CHECKLIST: Are you prepared for another severe weather season?
JACKSON, Tenn. — As our second severe weather season approaches, now would be a good time to begin to prepare your home.
Flooding
Let’s start by building an action plan.
Severe weather doesn’t just mean tornadoes. If you live in a floodplain, near a creek or river, do you know where to go to higher ground?
With flooding, getting to high ground is the most important step of action.
If you escape in a car, always remember if you encounter flooded roads: Turn around, don’t drown.
Tornadoes
Now onto tornadoes. Remind your family of the action plan. This can be as simple as heading to the basement when you hear sirens.
Not everyone is able to rely on sirens and it’s not recommended. Some may need to head to a municipal shelter or a school.
So, when do you make that call? Find out if it’s open and head that way before storms make it into your area.
Many shelters open upon the issuance of a tornado watch.
Severe WX checklist; Insurance tips
The South Carolina Department of Insurance has a home preparedness checklist for severe weather.
The checklist aims to aid you in the instance you need to file an insurance claim. You can find that, and recommendations from a local insurance company below:
It highlights the importance of taking a home inventory and storing the inventory along with copies of other important files on a flash drive.
Weather experts recommend at least three different ways to receive weather alerts. This can be a NOAA weather radio, a standard AM/FM radio, your smartphone, your TV, the WBBJ Weather app or your local NWS office website.
If your options are electronic, make sure you keep enough batteries to last in case of an outage. You can also make an emergency kit with at least three days of non-perishable food and water for you and your family.
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