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(Iowa) -- Spring is here, and with it, the chances for severe storms.
This is Severe Weather Awareness week, a good time to plan ahead. Severe Weather Awareness Week is a partnership between the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM), the National Weather Service (NWS), and Iowa Emergency Management Association (IEMA). Allie Bright with HSEM says this week is a good time to plan ahead for the possibility of dangerous storms:
"It's a great opportunity for Iowans coming out of winter and starting to enjoy spring to think about getting ready or getting prepared while the skies are blue and it's nice out. We want preparedness to be a habit. We want people to be ready before the skies turn gray."
Bright recommends taking precautions such as having an emergency kit with basic supplies like food, batteries, and other materials you might need in case of an evacuation, having a plan in case severe weather develops and practicing that plan ahead of time, and making sure you have weather updates set up on your phone or have an emergency radio.
Each day of Severe Weather Awareness Week will focus on particular aspects of weather awareness, including:
- Monday - lightning safety
- Tuesday - tornado safety
- Wednesday - preparedness
- Thursday - hail and wind safety
- Friday - flood safety
The annual statewide tornado drill is scheduled for Wednesday, March 25th at 10am. More information on severe weather preparedness is available on Ready.Iowa.gov.