Cyclone Gulab: Some dos and don'ts ahead of a cyclonic storm

Cyclone Gulab will make landfall by Sunday evening, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said and issued an orange alert for Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.

"The Cyclonic Storm 'Gulab' over northwest and adjoining westcentral Bay of Bengal moved nearly westwards lay centered at 0530 hrs IST of 26th Sep, over northwest and adjoining westcentral Bay of Bengal about 270 km east-southeast of Gopalpur & 330 km east of Kalingapatnam," the IMD said in its latest bulletin.

The IMD has issued several do's and don'ts to ensure the safety of citizens.

Here are the dos and don'ts to be followed in case of a cyclone:

Dos

1. The IMD advises people to check houses, secure loose tiles by cementing wherever necessary and repair doors and windows.

2. Check the area around the house. Remove dead or dying trees, anchor removable objects like lumber piles, loose bricks, garbage cans, sign-boards, loose zinc sheets etc, the IMD said in its list of precautions.

3. Keep some wooden boards ready so that glass windows can be boarded. If you do not have wooden boards handy, paste paper strips on glasses to prevent splinters from flying into the house.

4. Keep a hurricane lantern filled with kerosene, flashlight and enough dry cells and keep them handy.

5. Promptly demolish condemned buildings.

6. Those who have radio sets should ensure that the radio is fully serviceable. In the case of transistors an extra set of batteries should be kept handy. Keep your radio on and listen to latest weather warnings and advisories from the nearest AIR station. Pass only the official information you have got from the radio to others.

7. Get away from low lying beaches or other locations which may be swept by high tides or storm waves. Leave sufficiently early before your way to the high ground gets flooded. Do not delay and run the risk of being marooned.

8. Be alert for high water in areas where streams of rivers may flood due to heavy rains.

9. Get extra food, especially things which can be eaten without cooking or with very little preparation. Store extra drinking water in a covered vessel.

10. If you are in one of the evacuation areas, move your valuable articles to the upper floors to minimise flood damage.

11. Check on everything that might blow away or be torn loose. Kerosene tins, cans, agricultural implements, garden tools, road signs and other objects become weapons of destruction in strong winds. Remove them and store them in a covered room.

12. Make provisions for children and adults requiring special diets.

13. If the centre of the 'eye' of the storm passes directly over your place, there will be a lull in the wind and rain, lasting for half an hour or more. During this period stay in a safe place. Make emergency repairs during the lull period if necessary, but remember that strong wind will return suddenly from the opposite direction, frequently with even greater violence.

14. The IMD advises people to be calm and to remain in shelters until informed by those in charge that one may return home.

15. Any loose and dangling wire from the lamp post should be strictly avoided.

16. People should keep away from disaster areas unless one is required to assist.

17. Anti-social elements should be prevented from doing mischief and reported to the police.

18. Cars, buses, lorries and carts should be driven carefully.

19. The houses and dwellings should be cleared of debris.

20. The losses should be reported to the appropriate authorities.

21. Relatives should be promptly informed about the safety of the persons in the disaster area.

Don'ts

1. The IMD advises people to avoid being misled by rumours.

2. Don't leave shelters until informed by the rescue personals.

3. Don't leave the safe places.

4. Minor repairs can be carried out.

5. Don't touch loose and dangling wires from lamp posts.