La Niña phenomemon is upon the Philippines once again. The rains of past two days were an indication of that. So, expect more rainy days and nights… and longer hours sitting inside a vehicle due to heavy traffic. Thankfully,  I don’t have to commute to go to work. My work as a virtual online assistant allows me to work from home or any other place that my Sun Broadband connection works.  Yooohoooo!!!!

Still, I have to prepare for the worst case scenario and you should, too. Here are some tips for everyone.

• Buy candles.  Though we rarely have brownouts during stormy seasons, it’s still best to have a light source that doesn’t depend on electricity. Even if you do have flashlights and rechargeable lamps, I still think that you should keep a pack of candles on hand.
• Have batteries on hand.  This is sort of related to the first tip. If you are going to use flashlights and rechargeable lamps, then you’ve got to have extra batteries ready.  Batteries will also be needed for portable radio, TV, or any other gadgets that you have as these can be used to get updates on the havoc being caused by the La Niña phenomenon and what assistance is there for those affected.
• Stock up on instant noodles.  First, I’m not advocating that you make instant noodles a part of your daily diet this season. It’s not healthy.  It’s just that instant noodles are perfect for  cold, rainy nights. Imagine the smell of a Nissin’s Seafood Instant Noodles on stormy night…. heaven!
• Move your outdoor furniture indoors or under a roof. Most people I know don’t do this. They let their lawn chairs, benches,  and outdoor firepit get wet and then they complain about the rust and water stains. I think it’s less stressful to move them inside for a bit than just let them sit out in the rain.
• Build support for your plants.  If you have dainty shrubs in your garden, it’s time to put a fence around them using strings or straws to make sure they don’t get tossed around by strong winds.  I included this tip because a plant with white, fragrant flowers grew in my front yard and the rains last week knocked them down. I had to use bamboos and straw to keep them upright.
• Plan where you will move your furniture and appliances should your house be flooded. We always lived in houses that were a few feet higher than the street so there was never an instance when we had flood waters inside our home….well, not until Ondoy. The water rose fast and it was a good thing that our appliances were on high stands including the ref and the TV so we were able to move them upstairs before the water reached them.  However, the gas range and the washing machine were on floor level so they didn’t survive after that.  The sofa set and dining table were made of narra so they were just as fine after the flood as they were before. Now, we live in a bungalow and I am actually planning on putting up shelves on the wall to make sure that I have something to put my electronics in case of flood.

If you have any more ideas on how to prepare yourself for the coming La Niña phenomenon, please post them on the comment section below and I will update the post with your suggestions.  Keep safe everyone!

You might also like to read