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While there's nothing we can do to stop dangerous weather from affecting us, there are things we can do to stay safe when the weather turns nasty. Weather safety and survival - no matter what the hazard - depend on the following key items:

KNOW THE HAZARDS -
Be aware of the hazards that you might face during a weaver event.

KNOW WHEN TO EXPECT DANGEROUS WEATHER -
Monitor forecasts and information from K96 FM & experts at your local National Weather Service Forecast Office.

PAY ATTENTION -
to all watches, advisories and warnings affecting you.

HAVE A PLAN TO STAY SAFE -
Think about it before it happens and be ready to act to survive.

**SEVERE WEATHER**

Safety and Survival

Severe Weather Safety and Preparedness

Just like a fire, an earthquake or an automobile accident, a tornado is a low probability, high impact event. Chances are, you will never experience a tornado. Even if you live in the heart of tornado alley, the chances that your house will be struck by a tornado are small. However, you need to be ready just in case. Your tornado safety plan is your safety belt, your smoke detector, your plan to survive when dangerous weather threatens.

This website is designed to give you information to help you prepare for severe thunderstorms and tornadoes.

The severe weather safety guidelines exist because they work most of the time; following these guidelines won't guarantee you won't be hurt or killed, but should improve your chances of being safe.

Click on the links below, or on the left-hand navigation bar, for severe weather safety and preparedness information.

Planning Ahead for Severe Weather

Use the guidelines below to develop a personal tornado safety plan for you and your family. Remember you need to have a plan for wherever you may be when a tornado strikes - at home, at school, at work, on the road or in a public building.

Know what the threats are. In Oklahoma and North Texas, we need to be concerned about severe thunderstorms, wind, hail, lightning, flash flooding and tornadoes.

You must be able to get to your safe shelter area quickly - you may only have seconds to act! Your first step to surviving a tornado is to develop a plan before storms are on the horizon.

Developing a Tornado Safety Kit

These items would be extremely useful to have in your storm shelter, or to take with you to your storm shelter, when severe weather strikes.

Other Things To Consider

If you have a safe room or other shelter area, you might consider storing important papers and other irreplaceable items in the shelter if space permits.

Check and replace batteries in your weather radio, flashlights and other devices in your safety kit often, preferably twice a year. Do this at the same time you set clocks back/ahead in the spring and fall, and when you replace smoke detector batteries. Check you disaster supplies kit often, as well to maintain fresh food and water, etc. Remember that your disaster supplies kit could also be critical in other types of disasters, including winter storms, etc.

Make sure you have something to cover up with. Pillows, blankets, sleeping bags, a mattress could help to protect you from falling/flying debris. Above all protect your head, neck and upper body. Wear a helmet (bicycle, football, baseball, motorcycle, hard hat, etc) if you have one. If there's room, lie flat and cover up. Otherwise, get as low to the ground as possible and make as small a target as possible.

Unfortunately, there are no safety rules - absolute safety facts that will keep you safe 100% of the time. Instead, we offer guidelines for personal safety. The vast majority of tornadoes are weak and don't last very long. By following the guidelines included in this document, you and your family can survive a tornado. These tornado safety guidelines should reduce - but will not totally eliminate - your chances of being seriously injured or killed in a tornado.

The good news is that you can survive most tornadoes. The key to survival is planning - knowing what you need to do to be safe before a tornado threatens.

Winter Weather Safety and Survival

Introduction

So, what can we do now to get ready for winter weather?

Have a plan –

Each family should have a plan of how you will deal with a major winter storm. Think about it now before you really need to put the plan into action.

Keep up with the weather if you have travel plans –

With holiday travel season coming up, it’s more critical than ever to keep up with the weather, from home to your destination and everywhere in between. If winter precipitation is forecast, you might consider delaying the trip to avoid being caught in a dangerous situation. Even small amounts of freezing drizzle, sleet or snow can cause significant travel problems.

Develop and maintain an emergency supplies kit –

An winter storm safety kit will be critical to your safety should a major winter storm cause you to lose electrical power and/or water service. A three-day supply of essential supplies, including water and food for the family, batteries, flashlights and medical supplies, should be in place and checked frequently. This supply kit will be the same one you should have on hand during tornado season. In addition, if you have to travel this winter you should have an emergency survival kit in your vehicle as well.

Pay attention to NWS watches, warnings and advisories –

NWS offices serving the people of Oklahoma work hard to get the word out as far in advance as possible when winter storms approach. Whether you get your information from television and radio, the Internet or weather radio, you should keep up to date on the latest forecasts and warnings.

Get a battery operated weather radio –

One of the items that should be in everyone’s disaster supplies kit is a battery operated weather radio. Weather radio is a service of your National Weather Service office and provides round the clock weather information, including all the latest winter weather information.

Winter Weather Safety Kit

The National Weather Service advises you to prepare a readiness kit to prepare for winter storms.

At home and at work, primary concerns are the potential loss of heat, power, telephone service and a shortage of supplies if storm conditions persist.

In cars and trucks, plan your travel and check the latest weather reports to avoid the storm! Fully check and winterize your vehicle before the winter season begins.

Try not to travel alone, and be sure to let someone know your travel plans - your timetable and route.