Safety Tips During the Famous Chinook Wind Season

The spectacular Great Plains and Canadian Prairies meet the coastal winds along with the mountain ranges because of the famous Chinook wind. The dry wind causes havoc on the plantation, but its beauty lasts for a few days, if not hours. The strong winds topple trucks and anything that they find along the way. The hibernated plants during the winter season get a life. Although this lasts for a few days since it’s a dry wind with no moisture.

Anytime you hear of the word safety, the first thing people think of is a gun. During the Chinook Wind season, your 2 pounds pull the trigger from your flare or signal pistol could help warn others.

Natural disasters call for different safety tips. Some of the most common ones include

  • High winds
  • Earthquakes
  • Floods
  • Tsunamis
  • Volcanic eruptions
  • Storms

The meteorological department gives warnings before the actual action. Some may pass their attention, for they happen fast with no scientific explanation.

Your work is to arm yourself with safety tips to be aware of what to do when a disaster strikes.

  1. Stay indoors where possible

Once you receive a wind advisory, reschedule your outdoor activities, and focus on staying indoors unless it’s a matter of life and death. You are safe within the home, but there are other safety tips to consider in such a scenario.

The possibility the high wind can spare the house is very high. Canadians build their homes with Chinook wind systems in mind hence the strength and stability of the buildings. Stay clear from roads and pathways. The wind intensity is high in areas with no obstacles like the roads and the paths. In case the wind finds you out on the way, avoid the way like the plague. Even when driving, the wind can topple a truck leave alone your small car. Once you get a glimpse that the wind is in a particular area, seek shelter in the parking basement.

  1. Take shelter in substantial buildings

There are little statistics on the destruction of buildings from Chinook wind. Therefore, it serves as the best place to seek asylum.

Durable buildings are ones with a permanent structure, not the makeshifts ones. When outdoor, it’s essential to check where to shelter and, if possible, let it be in an open place where debris and power lines might reach you and cause more harm.

  1. Avoid the balconies where loose objects may fall

The trick about staying safe during a strong wind is to avoid open places. Remember, wind intensity is high in such areas.

Avoid the balconies even when you are at home. As long as it’s not an earthquake, you are safe in an enclosed environment. Balconies are disaster areas, debris, and power lines may fall, leading to electrocution.

  1. Avoid pools of water

It’s tempting to stay in pools of water but think of it. In case a live power line is affected yet it carried a live wire. Water is a good conductor of electricity. The path might not be on sight, but the current flows through the water drainage.

Imagine if you are in that pool. You can’t escape electrocution.

  1. Report any fallen power lines

If the wind can overturn a truck, a power line is a walkover. The first thing you need to do is to report a power line breakage to prevent any disaster.

You keep yourself safe and other people who may not have seen but can get in touch with water downstream.

  1. Avoid touching the doors and windows

During this time, always avoid sheltering or even moving the doors and windows. Since they are made of metal- good electricity conductors, they may have an indirect connection with the power line, causing an electric shock when you think you are safe indoors.

  1. Slow down if found when driving and seek shelter

Once you get wind of a Chinook wind in the area. Don’t panic, slow down, and look for the best place to seek refuge. The driveways and roads are dangerous zones, for they are the Chinook routes now that there are no obstacles. Take control of your machine and be safe.

  1. Keep safe distance

At one point, you may be caught in a traffic jam, keep a safe distance, and open your hazard lights to alert other road users of your presence. It’s vital to avoid hitting one another; you don’t need any other accident at this critical time.

As bad as it looks, Chinook wind is a tourist attraction. People come from all walks of life to come and view this unique natural resource. In the middle of winter, there is a dry wind with high temperature enough to melt ice for a few days. Who doesn’t want to view such?