Basic info and history about hurricanes in Puerto Rico
How to keep your car safest during a hurricane
General hurricane safety information and tips
Conclusion
Basic info and history about hurricanes in Puerto Rico
Hurricane season just began with the first of June and will run through the end of November. So, it is important to be on your toes and prepared for a possible hurricane, especially if you are in a hurricane-prone area like the Caribbean.
Believe it or not, Hurricanes do not frequently hit Puerto Rico. On average, Puerto Rico gets hit with a tropical storm twice a decade and gets hit with a hurricane less frequently than that. However, there always is the possibility that a Hurricane could hit Puerto Rico as it is in the middle of prime hurricane territory.
A couple of years ago, Hurricane Maria absolutely devastated Puerto Rico, causing nearly three thousand deaths during the storm or in the aftermath. Almost the entire island was without power for at least several weeks. There were widespread landslides throughout the island in the aftermath. Recovery efforts are still continuing.
Prior to Maria, only one other category 5 hurricane had hit Puerto Rico in the past hundred years. That hurricane was San Felipe Segundo and it occurred in 1928. Three hundred people were killed during that hurricane.
In 1899 the San Ciriaco hurricane, which was weaker than Maria and San Felipe, killed about three thousand people.
In the past couple hundred years Puerto Rico has actually only been hit with about fifty tropical storms or hurricanes. However, some, such as Maria and San Ciriaco have been absolutely catastrophic in terms of both damage and death. So, you should always be prepared, just in case.
How to keep your car safest during a hurricane
You might be worried about your car and its safety during a hurricane. Your worry is justified because many cars end up damaged during even lower category hurricanes. However, there are a few things that you can do in order to prepare your car for a hurricane and to give you the best chance to prevent any damage from occurring.
Here are some tips to keep your car as safe as possible during a hurricane:
- Gas up – Fill your car with gas prior to the storm hitting. If you need to drive to get help or supplies after the storm passes, you will be able to avoid the mess at the gas stations.
- Park somewhere safe – If you have a garage, put your car in it. If not, try to park near a sturdy building that will have at least partial protection from winds and debris. At the very least, do not park under trees and power lines as they can fall fairly easily during hurricanes.
- Take pictures before the storm – If your car does happen to get damaged during the storm, having pictures of the cars’ condition before the damage will go a long way to help with any insurance claims.
- Don’t use your car during the storm – Simply put, if you drive during the storm, your car is likely going to incur some damage.
General hurricane safety information and tips
Most importantly during a hurricane, you should worry about your own safety. The following are some tips to help keep you safe just in case of a hurricane:
- Evacuate if instructed to do so – This may seem obvious, but you would be surprised at the number of people that choose to ignore evacuation directives. If you are told to evacuate, do so. You are risking serious injury and even death if you do not. At the very least, you might end up having to be rescued if you do not evacuate. Be sure to learn all evacuation routes prior to a storm hitting.
- Listen for updates however you can – This can actually be more difficult than it sounds sometimes, especially if the power goes out during the storm. However, make sure your phone is fully charged before the storm and try to have a battery powered radio available.
- Stay away from windows – At points during the storm, you might be tempted to take a peek at the chaos, do not do so. With hurricane-force winds, debris can fly at a high rate of speed and crash through windows causing injury to anyone near them.
- Have the right supplies – Make sure you have extra bottled water and food that won’t spoil without being refrigerated. You should also have an emergency kit with extra basic medical supplies just in case.
- Cover your homes windows – If you do not have storm shutters, use plywood boards and board up the windows. In addition to not looking out your windows, take the extra step and prevent any debris that might break through your window from entering your home.
Conclusion
Hurricanes do not hit Puerto Rico often, but when they do, they can be very dangerous and even deadly. It is important that if you are going to be living in Puerto Rico that you are prepared for a tropical storm or hurricane to hit. Your best bet is always to evacuate prior to the storm arriving.
