Preparing for Natural Disasters When You Have Hearing Loss

In recent times we have noticed a drastic change in the weather across the globe. We can no longer rely on the weather the way we once did, and we are recently facing massive destruction caused by natural disasters such as earthquakes, tornados, wildfires, and hurricanes. It is important to learn ways you can keep yourself and your family safe in case of such emergency situations, especially if you have hearing loss.

Hearing loss is a challenge to begin with, but when it comes to crises situations, it can become even more difficult for those who have a hearing disability. Crises situations cause elevated levels of stress and anxiety, especially if you do not plan for them in advance. In today’s unstable world, it is better to be prepared for the worst than to be caught completely off guard.

Make sure you install visual alarms in addition to audio ones all throughout your homes. This will help alert you in times of emergencies such as fires. Always remember to sign up in order to receive alerts for weather-related and other emergencies. Always watch the news and weather report regularly to keep yourself updated with the weather situation in your locality.

If your locality is often prone to hurricanes and other natural disasters, think about creating a bunker underneath your home where you can safe guard yourself and your family until the crisis period is over.

Be prepared well in advance by keeping an emergency kit packed and ready. This kit should have all the necessities that can help you and your family to survive for a few days in case of emergencies.

Your kit should contain flashlights with several sets of spare batteries. Pack some tinned food with a can opener, bottled water, sleeping bags, toilet paper, and any other necessities you might need. Remember to pack two kits; one for your home and another that can be placed in your car so that you are prepared in case you are stuck in your car during an emergency.

Pack some power banks with a charging dock, and remember that even your car has the ability to serve as a source of power in emergencies. You can charge your cell phones and even your rechargeable hearing aids using your car’s USB port.

If you have hearing loss, it is extremely important to pack some spare batteries for your hearing devices in your emergency kit. Pack an air tight, waterproof container in your emergency kit for your hearing aids to keep them safe during natural disasters. Pack an extra cleaning tool kit for your hearing aids. You can even go a step further and pack a pair of extra hearing aids in your emergency kit in case the ones you are wearing stop working due to damage from water, fire, etc.

Possibly the most important and simple thing to keep handy in your emergency kit is to pack a notepad and some pens. In case your hearing aids stop working and you have no other way to communicate, you can use paper and pen to communicate with emergency personnel during crises situations. We all hope that tragedy never strikes, but when it does, it is best to be prepared.