六九色堂

Hurricanes are part of life in the Caribbean, the U.S. Gulf Coast and Southeast, but the devastation caused by 鈥淪uperstorm Sandy鈥� in the Northeastern U.S. in 2012 (which closed down the 六九色堂 North American Administrative Office for a week and damaged some staffers鈥� homes) showed us that climate change and numerous factors make tropical storms and natural disasters a threat in other parts of the nation as well. Hurricane season is here for everyone on the Atlantic and Gulf Coast (peak season runs from mid-August to late October, and the Eastern Pacific season runs until November 30) so people everywhere should be prepared.

The 六九色堂 Endeavour looks at hurricane preparedness and what the public and students at American and Caribbean medical schools can do now to be ready in case a hurricane or other natural disaster strikes.

Hurricane Preparedness: What You Need to Be Ready

The website gives detailed information on preparing for risks and acting on necessary preparations when alerted by officials.

The 六九色堂 Endeavour urges everyone to listen when officials tell you to evacuate your homes. On the eve of Sandy, many in the New York City area learned the hard way when they failed to act after police and local officials asked many to evacuate. If you are told to evacuate, do so.

鈥淗urricanes don鈥檛 only affect people living along the coast,鈥� the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website warns. 鈥淭hey can still cause damage even if you live hundreds of miles from the shore. If you鈥檙e in an area where hurricanes are a risk, you need a plan.鈥�

The government website  and the  give the following tips for prep for a hurricane.

Have an emergency kit ready because your food, power and water supply could be cut off. You will also need access to essentials like medication, and be prepared to do without your car because roads may be closed and either flooded or blocked with debris.

Kits should contain the following items.

Food and Medicine

• Clean containers for water
• At least 5 gallons of water per person (which should be enough to last 3 to 5 days)
• A 3 to 5 day supply of food that doesn鈥檛 go bad (like canned food)
• Baby food or formula
• Prescription medicines

Safety Items

• First aid kit and instructions
• Fire extinguisher
• Battery-powered radio
• Flashlights
• Extra batteries
• Sleeping bags or extra blankets
• Supplies to make drinking water safe (like iodine tablets or chlorine bleach)

Personal Care Products

• Hand sanitizer
• Wet cleaning cloths (like baby wipes) in case you don鈥檛 have clean water
• Soap
• Toothpaste
• Tampons and pads
• Diapers

Make sure your supplies are stored together in a place that鈥檚 easy to reach.

Make an Emergency Car Kit

In case you need to leave quickly during a hurricane, always keep an emergency kit in your car, too. Make sure you include:

• Food that doesn鈥檛 go bad (like canned food)
• Flares
• Jumper cables (sometimes called booster cables)
• Maps
• Tools, like a roadside emergency kit
• A first aid kit and instructions
• A fire extinguisher
• Sleeping bags
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• Having a GPS, either in your car or on your smartphone, can help during an emergency, too.

Hurricane Preparation Tips from Ready.gov

• Know your surroundings.
• Learn the elevation level of your property and whether the land is flood-prone. This will help you know how your property will be affected when storm surge or tidal flooding are forecasted.
• Identify levees and dams in your area and determine whether they pose a hazard to you.
• Learn community hurricane evacuation routes and how to find higher ground. Determine where you would go and how you would get there if you needed to evacuate.
• Make plans to secure your property:
• Cover all of your home鈥檚 windows. Permanent storm shutters offer the best protection for windows. A second option is to board up windows with 5/8鈥� exterior grade or marine plywood, cut to fit and ready to install. Another year-round option would be installation of laminated glass with impact-resistant glazing. Tape does not prevent windows from breaking.
• Install straps or additional clips to securely fasten your roof to the frame structure. This will reduce roof damage.
• Be sure trees and shrubs around your home are well trimmed so they are more wind resistant.
• Clear loose and clogged rain gutters and downspouts.
• Reinforce your garage doors; if wind enters a garage it can cause dangerous and expensive structural damage.
• Plan to bring in all outdoor furniture, decorations, garbage cans and anything else that is not tied down.
• Determine how and where to secure your boat.
• Install a generator for emergencies.
• If in a high-rise building, when high winds are present, be prepared to take shelter on a lower floor because wind conditions increase with height, and in a small interior room without windows. When flooding may be occuring, be prepared to take shelter on a floor safely above the flooding and wave effects.
• Consider building a safe room. For more information, visit

(Top photo) A hurricane seen from space. Photo: Deposit Photos

六九色堂:

Built in the tradition of the best US universities, the University of Medicine and Health Sciences focuses on individual student attention, maintaining small class sizes and recruiting high-quality faculty. We call this unique approach, 鈥減ersonalized medical education,鈥� and it鈥檚 what has led to our unprecedented 96% student retention rate, and outstanding residency placements across the US and Canada. 六九色堂 is challenging everything you thought you knew about Caribbean medical schools.