Parkland officials offer tips for severe weather season
Be prepared by having a plan, practicing it
March in Texas means pollen counts are up, temperatures are climbing and severe weather can strike with just a moment’s notice. And while most Texans expect treacherous conditions in the spring, fall and winter tornadoes prove the importance of being prepared year-round.
Being prepared, say Parkland Health disaster management officials, means having a plan but more importantly, practicing that plan.
“You never know when or where a severe storm is going to pop up,” said Chris Noah, MS, CHSP, cABCF, Parkland’s Director of Disaster Management and Business Continuity. “It could happen when you’re at work, school or shopping at the mall. That’s why it’s important to know what you’re going to do when damaging wind, hail or tornadoes are in the vicinity.”
For starters, Noah said, don’t rely just on sirens to receive weather warnings as they are primarily used for those who are outdoors and may not be loud enough to awaken you in the middle of the night. Therefore it’s important to have weather alerts from the National Weather Service (NWS) or local media programmed into your cell phone, tablet and home phone. He also recommends having a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather radio for home and office. Those warnings may provide you with the precious few minutes necessary to seek shelter and possibly save your life.
“Those of us who were born and raised in Texas are keenly aware of the dangerous weather that can take place any time of the year,” Noah said. “The majority of people will go their entire lives and never fall victim to Mother Nature’s wrath, but everyone needs to heed the warnings and not become complacent just because the storm is 100 miles away. Storms can turn in an instant and quickly be barreling down on you.”
The safest place to survive violent, killer tornadoes is in an approved underground storm shelter or in an approved above ground storm shelter, according to NWS experts. The next safest place is on the lowest floor of your home, school or business in an interior room like a closet, hallway or bathroom. Stay low to the ground and cover yourself with blankets, pillows and/or mattresses. If a tornado approaches and you live in a mobile home or are in your car, abandon it for a more substantial shelter. If nothing is available, lie flat in a nearby ditch covering your head and neck.
Once the storm passes, hazardous conditions such as downed powerlines and trees may make travel virtually impossible and can disrupt cellular service. That’s why families should have a predetermined meeting place and practice getting to them via several different routes. And you should know what to do if you’re at home, at work or school, outdoors or in a car.
“In times like these, panic will quickly set in especially if you are separated from your loved ones,” Noah said. “But if you’ve prepared, practiced and everyone, young and old, knows what they’re to do during a potentially destructive storm, your chance of surviving will increase.”
For more information about Parkland, please visit www.parklandhealth.org.
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