Samantha Sinclair
March 13, 2025
With spring just around the corner, severe weather season is expected to kick off in full force this weekend across Kentucky.
Now is the time to have your severe weather plan in place, and ensure everyone in your location knows what that plan looks like. Have a practice drill. Do you have batteries in case the electric goes out? Have closed toe shoes prepared for everyone to put on during severe weather. You never know when you could have to step over broken glass or other debris.
Ensure that your pets are safe as well. Have their leash and or carriers in your safe place. Most pets are terrified of storms. Wrapping them in a blanket or petting them and talking gently is always helpful. 
Have your Weather Radio prepared. What does that look like? Have the volume turned up, fresh batteries, so you can still have access to weather with no power, and ensure it is programmed for your area.
Don’t have a basement? Learn now where the storm shelters are located in your town. Do you have friends or neighbors who have basements or storm shelters? Now is the time to discuss a plan with them. However, with that being said, once a tornado warning is issued do not try to outrun it. Take shelter on the lowest floor of your home in an interior room. Remember, mobile homes provide no shelter in any form shape or fashion During severe weather.
Outdoor tornado sirens should not be your only reliance. Most likely you will not hear them sound inside your residence unless you live right next to one. They are made for outdoor use. Also, you should not fully depend on them because they could malfunction, or not be set off at all. Have multiple ways to receive watches and warnings and take them seriously. If a tornado warning is issued, do not try to go outside and spot the tornado as it could very well be rain wrapped or already on top of you. They can spin up very quickly with little to no warning.
It’s a good idea to have something to put over your head and the heads of your family members or employees. If you are driving, seek shelter in a sturdy building. Do not seek shelter under an overpass. If there is no shelter to seek, lay flat down in a ditch and cover your head. That is last resort. If you’re in a mobile home, take the same advice.
After severe weather passes through, stay home and off the roads, if at all possible. Night time severe weather is even more dangerous than daytime severe weather. You may not be able to see powerlines that are down or other debris. Give first responders plenty of room to handle the aftermath. There’s no need to go sightseeing right away. Look around and see if you can help neighbors close by. Continue to stay weather aware after the storm passes as they can change directions very quickly.
This post is not to bring fear, it is to inform. Stay tuned to the national weather service, the storm alert center on Facebook, and ensure that you have multiple ways to receive severe weather alerts.
Remember if a severe weather watch is issued it means conditions are favorable. If a severe weather warning is issued for your area, it means severe weather is happening or is expected shortly. Take cover immediately. Trust in God and use the common sense we were blessed with.
SamanthaCSinclair.com 