You may remember this article we ran a while back about how to talk to your child about Severe Weather Circumstances. But how prepared is your family to deal with a severe weather outbreak?
Here are some things to keep in mind and to have on hand and easily accessible in the event we are directed to our safe place.
First of all.. Have a safe place. Create a family emergency plan and sit down with your family to make sure they know what to do and where to go in the event of a tornado. If you can get underground in a basement go there, if you don’t have a basement take shelter in the lowest possible part of your home in an interior room. Stay away from windows and put as many walls between you and the outside as possible.
Use sturdy tables, bike helmets, and blankets to cover yourself and help protect you from debris.
For families with small babies, utilize your baby carriers. To keep infants safely-contained and leave you with free hands for your other children, use those wraps and strap them to you. Carriers are also a great idea for your child if he or she is still in one of those. Severe weather can scare the tiny humans, and they may not move very quickly. Putting them in the carrier will serve as extra protection and will also keep them easily next to you. Make sure everyone is wearing shoes and grab your wallet or purse.
Prepare ahead of time. It’s best, if you have the space in or near your safe place to stock a box with a few supplies. This way in the event of severe weather, the plan is for everyone to go straight to your safe place. No wandering around the garage looking for the helmet they were using while riding their bike the day before. Have an extra helmet along with a flashlight, batteries, blankets and weather radio. You will need another option for getting those weather updates.
Once you have your plan in place and you’re stocked up… Practice. Practice. Practice. Run through this drill just like the kids do at school for fires and tornadoes. The key to a great safety plan is making sure everyone in the family knows the plan and is ready to follow through, without having to think to much about it.
Does your family have a safety plan in place? Do you have any tips you can share that have worked in past severe weather situations?
