By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
This is the time of year when severe weather threatens; anywhere from a thunderstorm to a tornado.
St. Joseph Police Chief, Paul Luster, urges residents to take it seriously.
And to prepare.
Luster says every family should take a little time this time of year to plan for what to do should thunderstorms or tornadoes threaten. Begin by designating a safe place in the home.
“Identify that safe place in the home,” Luster says during his time on KFEQmmunity. “Where are we going? Is that a basement? Is that a storm cellar? Is that an interior room on the lowest level without windows, like a bathroom or a closet? To have that safety plan in place and even practice it with your family.”
Make sure flashlights have batteries and cell phones are charged. Luster also advises storing some bottled drinking water and non-perishable food. Get your weather information from a reliable source, such as a NOAA radio and local media.
Luster says everyone in the family should find an emergency kit on standby once they arrive there.
“Have that little emergency kit prepped in there; some essential items, like some water, some non-perishable food, a flashlight, batteries, first aid kit,” Luster says. “Have that in a container wherever you’re going to go. Have that little emergency kit ready in case you lose power, in case you have to stay in shelter for a long period of time. Have that ready to go.”
Luster worries too many residents become complacent and ignore weather forecaster warnings or even the sound of tornado sirens.
“I think sometimes they don’t heed to the actual weather warnings well enough,” Luster says. “If there’s a tornado warning in the area and the sirens have been sounded, you need to immediately seek that shelter in the home like I talked about and not just get outside and try to watch it.”
Southern and central Missouri have already seen deadly tornadoes. The National Weather Service confirms two tornadoes struck central Missouri Easter Sunday. Netflix is running a documentary on the deadly Joplin tornado in May of 2011 that wipe out much of the town and took more than 150 lives.
You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.