Latest News

Every Storm Safety Tip You Need to Know

April 27, 2021

While spring often brings gentles breezes, colorful blossoms, and welcome spurts of warm weather, it also can come with dangerous thunderstorms and potential tornados, making the phrase “April showers” an understatement. While you and your kids might want to spend as much time as possible outdoors, it’s important to keep a few key safety tips in mind. 

While you’re probably no stranger to thunderstorms, it’s important that your kids know what to do if they’re ever caught in one. To ensure the maximum level of safety, be sure to check the weather forecast right before you head out. However, sometimes bad storms can take us by surprise. 

If you’re playing in an open field when you start to see ominous clouds form and hear a faint hint of thunder, try to get in your car or inside a shelter as soon as possible—don’t assume the storm will blow over without incident. If this isn’t an option, lie down in the middle of the field, and stay away from trees, poles, or playground slides, as these might attract lightning. 

Oftentimes, a bad thunderstorm will cause flooding. Never, ever attempt to drive on a road that’s flooded, even if you’re in a hurry or you think your SUV can easily overtake a few inches of rain. Fast-moving water can easily tip over a vehicle, so don’t even risk it. Additionally, try to keep your kids inside the next day or two after a major storm. While they might want to go on a hike on a nice day, they risk slipping on mud or, much worse, having a loose tree branch fall on them. 

Tornados are a much rarer occurrence than thunderstorms, but it’s important that your family knows what to do in the event of a tornado warning. First, identify a safe place where you, your kids, and your pets can gather to ride out the tornado; ideally this is a basement, but if you don’t have one an interior room on a ground floor with no windows will also work. 

Even if dangerous impacts from storms are unlikely, it’s always great to be prepared!