How to prepare for the rainy season

Every year the arrival of winter becomes a headache, because the rains saturate the soil, cause floods, puddles of dirty water, damage to homes and much more.

It is true that the main responsibility falls on the competent authorities, however each citizen can do their part to avoid further damage due to the rains.

Pay attention to these points that we must all abide by to avoid being affected or affecting others by the winter rains.

Do not throw garbage in the streets:

The lack of culture makes people of all ages throw garbage in the streets. For decades, we have been victims of the irresponsibility of littering the streets of millions of people. This point tries to educate people not to litter, since thousands of campaigns have been carried out concretizing this issue, this point is an objective approach to the seriousness of not littering.

"When we throw garbage in the streets, we cause the storm drains to clog." The water that should circulate normally and freely through the gutters, drains and pipes is blocked by bags, candy packaging, plastic reservoirs and all the garbage we throw on the street.

Before the arrival of the rains we must avoid, as far as possible, throwing garbage in the streets to avoid saturation of water that reaches our homes.

Repair leaks and rainwater falls from the roof:

When a rain falls, however light it may be, if it is concentrated in one place, it causes saturation. Therefore prevent your roof from leaking. A drop, no matter how slight, but if it is constant, it can flood a house.

Unfortunately, master builders or masons as they are called in Honduras, do not think before installing a roof. Taking into account the fall of the roof avoids disasters with rainwater. To prevent rainwater from falling like a cataract of flooding water, rainwater gutters must be installed. A rain gutter installation is a system that provides all the protection your home needs from moisture damage. Its main function is to lead rainwater from the roof to the downspout, then descend and reach a specific point on the ground.

The fall of water from these rain gutters should never be directed to the street, these waters must connect to the drainage of the sewage system. If leaves from nearby trees fall on your roof, try to get on the roof very carefully to sweep the leaves that can block the accesses of rainwater.

Be aware of the streets when it is raining:

Have you started to fill a water tank at home or at work? Surely your job is to be aware of when it fills up. You must have that same task when it rains, if you know that the rain will come strong, make sure that the water inlets are not blocked in such a way that the water overflows and runs to another sector of your property. If you neglect all these details, you will surely be flooded.

Monetary losses due to the rains amount to millions, just because of everyone's recklessness. Let's not leave all the responsibility to the authorities. We can all avoid economic tragedies and even worse human losses.

One way to safeguard human life when winter arrives is to avoid going out on a motorcycle, car or on foot. When the asphalt is wet, the rubber wheels of vehicles (motorcycles or cars) tend to slide more easily. When the ground is saturated, it is difficult to identify vaches or holes in the road. If a culvert is uncovered, rainwater will make it difficult to see, which can cause the vehicle to fall sharply and lose control, or the motorcycle to fall sharply and the motorcyclist to fall to the saturated ground and be swept away by water currents and die drowned. If you walk while it rains, you could fall into a sewer full of water and drown in the depth. That is why it is essential not to leave the house or the office while it rains. It is better to wait patiently until the storm passes.

Also, keep in mind that visibility is reduced when it rains, since rainwater drops when falling on the vehicle's windshield cause a blurring effect. When a vehicle has people inside it, it generates heat that causes the windows to fog up, when it rains they close to avoid getting wet, but if it does not have air conditioning it will be greatly affected by the fogged-up windows and can cause an accident.

Let's save our own by making wise decisions. Let's prepare for the rainy season.