Cyclone preparedness is now essential as several cyclones have hit over the past decade. To increase the severity of ongoing coronavirus, it is as if cyclone ‘Yaas’ is coming towards Bangladesh. It originates from the North Andaman Sea and the adjoining East-Central Bay of Bengal under the Indian Ocean. The depression formed here could continue to intensify and turn into a severe cyclone by May 24. It may then move northwest and reach the Khulna coast of Bangladesh on 26 May.
Let’s take a look at the necessary steps that need to be taken in advance to minimize the damage caused by the cyclone.
Necessary preparations to deal with cyclone.
The pre-cyclone initiatives
In the case of rural areas
1. When building a house, make sure that it is as high as possible above the ground. Lay iron or wooden pillars and frames on a strong foundation. Then cover it with a thatch. Be careful when using tin in tents as tin can fly during storms and injure people and cattle. In this case, you can use Tin with a thickness of 0.5 mm and Zehuk.
2. With the storm in mind, plant coconut, banana, bamboo, palm, firewood, and other hardy plants in the yard.
3. Keep radios on all vessels including fishing boats, launches, and trawlers. Make it a habit to listen to the weather forecast all the time while staying in the river or sea.
4. During the cyclone season, keep dry food such as parched rice, flattened rice, biscuits, etc. that can be stored at home for a few days.
5. People in which area will go to which shelter, where the cattle will be, fixed everything in advance during the cyclone. Make sure you know all the safe places near and far as possible. Don’t forget about social distance due to corona. The shelter-providing organizations have to keep in mind that people gather at a sufficient distance from each shelter.
6. Always carry some first aid kits such as bandages, Dettol, etc. with you if possible.
7. When going to a shelter, decide in advance what to take with you and what to bury in the ground. You can leave the essential commodities such as rice, lentils, matches, dried wood, water alum, sugar, regularly used medicines, books, bandages, cotton, orsaline, documents, money, etc. packed in waterproof polythene bags and buried in the ground.
8. Check the condition of your houses as soon as you get a cyclone warning. To make it stronger, bury a pole in the ground and tie different parts of the house with ropes.
9. Get in touch with CPP (Cyclone Preparedness Program) volunteers as soon as you receive the signal.
10. You must put out the fire before leaving the house.
11. Open the head of the tubewell. Then cover the open part well with polythene. This will prevent dirt from entering the tubewell.
12. Rainwater is pure and edible. So make arrangements in advance to retain rainwater after the cyclone. Keep water in a large earthen pot or drum and cover its mouth well so that no insects or dirt can enter.
Also Read: How Cyclone Yaas was named
In the case of urban areas
1. Don’t be alarmed by the news of the cyclone on online social media, TV, and radio. Listen to the instructions calmly and act accordingly.
2. Keep your power bank, charger light, torchlight fully charged. Keep candles and lighters with yourself.
3. If your home is a tin shed or if you live downstairs, wrap important papers in waterproof boxes with tape and polythene. Don’t put multiplugs on the floor.
4. Gas, electricity, water, and phone networks across the city may be shut down for security reasons. The road may be closed. So keep a sufficient amount of dry food in the collection.
5. Remove flower tubs on the railing, outside machinery of AC on the sunshade, construction equipment, and keep them in a safe place. If you have a building under construction next to your home, you need to be extra careful.
Also Read: Cyclone Yaas: Maritime ports in Bangladesh asked to hoist signal no 2
