As Severe Weather Awareness Week continues, emergency management officials are reminding residents that preparation is key as severe weather can occur at any time.
Hardin County Emergency Management Coordinator McKenzie Burton tells RadioOnTheGo News the way people receive weather alerts has expanded significantly in recent years, making it easier to stay informed.
“So there’s many different ways that you can receive weather alerts, you know, anywhere from your weather radios to signing up for Alert Iowa. Majority of counties have Alert Iowa. You can go on to any emergency management website and find those to sign up for your county or the surrounding counties around you. Our county also recently just got a new Hardin County Sheriff’s Office app, and that also gives real-time updates on weather as well. So those are all great ways to receive warnings along with local radio stations, news channels.”
Burton emphasized the importance of having a plan and supplies ready before severe weather strikes.
“If you need to hurry up and take shelter in your basement at home, you need to make sure you have enough water, like a gallon of water per person per day. And then you need to have food and medication if you’re gonna need that, depending on your needs. You never know how long you’re gonna be down there. If you have pets, make sure you have food and water for them. Young children, formula, diapers. (For other) people, do they need a cane? Do they need specialized medical supplies? How long are you going to need that for? You know, if you were to run out of power or anything like that, do you have a backup plan for that? So be thinking about things like that.”
Burton said residents can find additional preparedness resources, including emergency supply checklists and planning tools, at ready.iowa.gov, a site designed to help individuals and communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters.
