Preparing for the monsoon: A comprehensive 7-point checklist for ensuring safety and enjoyment

PuneNow, May 31, 2023: With the much anticipated monsoons around the corner, there is a lot of excitement. Pleasant weather, lush green surroundings, and the thought of binging on our favorite snacks!!

However wet weather and rainy season may sometimes also bring discomfort and unexpected situations. In order to avoid any such unpleasant experience during the rainy season, here are 7 simple tips to help you with preparing for the monsoon.

Preparing The House

Checking your house to ensure it is rain ready should be your first priority. It is not only going to protect you during the rainy season, but will also let you enjoy the rains while keeping you dry and cozy. Here are the essential checkpoints that you should quickly run through while preparing for the monsoon.

• Windows – Check all the windows to make sure they are sealing properly. Clean the channels of the sliding windows and open their clogged water ducts to guide the excess water out when there are heavy, slanting rains.
• Fungus Prevention – Ensure there are no clothing items, paper, cardboard boxes or similar items lying around the house in dumped condition. They will quickly absorb moisture and attract fungus colonies. Sort them out neatly and pack them in plastic bags if they are not going to be actively used during the rainy season.Disinfection – Maintain good hygiene around the house and use disinfectant floor cleaner everyday. Also wipe contact surfaces frequently with disinfectants.
• Fix Leakages – If there are any leakages, this would be the last time for you to do it before its too late, as they say “You repair your roof when its sunny and not when it starts raining”. These minor leakages can be very irritating during heavy rains.
• Mosquito Nets – Rainy season will breed mosquitos and many insects. It will be a good idea to make your house mosquito proof by installing screens & nets on the doors and windows to keep the pesky insects out.
• Inverter – Rainy season disrupts power supply in many vulnerable areas. Check your inverter to make sure it is in good working condition. Top up the batteries with distilled water, check the connections and make sure it holds enough charge to supply you back up power for a few hours at least.

Managing Health

Prolonged absence of sunlight and excessive humidity takes a toll on your health. Protect yourself from the following health conditions during the monsoons. Include the following checkpoints preparing for the monsoon.

• Stomach Ailments – Rainy weather makes you want to eat more and spicy food. However, the digestive system is weakened during the rainy season so be careful with your binging urges and take natural digestive supplements to keep your digestion in prime condition. Ginger is a wonder herb for monsoon related ailments. Check your grandma’s recipes for that! Drink warm water often to maintain the digestive fire and keep respiratory problems at bay.
• Infections – Wet weather means infections. Different types of skin and gastrointestinal infections can set in as the micro organisms thrive in wet conditions. Maintain good physical hygiene and avoid eating out frequently during the monsoons.
• Cough & Cold – Frequent wind and temperature changes in the monsoon can make your body lethargic and prone to upper respiratory tract infections. Try to keep warm during the rainy season by adding a warm garment to your dressing inventory. Avoid getting wet frequently and if you do get wet, dry your head quickly and change out of the wet clothing as soon as possible.

Preparing Your Car

Your car is going to be your doorway to enjoying the monsoon season. Many of you will be wanting to head out for pleasant drives, sight seeing and explorations during the rainy days. That’s what the wet season is there for. Just make sure to prepare your car adequately for this season so that it can keep you safe and let you enjoy to the fullest. Pay attention to the following car checkpoints preparing for the monsoon

• Wipers – During heavy downpour, if your car wipers are not in their best of condition, they will block your vision and compromise safety. They can also be very irritating at the least. So if you are that outdoors type during the rainy season, replacing your car’s wipers would be a worthwhile expenditure.
• Leakages – Check if all the doors are sealing properly. The summer season just before the rains takes a toll on the door seals. Even a few droplets of water seeping in through doors and windows can ruin your day and make your car a hotbed for fungal growth.
• Tyres – Wet and slippery roads coupled with poor visibility and the excitement of the rainy season are a toxic cocktail for disaster. You don’t want to compound the trouble by driving around with worn out tyres. If you are going to be using your car frequently during the rains, pay attention to its tyres and replace them if they are worn out. “Don’t be penny wise and pound foolish”.
• Brakes – Get your brakes checked because driving conditions on rainy days are not very predictable and it’s better to be adequately prepared for safety.
• Headlights – Rainy season obscures night visibility making it difficult to see ahead when its raining. Clean your headlight glass and replace fused bulbs if any, to keep your car’s headlights bright and strong to show you the way. Also get the headlights adjusted properly to focus the beam so that your field of view is lit up properly.
• Traction Control – If your car is equipped with traction control, make sure it is working properly and use it at all times during monsoon season. It is very effective in preventing vehicle skidding on wet and slippery roads. It works by smartly redirecting the engine power to different wheels to maintain traction, especially while cornering and making sharp turns.

Checking The Rain Gear

Having rain gear handy can save the day during the lovely monsoon season. Ensure the availability of the following rain gear within arms reach at all times.

