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Say goodbye to the scorching heat of summer is over as the rainy season officially kicks in. While the rains are a refreshing break from the intense heat, the start of the season means staying indoors most of the time—especially with the onset of typhoons. Floods and strong typhoon signals cause the cancellation of classes, office work, and even your weekend holiday plans. But instead of letting a heavy downpour spoil your mood, think of ways to prepare for it and even enjoy it right at your home. Check out these suggested home essentials and ideas to help you get through the rainy season.
Disaster Preparedness Kits Packed in Waterproof Containers
The Philippines is a typhoon-prone country with an average of about 20 typhoons hitting the country each year. But as in any disaster, preparedness is always the key. Have a first aid kit stuffed with essential medicines like alcohol, wound dressing, and paracetamol. Store your kit in easily accessible areas.
Heavy Duty Rain Gear
Invest in sturdy umbrellas that can withstand strong winds. Raincoat and rain boots are just as essential so that you can go out in the rain when you need to without worrying about wading through flooded streets.
Brown-Out Provisions
With typhoons, brownouts are inevitable. No one would like to be stranded in his home groping in the dark during brownouts. Prepare for long brownouts by having fully charged flashlights, a stock of batteries, portable transistor radio to listen to weather updates, and emergency lights for the home. Have a lot of candles ready—maybe those scented ones that can lighten the mood and improve the musty odor brought about by dampness.
High Capacity Power Bank
You do not exactly know how long a power outage will last especially during typhoons so it is best that you always have a fully charged power bank ready. Communication with families and friends are important in emergency situations.
Zip-Lock Bags as Water-Proof Storage
If you reside in flood-prone areas, it is best that you stash away important documents in a ziplock bag. Passports, IDs, and other original documents should be packed ahead of time in these water-tight bags. You can also put some pieces of extra clothes in big zip lock bags. Pack all these in a water-proof ready-to-go bag which you can bring anytime you need to evacuate your home.
Home Hacks to Stay Dry and Fresh
You definitely will not want those muddy and wet shoes or dripping umbrellas tarnishing your well-kept floors. A little corner outside your doorway can use wet umbrella storage and a shoe rack for those dripping shoes. Add a small bench where one can sit to take off his shoes. Have a highly-absorbent mop ready in case you have to dry some areas, and a pile of good clean rags to wipe the feet.
Have a humidifier or an essential oil diffuser running during intense rains. These work best for air circulation and make your home smell fresh despite the rains.
A Good Quality Washing Machine and Dryer
The rainy season poses a problem in doing your laundry. Find a washing machine and dryer that will last and does not easily break down when you need to use it frequently like during the rainy season.
Options for Cooking
When power interruptions occur, you should not starve yourself just because you cannot cook in your electric stove. Buy a small cooking stove which uses gas which can be quite helpful in emergency situations.
You can also consider having an indoor grill so you can still enjoy that summer feeling with your family even on rainy days. Food warmers are also a good addition to your kitchen appliances as your family will want warm meals during cold rainy days.
Having more innovative cooking options will even allow you to entertain friends while the rains are unstoppable.
Activities to Enjoy
Do not let the rains dampen your enthusiasm for those fun moments. There are a lot of things that can keep you entertained right inside your home. Update your collection of books and catch up on some reading. Or, you can plan ahead to purchase classical or favorite DVDs that you can watch with the whole family. Board games are also fun to play with a group. Or you can just take out those comfy blankets and snuggle and take advantage of that cold weather to catch up on your sleep.
Stock up on Food
There is nothing like watching your favorite movie in bed while enjoying your favorite snacks. Teas, coffee, hot chocolate drinks, healthy snacks, and canned goods are just some of the basic items that your pantry should always be equipped with during the rainy season. More so, remember that typhoons may sometimes cause the closure of roads, supermarkets, and restaurants.
Make the rainy season a time that you look forward to rather than a time that you dread. Be creative on the ways to enjoy it and to make your home a safe haven even when it’s pouring outside.
Sources: Money Max, Primer, Philstar, Buzzfeed
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