Preparing your flock and your family for Spring severe weather.

[Artichoke Lover]

I know it’s only the last week of January.... but for many of us in the south spring comes early here. In the south we’ve already our first round of tornadoes for the year back on the 1st of January. So I thought I would make a thread to discuss severe weather preparedness and offer some guidance.

Two of the most important rules for dealing with severe weather is #1 having AT LEAST two ways of getting severe weather alerts and one of these options should be able to wake you up if a warning comes during the night. The best option for this is a weather radio. It will still operate even when cell towers and phone lines are down. NEVER EVER rely on tornado sirens. Chances are you are too far away to hear it over a heavy thunderstorm much less have it wake you up.
#2 Make sure you have a plan for where to go if a warning happens. You should know exactly where you are going (and if you have to drive the route you will take) NEVER stay in a house trailer. The best place to go is a storm shelter. If that isn’t an option get on the lowest floor of your house in a room with no windows and as many walls between you and the outside as possible. Know whether not you can or will bring pets with you if you are using a community shelter and if you are able to take them have they’re crates or leases ready to go.

For your family have bike,
Baseball , or football helmets ready by the door or in your safe place. Most tornado injuries are hard injured from flying debris. You will want hard soled shoes too if at all possible. Tennis shoes are not hard soled shoes and can be easily punctured by debris.

Put together an emergency grab bag. Having one of these is a good ideas for anyone in an are prone to severe weather, fires, floods, hurricanes. Not just tornadoes.
Your grab bag should contain:

At least 1 change of clothing for everyone in your household

•Flashlights and extra batteries

•Phone and other device chargers

•Air horn to let Emergancy responders know where you are.

•non perishable food and bottled water incase you are trapped.

•First aid supplies.

•a weeks worth of medication

•Person hygiene items

•Cash

Additional items:

•Pet food

• Baby Food or formula

•blankets

•poncho

•matches or a lighter

•pencil and paper

•coloring books or games for children

•Fire extinguisher

Preparing your flock
The easiest way to make sure your flock in secure is to make sure you coop is properly secured into the ground with posts when you build it. For some of us it isn’t practical for example if you have a prefab or secondhand coop. In those cases you have 2 options
Option A. bring your flock inside and take them to your shelter with you. This only works if you have a very small flock that can live as house chickens for a day. You will need to bring them inside before the storm hits. DO NOT run out to the coop in the middle of the storm your chickens aren’t worth your life.
Option B. Secure your coop the best you can. Remove any objects that could go flying if the coop is overturned. Hay bales, feed bins, cages. Feeders and waterers should be tied down so they don’t go flying. Shore up any lose boards and make sure all doors and windows are tightly closed. Once again do this before the storm hits. You never want to risk being outside in a tornado or hail storm or even just regular thunderstorm. Lots of people don’t realize how dangerous lightning can be. You don’t have to be struck by it for it to kill you. Trees will often explode when struck sending large chunks of would flying in all directions. The video below is a tree exploding after being struck.

If anyone else has tips or information on what to do during other kinds of severe weather please share.

 

[Kelsykin]

Your grab bag should contain:





If anyone else has tips or information on what to do during other kinds of severe weather please share.

Actually, each member of the family should have their own go-bag. We have 8 people in my household. Each of the children had a go-bag of their own in case of bad weather and we had to evacuate. Most daycares and preschools have children as of 2 or 3 carrying their own backpack. So have emergency supplies for them in your go bag, but letting them have a bag of their own may help them feel less afraid.

The kids' bags had 2 changes of clothes (we changed the clothes every season and size change), extra pair of shoes, some snacks, a flashlight and batteries, some games, chargers, blanket, small toys, compass, area map, water bottle, water purifier in case the power goes out to filter water to drink. As they aged we took things out like the toys and replaced them with more age-appropriate things.

Now as teens a pack of cards works for them. The readers added a book or two. We also added pocket knives, paracord, flint/steel, a mini first aide kit, basic first aid info sheet. They each are in charge of their bags. they keep their bags loaded and ready to go.
The children are each in charge of one dog. They have foldable bowls, treats, food, an extra collar, and extra lead.

