Having Your Family Prepared for a Thunderstorm

Growing up in the Midwest, I experienced tons of vicious thunderstorms every year. If you have a family, keeping everyone feeling safe and most importantly being safe, is something to think about long before the storm hits.

No thunderstorm will wait for you to go buy batteries.

Flashlights with Working Batteries

This is one of the most important things as to keeping your family safe and feeling safe. Not only may you need a battery to help lead you to a safe place in the house, but it also can ease someone's fear if they have light. Storms will be even scarier if you have to do it in the dark.

Make sure everyone in the house knows where the flashlights are located for a quick grab.

Water

If you do not have bottles of water in your refrigerator at all times, then fill up some containers of water right away if you hear a storm is on its way. This is more important than you may realize. What happens if your power blows and you need to get ready for work, or you have to wait 5 hours for the electric company to fix something, or your pet needs water. If no storm has hit yet, but you are sure one is coming, at least fill a few containers with water.

Basement or Shelter

Not everyone is lucky to have a basement, so you need to plan ahead of where you would go if a storm did hit. Would you go downstairs of your apartment building if you lived upstairs? Is there a bathroom with no windows in your house you can go into? The key to finding a safe place to be during storms is away from windows and the lowest point possible.

Do NOT travel around your neighborhood looking for a place. This could be dangerous too.

Basements: If you have a basement, one quick little tip is to try to keep your basement a non-scary place to begin with. Growing up my basement scared me because it had cement flooring, it was usually wet, had terrible lighting, and was a place for junk. If you can somehow make your basement cozy (especially for the kids) with perhaps even emergency supplies down there with all thunderstorm supplies, along with board games or a deck of cards to give you something to do while you wait for the storm to pass.

Radio

Have a radio with batteries around so that if the power goes out, you can still get all the storm coverage possible. Having it always set to the station you need for local storm coverage is a good idea too, and designate that radio as your storm radio.

Sleeping Bags and Pillows

Try to keep a few of these hanging out in the basement if there is no other bedding available and you have a nice basement to sleep in. Not only can this give a bit of comfort to those afraid of storms to hold onto a pillow or curl up in a blanket, but you may end up falling asleep, waiting for the storm to pass.

Phone

Keep your phone close to you in case of a dire emergency. However, avoid using your phone or any other electronics such as your computer during a thunderstorm. Having your cell or home phone should be close to you so you don't have to go looking for it, but don't think that while you wait for the storm to pass is the time to gossip on the phone.

And remember to always stay away from windows and high elevated places. It is easier to get injured or killed by tornados and lightning if you are near either of these.