Team-BHP (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/)

-   Street Experiences (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/street-experiences/)

-   -   Parking during a cyclone: Please advise (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/street-experiences/208988-parking-during-cyclone-please-advise.html)

With Cyclone Fani expected to make landfall at Odisha's Puri any moment now, we here in Kolkata can't help but wonder what will happen when the calamity hits our city later tonight. We also can't help but think about how to save our cars from the wrath of the cyclone, since a cyclone damage can be pretty disastrous.

A lot of people, including me, don't have the privilege of a private parking. Don't get me wrong, I live in a bungalow, with enough space inside the compound to fit atleast 6-7 cars, but the lane approaching my house is extremely narrow, and has a bend that can't be manoeuvred in a car. Due to this, I have to park my car at the beginning of my lane, in a spot in the neighbourhood. This also means that my car is out of sight at all times.

I'm attaching a couple of pictures of my parking spot. The car is parked along a wall, with no trees nearby. Is it safe to keep it beside the wall or should I move it to some other place?




Also, in the second picture you can see an electric post just ahead of the car. This poses a safety hazard as far as I'm aware. The car cover has been taken off now to prevent it from flying away in the wind.



BHPians, please advice on whether it's safe to keep my car parked here or if I should shift to somewhere else. The other place would also be outdoors, but some other spot in the neighbourhood. Also, please share your experience of parking/safeguarding your car during natural calamities :)

Thanks in advance!

Related threads:
1. Cyclone Fani

2. Saving your car during a flood

I would suggest not to park your car next to an old wall. Why do you not explore paid MLCP parking for the next two days. Leave your car in your office MLCP our even a mall. Look for overground MLCPs and not basements( prone to flooding).

Boniver,

If the other place is also going to be outdoors I would suggest the place where you usually park will be better as you can go check once in a while. And since you have been parking there regularly, people in the neighbourhood would also know its your car rather than leaving it in an unknown place.

Like you mentioned the only hazard is the electric pole. Move the car a little away from it to be on the safer side and keep a check on the weather updates which i am sure is being done.

Hope this passes by quickly.

Stay safe!

Explore the possibility of using a proper paid parking facility for the next few days, or park at some friends' place if possible. Avoid basement parking.

If it is not possible, the current place will be fine. Just back the car a little away from the electric pole. Apart from engaging parking brake, also leave it in first gear. Block all four wheels with bricks. Remove the cover.

This is what I did a couple of years ago when a cyclone crossed Chennai. We have parking space inside the apartment complex, but it is open to sky. There were no issues.

Edit: It might be a good idea to pay some money to the rickshaw fellow or someone else to keep an eye on the car and alert you in case of any problem. Even during normal times.

Related thread:
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/stree...ooding-up.html

Hi, I live in the suburbs, so the nearest MLCP is close to 23kms away. Also, I'm a college student so no office car parking. Dad's office is in the heart of the city, again approx 30kms away. Thanks for the advice, though!


Hi, the "other place" is pretty close to the current spot, so the marginal effort required for me to go and check up on the car is almost nil. Also, I do park at that spot from time to time, whenever I come home to find my usual spot occupied (it's a public lane, after all), so everyone there knows it's my car.

Attaching a couple of pictures of my car parked at the other spot (Apologies for the image quality):





As you can see, this spot is right in front of a residential building and away from any standalone walls or electric posts. However, I'm also wary of flower pots etc falling from the balconies :Frustrati


Hi, here in the suburbs it's very disorganised when it comes to paid parking facilities. Most of them are unofficial, and parking is at owners' risk only. That way, my current spot is much better, since I can also go out and check up on the car from time to time. My friends all live ~30kms away (in the main city) so that option too can't be explored.

I shall follow your advice. Let's hope the cyclone passes by without causing any substantial damage!

