Your Severe Weather Checklist

Before severe weather strikes this weekend, Meteorologist Patrick Crawford gives you several helpful tips to make the severe weather less scary and help keep you safer from the incoming weather: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmrTp0p0Fik Damaging wind, large hail, tornadoes: When people hear severe weather chances are in the forecast, panic can set in. But being prepared helps keep you and your family safe. Here's a helpful checklist to help get you ready before severe weather strikes.

1. Be weather aware: Check your local forecasts regularly to see if you're at risk.
2. Sign up for notifications: You want to know how your community sends warnings. Some have outdoor sirens and others depend on the media and smartphones to alert residents of severe storms.
3. Create a severe weather plan: Pick a safe room in your home like a basement, storm cellar, or any interior room on the lowest floor with no windows.
4. Practice your severe weather plan:  Conduct family drills regularly so that everyone knows what to do when warnings are issued. Don't forget to include your pets!
5. Prepare your home for severe weather: Keep trees and branches trimmed near your home Secure loose objects, close windows and doors, and valuables inside.
6. Help your neighbors: Encourage others to prepare. Doing things like CPR training could be very helpful in an emergency situation.

Severe storms can be very scary, but being prepared can help put your mind at ease.