KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Tornado sirens will go off Tuesday, March 2 at 10 a.m. in both Missouri and Kansas. The sirens are part of a drill in conjunction with Severe Weather Preparedness Week.
Emergency managers want residents to treat the drill as practice so that if a true disaster should strike, they’ll know how to best handle the situation.
“We just get complacent because we’re really busy and things are pulling us in 20 different directions. It’s a matter of taking a little bit of time and making sure our families are prepared so if it happens, we got a head start on everything,” explained Karla Duncan, the manager of preparedness for the American Red Cross’ disaster program in Missouri and Arkansas.
She's responded to disasters like the 2017 tornado in Smithville, Missouri.
When the sirens go off, you should physically move to your storm shelter. This could be your basement or an interior room without windows. Have a disaster kit packed and with you. Your kit should include food, water, clothing, a battery-powered radio, batteries, medication, pet food, children’s toys, blankets and more.
“Most of the items in the kit are things you already have in your home. You just might have the flashlight in one drawer and the battery-powered radios in another room. When the storm happens, you don’t have time to pull all that together. Do that ahead of time and go ahead and put it in your safe room,” Duncan said.
She also suggests checking homeowner's or renter's insurance policies to make sure they’re up to date and cover all aspects of your home.
More information on Severe Weather Preparedness Week is available on Missouri’s State Emergency Management Agency’s website and the Kansas Division of Emergency Management's Facebook page.
