Hail and tornadoes could be headed to the St. Louis metro area. Are you prepared?
In anticipation of Wednesday’s severe weather forecast, be sure to review your emergency plans for when you are outside your home.
National Weather Service meteorologist Matt Beitscher said severe weather, such as hail and tornadoes, are likely to strike tomorrow while people are at work and school.
Severe weather is forecast to hit the metro-east between noon and 7 p.m. Wednesday. The coverage and intensity of the storms is likely to increase as the system moves east.
“We’re confident in all those happening – hail, wind, damaging tornadoes. So, question is going to be where and when,” Beitscher said. “At this time scale, we can’t say with any certainty that we’ll see a tornado in the St. Louis metro specifically, but the chance in the region that we’ll see tornadoes is high.”
When crafting or reviewing your emergency plans, Beitscher said to have a generator with fuel or a plan to leave town if you won’t be able to go a day or two without power. You can also stock up on non-perishable food.
It’s important to ensure you have multiple ways of receiving weather information leading up to the storms, and one good option is a weather radio, available at many retailers. The St. Louis office of the National Weather Service’s station on weather radios is 162.55.
Beitscher said to avoid relying on social media friends to post weather updates, as the information is not guaranteed to be from a credible source.
Emergency planning for those not at home
If you might be working in an office or professional setting during the storm, review evacuation routes, locate designated safe areas for employees, create a communication plan (including pre-arranged meetings) in case of phone outages and establish a system for weather warnings.
Additionally, back up computer files and data, turn off all computers and unplug all equipment in case of a power surge, consider installing a generator, park vehicles under cover if possible and check first aid stocks.
Home emergency planning
For your home emergency plan, electric company Ameren Illinois recommends turning your refrigerator to its coldest setting and turning off and unplugging any unnecessary electrical equipment.
It’s also recommended to put important documents in a safe box or other waterproof space, register your electrically operated medical equipment with Ameren, fill up your vehicle’s gas tank, bring lawn furniture and other lightweight items inside and turn off all pumps and filters if you have a swimming pool.
Items to include in your emergency preparedness kit include:
Emergency telephone numbers
Flashlights with fresh batteries
One gallon of water per person per day, plus water for any pets
Paper plates and plastic utensils
A hand-operated can opener
A first aid kit and medications
An ice cooler
Blankets
A battery-powered or wind-up alarm clock
Weather radio
Identification and copies of important family documents
Small bills and change
