Preparing For Bad Weather

After seeing those amazing videos and pictures from Dallas earlier today, it made me think, after living in the South for so many years, I always took for granted all the things you should do in case of an emergency.

Then after living in a places that had earthquakes and wildfires all the time, we really never dealt with Severe Thunderstorms and Tornadoes. My wife and 4-year old son have never seen this kind of weather (well, we did, but those are Monsoons, which are completely different kind of storm.)

So I figured it was time to put together a checklist for our family, in case of  something happened.The kinds of things my son could understand.

1.) Have shoes on or nearby. If you ever notice, when severe weather hits, especially at night, or people are at home, you rarely see their feet, or when you do, the people have bloody, severely cut, bruised or wounded. Why? They weren't wearing shoes when a tornado hit.

2.) Find a safe location in your house.  Sure, this is one a lot of us take for granted, but the kids need to know this. Bathrooms are a great place.

3.) The Red Cross suggests a backpack that contains: First aid kit and essential medications, Canned food and can opener, At least three gallons of water per person, Protective clothing, bedding, or sleeping bags, Battery-powered radio, flashlight, and extra batteries, Special items for infant, elderly, or disabled family members, Written instructions on how to turn off electricity, gas, and water if authorities advise you to do so. Also, do not forget a chance of clothes.

4.) One more suggestion, make sure your cell phone is charged up. Believe it or not, with technology today, you can get a lot of information from your smartphone. There are Apps can be set up to alert you when danger is headed your way, as you can set up text messages. But a full battery will be a godsend.

4 small things can help you out in times or crisis. Easy to remember for all of of us.