Taping windows, using oil lanterns are common hurricane myths. Here are more to avoid

Do “100-year storms” really only happen once every 100 years? Can a person truly stand up to hurricane-force winds? Should you really be drinking three-day-old water you stored in your bathtub (no, absolutely not)?

Hurricane myths have persisted long before misinformed TikTok personalities existed to spread them, and while many of them might seem harmless — or even make sense at first pass — they can actually be quite dangerous.

Florida residents see hurricanes as a fact of life — an everyday occurrence we have to deal with, which betrays the unimaginable destructive power contained in each storm.

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If photos of flattened trees, homes and other buildings don’t convey a storm’s potential for damage, NOAA once calculated that a fully developed hurricane is the equivalent of a 10-megaton nuclear bomb exploding every 20 minutes.

The two atomic bombs the U.S. used at Hiroshima and Nagasaki in World War II were 15 and 25 kilotons — equivalent to .4% of a 10-megaton nuclear bomb if we combine the two.

Now that your ears are perked up, here are some common hurricane myths you shouldn’t fall for.

Masking tapes or window film prevents window damage

Many people believe that putting tape over their windows will prevent the glass from shattering inside their homes, but masking tapes or window film won’t help. Impact-resistant coverings are the best way to protect your windows.

You only need to protect windows facing the water

Hurricane-force winds can turn nearly anything into a project and your home’s proximity to water plays little factor in where yard debris may end up.

Open windows to alleviate pressure

Opening windows to relieve pressure is a myth that has been perpetuated for some time because of the way buildings appear to fail in high winds. Today, experts and wind scientists agree the most important thing to do is to keep all windows and doors closed to prevent wind from entering and causing internal pressurization.

Sandbags prevent water from entering a home

Not even properly filled sandbags can create the impenetrable vacuum seal needed to block water from entering a home. Sandbags are instead meant to channel or direct water away from a home. The best way to set up sandbags is to fill them halfway, tamp them into place and limit stacking to three layers.

Using candles or gas or oil lanterns when the power goes out

Candles and lanterns that use gas or oil can become fire hazards, especially if a lantern has damaged or leaking gas lines. Fire risks during a hurricane are especially dangerous as emergency responders are already busy and may not be able to respond. Some candles and other lit items like barbecue grills can cause carbon monoxide poisoning if a home isn’t properly ventilated. Flashlights and battery-powered lanterns are your best bet for lighting, and canned heat or propane cooking sources tend to be safer than alternatives.

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Leaning against the door/window to prevent it from blowing inward

Hurricane-force winds are strong enough to blow an improperly secured door or window open regardless of your prevention efforts. More importantly, standing near windows and glass doors is dangerous because of wind-borne debris, strong winds and more. All interior doors should be kept closed and external doors should be braced.

Common hurricane misconceptions

Many common hurricane misconceptions stem from the anecdotal fallacy — using limited personal experience as the underlying basis for sweeping claims about a subject. Hurricanes are dangerous storms that can have devastating consequences, so sticking to the facts is always the best course.

Common hurricane misconceptions include:

Living outside the cone means you’re in no danger

The forecast cone, also referred to as the “cone of uncertainty,” is a popularly used forecast graphic that is often misinterpreted. The graphic is meant to predict where the center of the storm may go and is drawn based on how likely the eye is to stay within the cone. It is not an indication of the size of the storm.

My house has never flooded

Neither the world nor the weather is static. Storms vary in strength even similar-sized storms can cause damage in different ways based on ever-changing variables. Hurricane Harvey is an example NOAA uses to combat this misconception. The 2017 category 4 hurricane made landfall in Texas not once but twice, dumping a combined 60.58 inches of total rainfall near Nederland, Texas. It was the most significant tropical storm cyclone rainfall event in U.S. history since we began keeping records in the 1880s.

Getting hit by a record storm previously prevents you from being hit again

This misconception stems from the often misinterpreted phrase “100-year storm.” The concept doesn’t definitively mean a 100-year storm only occurs once in that timeframe, it means that there is a 1% chance a storm like that will happen each year. While it would certainly be rare to happen, it is possible to get hit back to back — even in the same year.

We’ve been hit by a ‘100-year storm’ and nothing bad happened

This misconception is a complex one that involves both the anecdotal fallacy and some misunderstanding. A hurricane will not impact everyone equally — some areas will get hit harder than others. In Key West, NOAA says it’s a common belief that Hurricane Irma hit in 2017 as a Category 4 but the reality is that its wind speeds in that area were only Category 1. The stronger winds were 20 to 30 miles away.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Hurricane myths can be dangerous. Here are some common ones to avoid