Weathering the storm, safety tips for severe weather
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — The best safe spot to seek shelter during serious storms is often a basement or interior room, but knowing where to seek that spot is much harder when severe weather could strike while we’re asleep. The next round of dangerous weather could hit between midnight and 4 a.m.
During the nighttime hours, the concern is that people in the path of severe weather will not wake up to mobile weather notifications.
Rockey Adams, Captain Emergency Management Coordinator for the Berrien County Sheriff's Office,” points out, “One of the major messages we do have for people is that you know how to get warnings of severe weather so that it wakes you up. It has to be a method that’s going to wake you up so that you’re alerted to dangerous weather in the night.”
ABC57’s weather app sends push alerts to notify people before dangerous weather arrives. Amber Twardy, a meteorologist at ABC57 News, asserts, “It’s important to have multiple forms of getting your weather information. ABC57 weather app is great for that. We make sure that all of those alerts come through. Just make sure that’s turned on, on your phone, so that even if your phone is on ‘Do Not Disturb.’”
On the ABC57 app, click on the three bars in the upper right corner and then click on settings from the drop-down menu, under settings, ensure that the ABC57 alerts toggle is on and green and that your notification sounds are on. Other forms of alerts on the iPhone are available under the emergency alerts tab in general settings.
Twardy, ABC57’s meteorologist, emphasizes, “It’s really important to make sure that you have all of these different avenues to get your weather information. If your phone dies, it’s great to have a weather radio, especially because that’s really loud. It can wake you up if you end up getting some of those severe weather type warnings.” Deep sleepers may want to have those notifications set on high volume.
After waking up to your emergency notification, either by phone alert or radio, you should find a basement or indoor area away from windows like a bathroom.
According to Rockey Adams, Captain Emergency Management Coordinator at the Berrien County Sheriff's Office, “For severe thunderstorm warnings and tornadoes, we recommend that people get indoors, that they get to a place that can withstand heavy winds, particularly that’s going to be the lowest floor of the building, whether a basement or the first floor, a place that’s in the interior, away from glass, that can cut you if they do break. And keep yourself away from furniture that could fall over if heavy winds were to hit your structure.” In addition to having notifications turned on, you should secure outdoor furniture and cut tree limbs in potentially hazardous areas. Following these tips will help Michiana residents to weather severe storms.