As the next severe weather season approaches, meteorologists urge Texans to prepare themselves and their families for the possibility of dangerous conditions.
Despite a traditional severe weather season spanning the spring months, Texas’ size and scope offer a certain unpredictability.
“Severe weather can happen year-round here in Texas,” National Weather Service Warning Coordination Meteorologist Paul Yura said. “While sometimes part of the state is in a blizzard, the other half is already either hot or having severe thunderstorms, so weather is kind of crazy here…”
Though Yura said planning for severe weather takes a similar shape year after year, he suggested preparing early on to avoid surprises.
“We always want people to do more than they did the previous year, just like hurricane season,” Yura explained. “You should always prepare because you never know when you may get hit by that one storm and it only takes one storm to make it a really bad day.”
Yura recommended arming yourself with at least three methods of receiving weather information: purchasing a small weather radio, following trusted social media sites, and subscribing to city/county emergency alerts. He also encouraged Texans to come up with a plan for homes and businesses. He said the best place to go during a storm is typically “in an interior room or hallway,” and downstairs, if possible.
“You need to know where’s the safest room is in that building, so if there is just a few seconds warning where you hear the loud wind outside, you hear the loud noise, that you know exactly where you are going to go,” he mentioned. “That is not the time to figure out where the safest place is in the building.
Links for more information on preparing for different types of weather can be found by clicking here.
