We are moving into the severe weather season. While severe weather is usually at its most dangerous during spring months and often into summer, it can arise any time of year, in any area.
Severe weather threats can include downpours, flooding, powerful lightning and thunderstorms, violent winds, damaging hail and of course tornadoes. Any of these can become a threat to your home and your family.
The best way to keep your home and family safe is to know what to expect and to know how to react when storms strike.
- Most severe storms and tornadoes occur in the afternoon or evening, so try to return home and get inside before that time if the sky looks questionable. Hail frequently precedes tornadoes and violent storms, so be prepared to take cover if it begins to hail. Stay indoors to prevent injury from hail.
- Timely and accurate weather information is an important aspect of safety, so make sure you have a way to get information even if there is a power outage, such as using a battery-powered radio (check the batteries in advance).
- Pay attention to weather watches and warnings, and follow the advice given by the weather forecasters, especially if they say you need to take cover. It’s much better to be inconvenienced for a short period of time than it is to take chances with potentially dangerous weather.
- Unplug electronics, appliances, and phones. Try to avoid water, metal and other items that conduct electricity, and stay off landline telephones. Use cell phones for emergency calls, and try to charge up your cell phone before the storm gets close.
- Stay away from doors and windows whenever possible, and cover them if time permits. If you don’t have time to securely cover them, and can’t get to an area that doesn’t have windows, stay as far from them as possible and at least close the curtains. This will help keep flying glass to a minimum if a window shatters.
- Power outages are also frequently caused by storms, and downed power lines are an additional threat, so be very careful even once the storm has passed.
*Check back for more tips and information on severe weather.