Spring Storms: What’s your plan?

4/14/2020 (Permalink)

Your family is the most important thing in your life. Make a disaster plan to keep your family safe.

Finally, it’s Spring again…that time of year when the birds are singing, flowers are blooming, and storms are brewing on the horizon. It’s important to remember that severe storms can happen day or night, and at any time of the year. Storms can bring with them rain, hail, lightning, and winds that sometimes result in tornadoes.

Does your family have an action plan in place for severe weather? Be sure to get all members involved. The time to plan is now, before bad weather strikes.

Determine the safe room- a location on the lowest floor of your home that has no windows. This location needs to have as many walls as possible between you and the outside world. It could be a basement, inner closet or bathroom. Be creative. Plan to use a table, mattress, blankets, or even winter coats as layers of protection, when needed.

Make a list of important phone numbers and save them on everyone’s phone. List the information in your safe room as well. Some people write numbers on the wall of their garage, on a chalk board by the phone, or on the basement wall. Be sure to include the non-emergency numbers for your local police, fire and rescue. Add the numbers of important businesses, like your electric, phone, cable, plumber, repair services and SERVPRO of Henry and Randolph Counties. Include family, friends and neighbors. Your list should include anyone you may need to call in case of an emergency. This could be a fun art project for kids!

Now is the perfect time to replace batteries in your flashlights. Keep candles and matches handy in your safe area, too. Be sure to keep your cell phones and external chargers charged up. Keep your battery radio or weather radio in this area, as well. Go ahead and put a few distractions in your safe area. Maybe a distraction game, book or coloring book for the kids. Plan to put everyone in their bicycle or football helmets, when possible.

Have a plan for your animals, too. Have a small carrier ready to scoop up your cat or small dog. Have a leash on hand for larger dogs. You may want plan to use a knob or hook on the wall to secure the leash while you wait out the storm.

It’s important that you and your family has a disaster plan and that everyone knows what they are to do in case of severe weather. Your family is the most important thing in your life. Make a disaster plan to keep your family safe, and when the storm passes, give SERVPRO of Henry and Randolph Counties a call to take care of any damage that occurred. We make it “Like it never even happened.”