Severe Weather Awareness Week: 5 Tips to Stay Safe During Severe Weather

Photo Courtesy of redorbit.com

by Catherine Carlton, volunteer contributor

Severe weather has threatened nearly every part of the country already this year. The American Red Cross has steps you can take to help stay safe if dangerous storms threaten their neighborhood.

Step one: Refresh your household disaster plans. Jim Cantore, The Weather Channel meteorologist and member of the American Red Cross Celebrity Cabinet, offers tips on what to do now to be ready when emergency strikes.

Step two: Download the free Red Cross tornado app for mobile devices. The tornado app puts everything you need to know to stay safe in a tornado at your fingertips.

Step three: Thunderstorms are most likely to happen in the spring and summer, during the afternoon and evening. However, like tornadoes, they can happen anywhere, at any hour of the day. Watch for storm signs and go inside. If you are outside or driving, there are things you should do to remain safe. Information about what to do before, during and after a thunderstorm is available on this web site.

Step four: Spring can be a time of year for flooding. People should be prepared to evacuate at a moment’s notice and head for higher ground when a flood or flash flood warning is issued. Other safety steps include

Step five: The Red Cross first aid app (DOWNLOAD APPS FOR MOBILE DEVICES) puts expert advice for everyday emergencies at someone’s fingertips. The shelter finder lets someone know where Red Cross shelters are open. The free apps can be downloaded from the iTunes or Google Play stores by searching for American Red Cross.

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Severe Weather Awareness Week: FOX 4’s Jennifer Myers Offers Six Safety Tips

Photo courtesy of greatblogabout.com

by Kay Pinkerton, volunteer contributor

Sunday, March 2 marks the beginning of Severe Weather Awareness Week in Texas.  The purpose of SWAW is to inform and equip people with knowledge when severe weather threatens.

Whether in the form of thunderstorms, tornadoes or flash floods, severe weather can quickly develop.  By preparing now, you and your family can take immediate action when the clouds darken and weather alerts are issued.

Preparation is not only key -- it’s smart.

So how does one prepare for severe weather?  The American Red Cross asked KDFW FOX 4 Meteorologist Jennifer Myers for weather safety tips. 

Myers replied with the following:

•  Have a family plan. If you don't have a shelter, find someone who does and become “shelter buddies."
• Get a weather radio for your home.  You can also keep track of severe weather watches, warnings and updates with free weather apps such as FOX 4’s “WAPP”  [and the Red Cross Tornado App].
• Check weather conditions BEFORE you head out on the roads.  Roadways are among the deadliest places to be when a tornado hits. 
• Large outdoor events (concerts, baseball games, etc.) can be especially dangerous when severe weather strikes. Check the weather before you leave the house. If there is a chance of severe activity, keep your phone charged and check for weather updates.
• Stay away from flooded roadways. Period. You may have driven on the same road for years and the water looks only six inches deep.  Don’t be fooled.  The roadway could be washed out below, or hidden debris could leave you and your vehicle stranded.  Turn around, don't drown. 
• Constant vigilance. I can't stress this enough. Living in the great state of Texas comes with a price. Mother Nature can strike at any time. Check the weather. Check it often.

Everything is bigger in Texas  - especially its storms.  Be smart, stay prepared and keep an eye on the sky. Don't forget to check out RedCross.org for safety information on emergency weather situations.

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Severe Weather Coming! Prep Now!

Once again, the chance for severe thunderstorms containing high winds, damaging hail and isolated tornadoes is possible across North Texas. The time to prepare is now. The American Red Cross offers the following tips to keep families safe:

• Pick a safe place in your home where family members could gather during a tornado or straight-line windstorm. The safest place to be is underground, or as low to the ground as possible, and away from all windows. Make sure there are no windows or glass doors in your safe place and keep this place uncluttered.
  


• Check with your employer to determine where to seek shelter during the workday. Make sure your employer has a battery operated radio or a weather radio and essential supplies in the company safe room(s).



• If you live in a mobile home, choose a safe place in a nearby sturdy building. Mobile homes are much more vulnerable to strong winds than site-built structures. If your mobile home park has a designated shelter, make it your family's safe place.



