How to Prepare Prefabricated Houses for Typhoons
Prefabricated houses should take defensive measures in terms of structural inspection, door and window reinforcement, hazard clearance, drainage improvement, material reserves, and evacuation before the arrival of a typhoon.
Structural Safety Inspection of the House: Focus on inspecting the main load-bearing structure. Check for any widening or lengthening of new or old cracks in load-bearing walls, roof beams, and house corners. Verify whether there is any slippage or uneven settlement of the foundation, with particular attention to the connection areas of additional floors in self-built houses. If any structural abnormalities are found, immediately contact professionals for evaluation and reinforcement.
Sealing and Reinforcement of Doors and Windows: Large floor-to-ceiling windows and glass doors should be prioritized for full coverage protection with hard wooden boards. If boards are not available, adhesive tapes in a '米' (Chinese character for 'rice') or '井' (Chinese character for 'well') pattern can be applied to prevent glass from shattering and flying. Ordinary doors and windows should be tightly closed and locked, with gaps sealed. Loose tracks should be fixed with wooden wedges, and the connection areas between window frames and walls should be reinforced. Large-span windows exceeding 5 meters in width should be equipped with reinforcement components in advance to enhance their wind resistance.
Clearing High-Altitude Falling Hazards: Move flower pots, debris, and other items from balconies, window sills, and rooftops indoors. Secure the brackets and screws of air conditioning units, remove decorative hanging items from eaves that are prone to falling, and trim dead or over-dense branches of trees in front and behind the house. Reinforce tall trees with pulling or supporting methods to prevent items from falling and injuring people due to strong winds.
Drainage System Improvement: Clear mud and debris from drainage ditches around the house, roof gutters, and rainwater pipes to ensure smooth drainage. Residents in low-lying areas should set up water barriers, stack sandbags, and prepare drainage materials such as water pumps and buckets to prevent rainwater from backing up.
Indoor Emergency Material Reserves: Stock up on emergency supplies such as drinking water, instant food, flashlights, power banks, and common medications. Place documents and valuables in waterproof bags and store them in a dry, elevated position indoors. Residents in low-lying areas should elevate household appliances, food, and other materials or seal them with waterproof cloth to reduce property losses.
Timely Evacuation for Safety: If the house emits cracking noises, intense friction sounds from metal components, or shows signs of large-scale cracking and tilting of walls, immediate evacuation is necessary. Residents living in dilapidated houses, factories, and work sheds should evacuate to safe areas in advance to ensure personal safety.
