The National Weather Service in Topeka has designated March 6-10 as Severe Weather Preparedness Week in Kansas including a statewide tornado drill on Tuesday, March 7th at 10 a.m. All Kansans are urged to participate in the drill by practicing the plans they have in place for seeking shelter from a tornado.
Anytime there’s a wind threat, whether it’s a tornado or severe winds, the best thing to do is to get centrally located in your house – typically a bathroom that has four interior walls around it, or underneath the stairwell in a basement. You want as many walls between you and the outside in all directions.
Keep a weather safety kit that includes such items as non-perishable food, water, blankets, boots, extra clothes, helmets, weather radio, batteries, a charging device for phones and even a map to track the path of the storm while listening to news reports.
Parents should practice the plan with children well in advance of severe weather threats; doing so helps to ease children’s anxiety in a real emergency.
To stay safe in severe weather, it helps to have situational awareness all the time. Whether you’re driving down the road or going to bed at night, know the forecast and know what’s going on around you all the time. Forecasts aren’t perfect; they can change very quickly. So, make a habit of checking the weather in the morning, during the day and before you go to bed.
By: Brenda Langdon
