Severe Weather Safety: Before and After the Storm

Even a decade after the devastating storms that hit Alabama in April of 2011 we are once again preparing for severe weather. As often as they occur, it can be tempting to get complacent about tornados, but since that experience in 2011 there are few in this part of the country that don’t get anxious when the watches and warnings begin. Adding small children to the mix can be especially trying. Below, we’ve done our best to collect information from local experts you may need to prepare to weather the storm and deal with its after effects.

Preparing for Severe Weather

The Weather Authority Team at WHNT-19 has seen their share of bad weather and are kind enough to offer a lot of useful advice for parents who might be new to this type of weather event, or who just want to be sure all their “T”s are crossed. Here you’ll find information about:

What to put in your severe weather toolkit.
Specific tips for families with babies.
A map of local public tornado shelters.
Brad’s recommended news and weather apps.

After the Storm is Over

Check on your neighbors. If you and your family are lucky enough to be completely fine after the storm then try and call on neighbors, especially the elderly and those with young children, and help ensure they don’t need any help.
Limit cell usage to emergencies. It can be tempting to try and call everyone you know to let them know you’re safe and get similar information from others. Establish a family/friend phone tree so you’re not clogging up the lines when they are most needed.
Be safe. Don’t touch downed power lines, use precaution with power equipment (e.g. chainsaws, generators).
When in doubt, throw it out. If power is out for more than a few hours, FoodSafety.gov has lots of useful information about what food to keep and what to toss. Basically, two hours above 40 degrees means throw it out.

Local Resources

Red Cross of North Central Alabama – volunteer, donate, and give blood
Keep Volunteering – a Huntsville website that connects willing & able volunteers with disaster sites
Good Shepherd United Methodist Church – the only certified Red Cross public shelter in Madison County, also a food bank
Local library branches – when they open after a disaster, some set up charging stations and have Internet access via their banks of public-use computers

Stay safe, Rocket City Families.

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Rocket City Mom

Rocket City Mom is a website about raising children in and around Huntsville, Alabama. Started in late 2010 by a local mom and newcomer to Huntsville, Rocket City Mom has grown into a thriving community of local parents and now boasts a staff of four, thirteen regular contributors, and tens of thousands of Tennessee Valley readers making it the #1 Parenting Resource in North Alabama.