• If you are in a vehicle, get out immediately. Find a sturdy nearby structure and take shelter. If there is no building nearby, go to a low-lying area until the storm passes. Taking cover under bridges is not recommended.



• If you are in a high-rise building, pick a place in a hallway in the center of the building. You may not have enough time to go to the lowest floor. Center hallways are often structurally the most reinforced part of a building.



• Check with your children's schools and day care centers to learn tornado emergency plans. Every building has different safe places. It is important to know where they are and how to get there in an emergency. Do NOT drive to your child’s school or day care center during a severe storm outbreak.



• Conduct periodic tornado drills so everyone remembers what to do when a tornado is approaching. Practice having everyone in the family go to your designated area in response to a tornado threat. Practicing your plan makes the appropriate response more of a reaction, requiring less thinking time during an actual emergency situation.



• Discuss tornadoes with your family. Everyone should know what to do in case all family members are not together. Discussing disaster ahead of time helps reduce fear and lets everyone know how to respond during a tornado.



• BE RED CROSS READY. Follow 3 Action Steps for Preparedness—Get a Kit, Make a Plan, Be Informed. A free online education module is available at www.redcross.org/BeRedCRossReady to guide users through the three preparedness steps. The ten minute presentation, available in English and Spanish, includes a downloadable disaster supply kit checklist and emergency contact card.

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With Severe Weather in the Forecast, Red Cross Urges North Texans to Make a Plan and Build a Kit Now

The irony that it’s National Severe Weather Awareness Week isn’t lost on anyone looking at tomorrow’s North Texas weather forecast. The calendar may still read February, but Mother Nature is already preparing to fire things up. That’s why the Red Cross is urging all North Texans to assemble disaster supply kits and make plans now.

The following are procedures you should follow in order to prepare your family for tornadoes:

• Pick a safe place in your home where family members could gather during a tornado, windstorm or major hail storm. The safest place to be is underground, or as low to the ground as possible, and away from all windows. Unfortunately, many residents in the Metroplex do not have basements, therefore an interior hallway or room on the lowest floor is the best choice. Putting as many walls between you and the outside will provide additional protection. Also make sure there are no windows or glass doors in your safe place and keep this place uncluttered.
  
  
• Get out of your mobile home and choose a safe place in a nearby sturdy building. Mobile homes are much more vulnerable to strong winds than site-built structures. If your mobile home park has a designated shelter, make it your family's safe place.
  
  
• If you are in a vehicle, get out immediately. Find a sturdy nearby structure and take shelter. If there is no building nearby, go to a low-lying area until the storm passes. Taking cover under bridges is not recommended.
  
  
• If you are in a high-rise building, pick a place in a hallway in the center of the building. You may not have enough time to go to the lowest floor. Center hallways are often structurally the most reinforced part of a building.
  
  
• Check with your work and your children's schools and day care centers to learn tornado emergency plans. Every building has different safe places. It is important to know where they are and how to get there in an emergency.
  
  
• Assemble a Disaster Supplies Kit. This kit should be kept near your safe room, whether at home, work or school, and should contain supplies such as bottled water, flashlights with extra batteries, first aid supplies, an AM/FM or NOAA Weather radio and additional important items.
  
  
• Conduct periodic tornado drills so everyone remembers what to do when a tornado is approaching. Practice having everyone in the family go to your designated area in response to a tornado threat. Practicing your plan makes the appropriate response more of a reaction, requiring less thinking time during an actual emergency situation.
  
  
• Discuss tornadoes with your family. Everyone should know what to do in case all family members are not together. Discussing disaster ahead of time helps reduce fear and lets everyone know how to respond during a tornado.
  
  
• Log on to www.redcross.org to download free tips on getting prepared for severe weather.
  
  
• Take an online “Be Red Cross Ready” course. This 15-minute interactive course will ensure that you’ve got everything you need on-hand before the storm hits. To find the course, go to www.redcross.org/beredcrossready.

In the event that severe weather does impact the North Texas area, the American Red Cross-Dallas Area Chapter will be ready to respond. Real-time updates for any responses can be found by following @RedCrossDallas on Twitter.

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