Practicing what to do if you have to evacuate. Just like fire drills evacuation drills and other emergency drills need to be done regularly. What to do, how to do it, and where to go. Also learning alternative ways out of your area is good. In a mass evacuation, everybody will be on the major roadways. Most people will wait as long as possible to leave when told to evacuate.

Another thing people may want to invest in is a Satellite phone. Those work even in places that cell service doesn't and when cell service is overwhelmed.

 

[Artichoke Lover]

I should also add that you should never use matches or a lighter in an area that’s been hit by a tornado or earthquake because of the risk of broken gas lines.

 

[WIchickMama]

Actually, each member of the family should have their own go-bag. We have 8 people in my household. Each of the children had a go-bag of their own in case of bad weather and we had to evacuate. Most daycares and preschools have children as of 2 or 3 carrying their own backpack. So have emergency supplies for them in your go bag, but letting them have a bag of their own may help them feel less afraid.

The kids' bags had 2 changes of clothes (we changed the clothes every season and size change), extra pair of shoes, some snacks, a flashlight and batteries, some games, chargers, blanket, small toys, compass, area map, water bottle, water purifier in case the power goes out to filter water to drink. As they aged we took things out like the toys and replaced them with more age-appropriate things.

Now as teens a pack of cards works for them. The readers added a book or two. We also added pocket knives, paracord, flint/steel, a mini first aide kit, basic first aid info sheet. They each are in charge of their bags. they keep their bags loaded and ready to go.
The children are each in charge of one dog. They have foldable bowls, treats, food, an extra collar, and extra lead.

Practicing what to do if you have to evacuate. Just like fire drills evacuation drills and other emergency drills need to be done regularly. What to do, how to do it, and where to go. Also learning alternative ways out of your area is good. In a mass evacuation, everybody will be on the major roadways. Most people will wait as long as possible to leave when told to evacuate.

Another thing people may want to invest in is a Satellite phone. Those work even in places that cell service doesn't and when cell service is overwhelmed.

We do all this too. Everyone has their own, knows what is in it and how to use it. That is key, make sure your kids know how to use the tools that they have safely and correctly. and don't forget medications!

 

[Kelsykin]

I should also add that you should never use matches or a lighter in an area that’s been hit by a tornado or earthquake because of the risk of broken gas lines.

That is find out here in the boonies No gas lines out here

 

[Kelsykin]

We do all this too. Everyone has their own, knows what is in it and how to use it. That is key, make sure your kids know how to use the tools that they have safely and correctly. and don't forget medications!

Nobody here takes any medications. Just don't need them much. If my teens don't use something safely at this point they are old enough to know better.

 

[Artichoke Lover]

That is find out here in the boonies No gas lines out here

No gas lines this far out either which is why I forgot to mention it in the first post. Friend in town five miles away almost got blown up because they didn’t realize they had a huge gas leak this spring. When the inspector saw the leak he ran straight out of the house.

 

[Kelsykin]

No gas lines this far out either which is why I forgot to mention it in the first post. Friend in town five miles away almost got blown up because they didn’t realize they had a huge gas leak this spring. When the inspector saw the leak he ran straight out of the house.

Many years ago I was looking at a house. It had natural gas. There was a leak. When we walked in I got a headache and really bad nausea. Walked outside felt fine. Told the realtor they needed the gas company to come out cause they had a leak. The gas company came out and told the realtor that if we had turned on a single light the house would have blown. Luckily I am sensitive to natural gas.

 

[Artichoke Lover]

Many years ago I was looking at a house. It had natural gas. There was a leak. When we walked in I got a headache and really bad nausea. Walked outside felt fine. Told the realtor they needed the gas company to come out cause they had a leak. The gas company came out and told the realtor that if we had turned on a single light the house would have blown. Luckily I am sensitive to natural gas.

I am too. I refuse to live somewhere with gas because even just the smell of a gas stove cooking makes me ill.

 

[Kelsykin]

I am too. I refuse to live somewhere with gas because even just the smell of a gas stove cooking makes me ill.

Husband wanted a propane grill. I told him it was all on him. He will use it and clean it. I would make a salad or something when he grilled. The kids prefer the taste of wood or charcoal-grilled foods. The propane grill has sat unused for the past 4 years.