 October to Thursday 1 November

Thursday 8 to Tuesday 13 November

Saturday 24 to Wednesday 28 November, which will be the worst one.

Weather forecasters frequently get their predictions wrong so this may very well not happen at all or be much milder than currently feared. My own view is to hope for the best but prepare for the worst. Lets look at various potential problems.

With flooding, sewage may contaminate drinking water making it unsafe to drink. Flooded and damaged shops will not be able to trade. Roads may be impassable with fallen trees. Gas end electricity supplies are likely to be disrupted so ordinary cooking and heating facilities will be unavailable. Hospitals may be under pressure treating injured patients, if the injured and the staff are able to get to hospital in the first place. With structural damage to property and damage to gas pipes, people may have to evacuate their homes.

There are things we can do to prepare ourselves in case the worst should happen while hoping it won’t. Lets examine a few ideas.

1. Look at your home. Where might you be safe if something like a wheelie bin is blown through a window? Stairwells are usually safe.

2. You might buy some masking tape or duct tape to stick to your windows in a criss-cross pattern to prevent huge flying splinters of shattered glass.

3. Stock up on bottled water beforehand and as the storm hits, fill up buckets and other containers with clean water in case the water becomes unsafe to drink.

4. Stock up on non-perishable food such as long life milk, tins of fruit and other food, biscuits, sweets etc.

5. Make sure you will have enough prescription medicine in case you can’t get out or the chemists can’t open.

6. Have a couple of sources of light such as candles, torches with spare batteries or windup torches.

7. In times of disaster, the radio rather than television keeps people informed of what is going on. Have a radio available, preset to the local radio station, and with new and spare batteries. You won’t be able to rely on using electricity to power your radio. At places like Argos, Homebase, B and Q, Woolworths etc you can buy a torch with an FM radio that you wind up with a handle and it runs for about 30 min on a 30 sec cranking of the handle. The advantage of this is that it does not depend on batteries.

8. Another useful piece of kit is a portable camping stove or gas ring that works on mini canisters. A hot drink or warm meal may be a great comfort in a storm. Make sure you have enough fuel for the stove. Along with that, a stainless steel thermos flask will keep water hot for hours.

9. It is possible to buy battery or crank-handle operated mobile phone chargers. It would be good to have a charged up mobile with credit on it because mobile networks are less likely to be affected by severe weather as cable based landlines. Remember that there is another emergency number apart from 999, and that is 112. 112 is satellite based and often works when 999 doesn’t.

10. Get your important documents together and tape them up in something waterproof such as a few freezer bags. Documents you might need are forms of ID such as passports, repeat prescriptions, your name, address and date of birth, next of kin names and contact details, your usual doctor, any health problems you may have or anything else people might need to know if you are unable to speak for yourself. I would put info like this in a plastic envelope and physically tape it on to small children or the elderly and infirm. Don’t forget your household pets either.

11. You should have a quick-grab bag that you are able to carry without help containing a few essentials in case you have to evacuate your home in a hurry. You will need a change of warm clothes, toilet paper, a few toiletries, hand towel, hairbrush, prescription medicines, possibly a small first aid kit, a bottle of water, some sweets in case of shock and some other things that you might need such as nappies for babies, a blanket or whatever you think best. Whatever you pack, you will have to be able to carry as it isn’t likely that anyone else will offer to carry your bag for you – they will probably have their own bags to deal with.

12. A good book might be a good distraction. If you live alone, it might be wise to weather the storm with a friend, choosing the home that will probably be the safest. A house on a hill for instance would be at less risk of flooding.

13. Keep an eye out for the vulnerable and offer help if you can. Vulnerable people would include small children, heavily pregnant women, chronically ill and frail people, the elderly, and people with handicaps. Some disabled people might depend on working dogs such as guide dogs for the blind, and the safety of those working dogs should be given priority over the safety of a companion animal. (It hurts me to say that because I have two cats and a dog who I love very dearly, but the clinical, coldly practical part of me says that working animals should have priority, even though that is not what my heart says)

14. Make the best of things, have a friendly sing song with friends and family, keep each other’s spirits up and make the best of things. Keep warm. Find something to distract yourself with such as some music, card games, or telling stories. And remember: it may never happen.

By hoping for the best while preparing for the worst, we should be OK. People are surprisingly resilient and can get through all sorts of things, especially if they have been like good Boy Scouts and were Prepared.