This morning I was thinking that in April the weathermen generally start talking about tornado season here in the Midwest. Sure, this year we’re much more worried about snow storms, but one of these days Spring will actually arrive. One of the things the news tells you about tornado season is that you should have an emergency plan. I’ve never had one, but after the past year of watching almost daily news about storms, fires and floods, I’m starting to think it’s a good idea. So my to-do for us all today is to make an emergency plan.
Ready.gov offers a lot of helpful advice for creating an emergency plan. Plans will differ depending on a lot of factors but start by asking yourself these 4 questions:
- How do I get emergency alerts? Via Local TV? Your cell phone? Weather Radio?
- What is my shelter plan? Do you have a basement? Have you looked around your house to see what space might be safest in a storm?
- What is my evacuation route? How will you get to your shelter? And where will you go after?
- What is my family communication plan? How will you all know about watches/warnings? And how will you all find each other if you’re not all at home? Remember, in the aftermath of a tornado (or other widespread calamity) cell service may not always be reliable.
Ready.gov supplies this handy form to help you create your plan without forgetting anything important. And you can even print out a wallet-sized card with all your most important info.
Now let’s all get our plans in place and be prepared for the storm season to come!
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