Safety Precautions for Surviving Sandstorms in the Sahel

Natural disasters are one of the plagues that befall not just humans, animals, and other organisms of the earth but also affect the earth and its ecosystem as well. These are some of the challenges humanity has had to deal with through the years, and it's quite difficult to combat them because most happen naturally and are in different forms, such as climate-related, weather-related, water-related, and earth-related. And in this article I'll be sharing my experience with the type of natural disasters I've experienced and our safety precautions to help sail through them, and I'm certain that at the end of this write-up you'll be equipped with survival hacks that can save your life in case you find yourself in such a situation.

Unlike some other countries, Nigeria isn't a victim of most of the world's most dangerous natural disasters, such as earthquakes, tornadoes, tsunamis, volcanoes, and the like, although we've got our own share of natural disasters, such as floods, erosion, sandstorms, and the like, and I've witnessed all three I highlighted above, but since I've written about floods in one of my recent publications, today I'll talk about my experience with sandstorms and also highlight some survival hacks that can help you if you were to experience them.

Most of my life was spent in Lagos, and I only witnessed natural disasters in the form of floods and erosion, but after graduating from university, I was posted to the far north for my youth service, which you've stated to be precise, is known as the pride of the Sahel. It was in Yobe State that I first witnessed a sandstorm; prior to that, I mostly only saw it in movies acted around the desert, and since Yobe is close to the Sahara Desert, we get to witness these natural disasters, and I must say that it's not a joyful thing to behold at all. In fact, this disaster is one of the reasons why most northerners from that part of the country are blind.

The sandstorm often began with a very strong wind that carried sand or dust high up into the atmosphere, and before you knew it, everywhere would be clouded, making it difficult for you to see anything around you, and If you don't safeguard your face, dust can go in to affect your sight. If you don't stop moving or look for a safe place to hide, you can walk into a ditch or get injured one way or another, and that's why it's very important to maintain safety precautions immediately when we notice a sign of the disaster.

I remember one day when I was coming from the bank, riding a bicycle, I noticed the sandstorm gathering and began riding faster so I could get home before it got to me, but then I noticed vehicles moving on the way began to pack, and pedestrians were also encouraging me to stop, and thank God I obliged because just a minute after that, the sandstorm got to where I was hiding and overshadowed the whole place, and had I not covered my face, only God knows what would have happened. Even as we were hiding, we could hear moving vehicles getting involved in an accident because they couldn't see ahead.

So with that being said, let's look into some of the safety measures and precautions. They are based on where the sandstorm meets you, so to start with, if the sandstorm meets you while you're indoors, below are what you should do:

• Close all forms of ventilation, like doors and windows.
• Stay indoors.
• Turn off fan
• Cover all your food and drinks.

And peradventure the sandstorm meets you outside, below are precautions you should take:

• Make sure to cover your eyes and nose, if possible, with wet clothes.
• Find somewhere to hide, like a shelter during the sandstorm.
• Make sure to not drive during a sandstorm.
• Protect your eyes by wearing eyeglasses.

Doing all of the above will go a long way in safeguarding not just your sight but you yourself, so you won't be carried away by the wind if it happens to be very heavy.

All photos are taken and edited on canva application library.