Reply to edit: The rickshawala is himself a very elusive fellow! We've had a lot of problems in the past when my neighbours wanted to park their cars but couldn't, since the rickshaw was parked. No one has seen when this rickshaw comes and goes, so nobody has any clue who the owner is!
There's a jewellery shop bang opposite my parking spot. That person knows me since my mom visits his shop pretty often. As soon as the cyclone hits, I'm sure he too will close his shop and go away, but for what it's worth, I shall go pay him a visit. Thanks!


Thanks, SmartCat, but I came across this thread when I did a quick search before posting, and hence have already mentioned it in my original post!

I wouldn't worry too much. While parking just follow few simple steps or rather be careful of.

1. Make sure to park in a place which isn't known for water logging or flooding.
2. Don't park under/near any tree or large sign board or under any tall building to avoid falling objects due to high winds.
3. Avoid parking in narrow lane to allow movement of larger emergency vehicles as if you aren't available to move your car, they will do what ever to move it.
4. Avoid parking over any man hole or such drainage access if city / municipal workers need to access that for any work

Good practice is to stick a paper with your contact number (use any standby unimportant no for this few hours) or if you are nearby, go out to check at times

Since it's your regular parking space & I guess this place survived our usual "Kal Boishakhi" (Norwesters) over the years, this present cyclone won't cause much issue for your car.

Most of the damage cases here at Kolkata are mainly with falling tree/walls/sign boards. Flood damage or anything else are extremely rare.

P.S. I guess your insurance papers are all ok as you can't be 100% sure at any place of parking.

Thanks

I'm only scared of stuff falling on my car and damaging it. Flooding is an issue in my house, but not at the parking spot (since the roads are now higher than the ground floor of the house). All our 4 motorbikes have been moved to a higher level since the ground floor might get flooded any moment now.

Insurance papers are in order, but since the car is 15+ years old, it only has third party insurance.

Regards.

Fortunately Fani spared us, though Kolkata felt somewhat disappointed to miss the action but I guess your car survived without any incident.

Off topic, mine needs a wash, gathered a lot of fine spray off mud all over. Plus I did a blunder by keeping the wiper washer fluid reservoir cap opened and drove with it unknowingly. Having uneasy feeling as what not might have gone into reservoir & got mixed into the fluid. :Frustrati

If you are lucky enough to get an advance warning (as was the case here), just go and park it on a higher floor in any mall's parking complex. If a cyclone is indeed coming, they'll have bigger fires to fight than worry about customer cars in their parking lot. Nothing safer than a modern multi-level parking complex. Also check with friends or relatives if they have access to such a spot in their residential / commercial complex.

My brother had borrowed one of my cars on the same day that Mumbai was hit with devastating floods. While the city was drenched, my car was completely oblivious to the mayhem outside, as she was snoozing in Reliance Jio's parking lot. Kept her there for 2 days.

Really, that was such an anti-climax. However, looking at the destruction levels in Bhubaneswar and Puri, I'm nothing but glad that we got spared.

Hehe, it's the opposite with my car. It got a much deserved wash!

Also, with the hood closed, I doubt anything entered your car's engine bay at all. Don't worry!


agree:

But like I mentioned in another post, there are no malls with multi level car parks here in the suburbs. The nearest such facility is approx 20kms away, so it's not really feasible travelling that far and then returning home using public transport. Also, I'd be paranoid if i didn't get to check up on the car from time to time, but mainly it's the distance.

Approximately a year later, we have another cyclone hurtling towards WB and Orissa, although this one is supposed to be of a much larger magnitude. Read more here

Last year, my car was parked out in the open (the sole reason for me starting this thread) but thankfully, we didn't face the wrath of the cyclone in any way. This year, my car's sitting peacefully in a closed garage that we've been renting since September last year, so I'm relieved.



Hope BHPians and their rides are safe!

Just because you survived last year, the cyclone is coming with more power this time. Even you seem to be well prepared this time as compared to last year.

Wish you and other citizens, a safe passage of this cyclone.