Cyclone Remal: Things to do and not to do to keep your car safe

Cyclone Remal has been making headlines across India over the last few days. The cyclone is expected to turn into a severe cyclonic storm in the next few hours, as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said. The storm is expected to turn severe before landfall between the West Bengal and Bangladesh coasts on Sunday night. During the storm, the coastal regions of West Bengal, as well as Kolkata and its surrounding districts, will experience wind speed of about 120 kmph, gusting to 135 kmph, when the storm makes windfall on Sunday midnight.

1 Don't park in open

Parking your car in the open during a storm is a strictly avoidable step. Keeping the car open during severe cyclonic storms can result in multiple disasters. Flying debris, large chunks of broken tree brunches or an uprooted tree can damage the vehicle. The extremely strong wind can move the car from its place in severe cases. Hence, always try to park the car under a roof or in a covered parking. If you really need to park the car in the open, use a good quality car cover, or place a heavy blanket or area rug over the vehicle. Also, it is better to keep the tyres chained or keep bricks positioned at the front and rear of the tyres to ensure the car doesn't move from its parked position.

2 Avoid parking under trees or power lines

If you really need to park the car in the open, avoid parking it under trees or power lines. During severe storms, the sheer wind speed may result in uprooting the tree or tearing the power line and the tree or power line falling on the vehicle may result in damage to the car. Try to park it tight against a house to provide some deflection of wind away from the vehicle.

3 Avoid parking in low lying areas

Do not park the car in low-lying areas where waterlogging is a problem. In case of severe storms and heavy rainfall, the low-lying areas can witness major waterlogging, which may damage the car. Water entering the car's mechanical systems or into the cabin of the vehicle could result in major damage, which could be a costly affair to repair.

4 Don't drive through flooded roads

Do not drive through the flooded roads. It becomes quite difficult to accurately judge the water level, patches and potholes lying underwater. Hence driving through the flooded roads can result in your car getting stuck there and it could easily damage the engine and stall the vehicle car.

5 Keep the fuel tank full

It is recommended to keep the fuel tank full before the storm to avoid long lines and possible shortages of fuel after the natural disaster. The fuel stations may see congestion and you may have to wait long in traffic. The power shortage may disrupt fuel station operations. Hence, it is better to fill the fuel tank fully before the storm.

6 Keep your insurance papers handy

Last but not least in this list is make sure to check your car insurance to see if flood or storm damage is covered under the policy. Also, keep a copy of the car insurance policy handy with you, which may become useful in case any damage occurs to the vehicle due to the storm.

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