• Raincoat – Raincoats need no explanation but they are the most effect defense against rains if you are riding a two wheeler. No other means of protection can be as effective as a raincoat if you are going to be outdoors for long and are going to have a lot of physical activity.
• Umbrella – For a quick hop to the nearest grocery store to buy your favorite snacks, an umbrella would be your best bet. It does not fuss and is easy to handle. Remember to leave it in the porch when you return, otherwise you will be ruining the whole house with its drips!
• Rain Shoes – If you are the types who would like to explore the bounty of the monsoon season on foot or are required to walk for whatever reason, neither the raincoat nor an umbrella can protect your feet. So a pair of gumboots or any other type of rain footwear would be ideal for you. It will keep your feet warm and dry and keep you away from coughs and colds.
• Bag Cover – Backpacks are often left to the mercy of rain gods while you meticulously protect yourself, only to realize later that your shiny new laptop has succumbed to the atrocities meted out to it by the rain gods. To avoid being in such a quagmire, I suggest you buy a waterproof backpack cover. Wouldn’t cost you much though but will protect your most prized possessions.

Stocking Up Essentials

Rainy season sometimes disrupts supply lines due to waterlogging, landslides or flash floods. This may leave you stranded without food, water or medicines. So just as a precautionary measure, be sure to maintain stocks for the following items in your house during the entire wet season preparing for the monsoon.

• Food – There is no need to hoard but maintain adequate stock of emergency food items like instant noodles, essential groceries, milk powder and whatever else you consider important. This is just a reminder and not an exhaustive list of what you may need. The contents of the list are left to you to decide.
• Water – Sometimes the municipal water supply breaks down to torrential rains. Maintain some stock of packaged drinking water to make sure you are not stranded thirsty and dehydrated.
• Medicines – This needs attention. Keep adequate stock of specific and generic medicines for two reasons. One you may not be able to go out to fetch medicines when you need them because it may be raining outside. Secondly, due to supply chain disruptions, your medicines may be temporarily out of stock. Stock up on your specific requirements and also store enough generic medicines such as pain killers, anti allergic drugs or whatever you can think of.
• Fuel – If you live in a remote area with cold climate, stocking up on fuel for heating, running your genset and cooking would be a great idea. Fuel is a bulky item and if there is a disruption in the supply chain, it is likely to be the first thing to go out of stock.
• Batteries – There are many types of batteries and I am not going to get into the details of what types of batteries you should stock up. But sure, batteries come in handy during power failures as they can keep your house lit up and you in communication with the rest of the world.

Also Read – Pune: Check out these 11 most gorgeous waterfalls (with pictures) located near Pune this monsoon

Traveling Cautiously

Monsoon makes people travel more for leisure and sightseeing. Traveling during rains is fun. It is all very well to travel during the monsoons but with a little caution. Here is what you should look out for while preparing for the monsoon.

• Weather – Keep an eye on the weather forecasts for your destination and the way. You don’t want to be stranded somewhere because of a deluge or a landslide. Be cautious while traveling and keep your eyes and ears open.
• Sightseeing – Landscapes and vistas come alive in rainy season and it is natural to want to go sightseeing. Just be careful in crowded places like lakesides, waterfalls and mountain cliffs. The terrain becomes slippery and dangerous. While enjoying under a waterfall, be careful of the loose rocks above that can fall with water, injuring you seriously.
• Selfies – Trying to take selfies at the most unusual spots is a great trend. People have fallen down cliffs, drowned in water and got hit by vehicles while taking selfies. The urge to take selfies increases during the rainy weather because the landscapes turn lush green and everything turns mystical.

Caring For Pets

Sure monsoon season is a welcome break from the sweltering heat for all of us, including our furry friends. While preparing for the monsoon, with a little caution and care, you can ensure they too have a great time during the wet weather. Here’s what you need to take care.

• Cleanliness – Bathe them regularly using an antiseptic shampoo. This would help take care of the ticks and flea problem. Be sure to dry them properly.
• Anxiety – Thunderstorms and flashes of lightening can cause a lot of anxiety in canine friends. Comfort them by cuddling and hugging more often. Better to not leave them alone for prolonged periods of time during monsoon. It is a gloomy season for them.
• Food – Watch their food. Do not feed them too much of meat, chicken or oily food as it can easily upset an already weakened digestive system. Feed them fiber rich food and rely more on packaged food during monsoons. Take care of the water they drink. Feed clean, boiled water.
• Walking – It is important to take your furry friends out for a walk at the first opening in weather every day or even more frequently. Avoid walking them in water logged areas as they could be vulnerable to mosquito bites. Also walking on grass could make them susceptible to tick infestation. Take your call.

Sure, the monsoon season is not an apocalyptic event and if all the points mentioned above sound like a doomsday preparation, you can omit the points that are not relevant to your context but surely preparing for the monsoon with this checklist can come handy as a reminder. Its better to be safe than sorry!!