How to prepare yourself and your home for a super typhoon like Mangkhut

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There's more to getting ready for a typhoon than to stay indoors and make sure you have plenty of entertainment

Joanne Ma |
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Stay away from the water.

According to the Hong Kong Observatory, super typhoon Mangkhut is the strongest storm that will ever hit Hong Kong. If it continues its present track, the typhoon will be within 100km of the city on Sunday, with wind speed about 220km/h, which is equivalent to some 60 metres per second.

There are several things we can do ahead of this super typhoon. Young Post speaks to Professor Emily Chan Ying-yang, the director of the Collaborating Centre for Oxford University and CUHK for Disaster and Medical Humanitarian Response centre, for tips on how and what to prepare, and what to pay attention to.

Super Typhoon Mangkhut approaches HK as Observatory warns of rough seas and flooding

First and foremost, if there is a risk your home may run out of water or experience a power shortage, you should stock up on non-perishable food that doesn’t require refrigerating. And remember to check the expiry date of the food items to make sure it isn’t going to expire soon. You should also have a store of drinking water - to be more environmentally friendly, skip on buying bottles of water and boil and store water in advance yourself. Put aside enough food and water to last you and your family two to three days.

During a super typhoon, it’s important to ensure you have access to information about how the typhoon is progressing. So make sure you have adequate backup batteries to keep your gadgets running. Maybe charge a few portable power banks in advance to keep your smartphone running (resist wasting battery playing Fortnite!) or consider getting extra batteries or manually driven chargers.

The super simple reason why typhoons are given names, and how they are named​

As you’re preparing for super typhoon Mangkhut, don’t forget the elderly or those with any kind of disability around you. Starting from your closest relatives to neighbours, it’s always helpful to check in with them and make sure they have everything they need during this time. This includes making sure the elderly or those with health problems have enough of the medication they need on a daily basis at home to last the course of the typhoon.


All gifs via GIPHY

On to some practical and physical advice, for everyone’s safety, it’s the best to secure your doors and windows with strong masking tape, and make sure all the electric wires at your home are intact so there will be no risk of electric shock if your home is flooded.

Last but not least, people should stay at home when the super typhoon strikes. Going anywhere near the water will put your life in danger, and going outside puts you at risk of being hit by flying or falling objects.

Stay dry, everyone; and stay safe!

Edited by Heidi Yeung

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