Moore, Oklahoma is yet another example of how quickly and unexpectedly bad weather can alter lives. My prayers and thoughts are with all those affected by the destruction and tragedy. As the weather warms and summer comes, it is time to prepare ourselves for the weather-related events that may come our way.

Tornadoes are powerful. Winds can reach a couple hundred miles per hour. They can stay in the sky, touch down briefly or stay on the ground for many miles. F5 tornadoes, the most violent, are as rare as they are impressive, fortunately.

When preparing for any summer storms, awareness is the first step. Looking at the sky is often our first clue to inclement weather, if we are outside. Dark clouds roll in and the birds hush. The quiet stillness before the storm frequently occurs, but you may not be paying close attention. When you’re caught inside at work or in the home, pay attention to weather reports. The technology available today is impressive, and often the most severe of storms will have some amount of forecasting. If you don’t have easy access to television or internet reports, a weather radio is another useful device. It can travel with you, work when the power goes out and give you up-to-date information for your area.

After considering the above, I recommend going through these steps as you approach the summer months.

Have a safe place to seek shelter.

• Hopefully you have a basement or cellar. Within the basement, small and tight spaces such as under the stairs or a bathroom will offer the most cover. Without a basement, an inner space without windows or glass is a second possibility. Or, if your close neighbor has a basement or cellar, consider making an agreement to seek shelter there when possible.

Have some food and water available

• Especially if you depend on electricity for your water supply, have either a prepared water supply or a way to readily get one (jugs or pitchers to fill). In the event of large storms, you may need a minimum of one gallon per person daily, with at least a 3-4 day supply.
• Likewise, food supplies may be hard to come by; without roads and electricity, you cannot simply go to a local store when you need more! Have some canned foods set aside, beef jerky, nuts and other non-perishable foods. Take into consideration how or if you need to cook things, also.
• If you have pets, make sure you’ve accounted for their food and water needs, too.

Flashlights, candles and matches:       

• Know where they’re stored. Have a flashlight available for your children in their rooms if they’re old enough to use one; this will help them overcome the fear of being in a storm with sudden loss of power. Store some extra batteries in a safe place. For long outages, candles are the easiest way to have some light, but always follow safety first. They need to be on flat surfaces, away from any combustible materials, out of reach of children and pets, supervised at all times.

Make a plan!

• Some things to include in your tornado or severe storm plan:

1. Contact phone numbers for family, close friends, emergency services
2. Procedure for seeking shelter
3. Location of supplies (first aid kit, food, water, candles, flashlights, batteries)
4. Roles for your family members (who calls the dog, who gets the flashlight, etc.)
5. Consider separate plans for events such as loss of electricity; and while you’re at it, start your winter storm plan, too!

Tornado drills

• Children have tornado drills at school frequently. Why should the home be any different? Practicing the steps of where to go, what to do and what to expect will make a safer and smoother time in a real event. When unprepared, children will panic. When they’ve been educated and prepared, they will follow the steps as instructed, focusing on the task at hand instead of the fear they feel.
• The more you practice (I recommend at least as often as you change your smoke detector batteries, which should be every 6 months), the safer your family will be. Encourage others to practice or participate, also; if you have a babysitter frequently, close family or friends who visit often, get them involved.

Disaster Kit

• There will be more on this specific topic to come in the future. When you prepare a first aid kit, get a weather radio, collect an extra supply of granola bars and tuna fish, get the extra flashlights, batteries, candles and matches, you are well on your way to a great start. Get a strong storage tub to store these items in and you’ve got the makings of your kit.
• A disaster kit is beneficial for several reasons. It puts everything in on place. It can be picked up and loaded into the car if you need to evacuate the area. It will store securely and easily. With the right tub, it will be mostly waterproof and largely weather-proof. Mainly, it will help you react to and respond to a major weather event in a safer and calmer manner.

A few more pointers that come to mind:

• Never try to outrun a tornado. If you’re driving and spot one, seek shelter immediately! Underpasses, close buildings, ditches with short, young trees you can wrap your arms around are all possibilities. Staying in the care is not the best idea.
• Never try to get the best shot of the tornado. Seek shelter! Video footage is not worth significant injury or loss of life.
• If your family has medications they must take, know where they are stored and consider an extra few days’ supply for your disaster or first aid kit. Just store them securely if there are small children in the home.

One example (mine) of a weather radio. This one is solar powered, has a hand crank for re-charging, can also charge a cell phone or other USB device, includes AM/FM radio with the weather bands, and also functions as a bright LED flashlight