OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — Despite a few lingering snowflakes in Wednesday’s rainfall, spring — and with it severe weather season — has arrived in the Kansas City area.
Emergency managers said there’s no time like the present to prepare for the risks springtime brings — like lightning, flooding, hailstorms, and tornadoes.
The first step is to make a plan and make sure everyone in the family or household knows the plan.
Plans may vary depending on the threat, but the first step should be to get out of harm’s way. Most often, the best option is to get indoors away from tornadoes and lightning.
Identifying a safe place inside is critical.
The best protection from a tornado is in an underground basement or cellar. Alternatives include a bathroom or hallway with no windows on the lowest level of a home.
The safe space should have an emergency kit with items to help in the hours after an emergency. Those items include food, water, clothes, shoes, flashlights, batteries, a radio, a portable charger for cellphones and other items.
The National Weather Service began sending alerts to smartphones last year during certain severe thunderstorm warnings, much like an Amber Alert.
The KSHB 41 News app can also send you alerts for weather events. The app is available to download for free from Google Play and the Apple App Store.
