Essential Typhoon Preparedness Tips for Couples: Protecting Your Loved One and Yourself

2018.10.02 published

Considering Typhoon Preparedness

Typhoons, natural disasters that occur from the end of summer to autumn.

Severe winds and heavy rain can stop transportation systems, causing significant disruptions to daily life...!

At the end of September, Typhoon No. 24, Chami, crossed the Japanese mainland,

leading to damage across Japan, including broken windows, collapsed buildings and trees, and ongoing power outages.

Even those who were safe this time should remember that we never know when a natural disaster may strike...!

Therefore, this article will explain the precautions you can take in advance for when the unexpected happens.

To protect yourself and your loved ones, let’s do our best to mitigate risks!

① Prepare LED Candles

Electricity and gas are essential lifelines for our lives. While gas tanks are buried underground,

electrical wiring is above ground, making it vulnerable to damage from typhoons.

If the power goes out at night, everything around will be pitch black.

In such times, having "LED candles" is very convenient!

Regular candles or aroma candles are okay, but using real flame can be dangerous...!

LED lights last a long time, so even if the power goes out on a dark night, you can feel a little more at ease.

Don’t forget to prepare a flashlight for moving around as well!

@yuih_wd

② Minimize Refrigerator Openings!

When the power goes out, the refrigerator stops working as well.

However, an unplugged refrigerator can still serve as a large cooler, so

keep the frequency of openings to a minimum to avoid raising the internal temperature (also share with your family!).

By strictly following this, food inside can remain good without spoiling or melting!

③ Stock Up on Drinks and Food

When a typhoon strikes, you can't go outside, so it's very important to securely store drinks like water and food such as cup noodles and frozen foods!

This applies not only to typhoons but also to other disasters like earthquakes.

After a disaster, convenience stores and supermarkets can be in a state of shortage.

It's not ideal to buy a lot when everyone else needs supplies.

Therefore, it's essential to always have about a week's worth of food for the whole family ready in advance!

Also, regularly check expiration dates!

In the event of an earthquake, gas may be unavailable for an extended period, so a portable stove and gas canisters (having six is reassuring!) are also useful.

④ Bring In Items from the Balcony or Garden

Before a typhoon arrives, it's also important to evacuate everything from the balcony or garden inside the house!

Potted plants, gardening tools, and unexpectedly, even clothes drying poles and clips!

They can be blown away by strong winds,

and above all, it's frightening to think that your belongings could harm other houses or people...!

If you have space, it’s a good idea to either store bicycles inside the building or lay them down in advance.

⑤ Prevent Window Glass Breakage

The most common damage from typhoons is broken window glass.

If the glass shatters, shards can fly and pose immediate danger.

Moreover, rain can pour in and saturate the floor, damaging furniture and electrical appliances...!

To prevent this, you need to take measures to protect the window glass.

・Seal from the outside with cardboard and tape

・Secure storm nets (protective nets)

・Put tape in an X shape on the inside of windows

These are doable!

You might wonder, "Is it really necessary to go that far?"

As a guideline, it’s better to prepare window glass protection when wind speeds exceed 10 meters!

To Protect Your Loved Ones from Typhoons

Now that I am married and have a new family,

we living in disaster-prone Japan should always be prepared for unexpected emergencies.

We need to take action regularly to protect ourselves and those we care about.

I hope no one has to experience the regret of thinking, “I should have done this” or “If only I had done that” when the time comes.

Let’s communicate and cooperate with our partners and families in our original homes or in-laws, and start taking action on what we can do right away!