April 12, 2025 Issue, Page 9 of 16

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The Elk City News SATURDAY, APRIL 12, 2025 • 9 TIME TO BE WEATHER AWARE PREPARED stant light and heat. • Rope - To help secure items Thunderstorms Continued from page 8 • Bleach - Useful for quick and efficient disinfecting. • Matches/Lighter - Make sure they’re waterproof. • Light Sticks - Glow sticks can provide safe illumination if you suspect a gas leak in the area. • Clock - Also battery-powered. and move things. • Wrench - To help shut off utili- ties if necessary. The Documents: • Currency- Useful in case local ATMs are out of service. • Essential Infant and/or Pet Cause Damages Care Items - Include vaccination • Fire Extinguisher - Make sure • Copies of Important Docu- records. you know how to use it before an ments - Includes papers like deeds, • Hygiene Products - Tissues, emergency. birth certificates and insurance wipes, hand sanitizer, etc. • Multifunctional Knife/Axe - policies. Store the originals in a safe • Toilet Chamicals and Plas- Handy in many emergency situa- Pet Considerations: tic Bucket - Proper sanitaion and tions. Keep away from children. • Go-Bag Essentials - Include a By Sheryl Ponce erage of 60 to 65 fatalities, year. • Whistle - Can help indicate leash, food and water bowls, med- plumbing may be unavailable. while there are 1500 inju- The most important thing The Tools: your location and call for help. ication or prescription refills, a car- According to the US De- ries associated with them when facing spring storms • Battery-Powered Radio - Your • Trash Bags - Storage and san- rier, and a 2- to 3-week supply of partment of Commerce per year. A tornado can is to make a plan. Preparing only reliable link to rescue infor- itation. food, water and litter. Include their National Oceanic and At- produce wind speeds in ex- for the hazard and knowing mation and news. • Small Tent - For emergency favorite bedding or toy to help keep mospheric Administration cess of 200 miles per hour, where friends and family • Flashlights - Keep multiple shelter. them calm. and they can be one mile will be is important to keep- • Cooking Stove with Propane • Identify Pet-Friendly Shelters of the National Weather flashlights in your kit and through- out the house. Fuel - To heat food and/or boil wa- - Many evacuation shelters don’t Service, thunderstorms, wide. A tornado can stay ing them safe. • Batteries - To be stored sepa- ter in emergencies. accept pets, so it’s crucial to locate tornadoes, and lightning on the ground for over 50 A disaster could force • Heavy Gloves - To help move pet-friendly shelters and hotels be- are nature’s most violent miles, also. people to evacuate their rately from your electronics. Make sure you have the correct size. debris and broken glass. fore disaster strikes. storms. Being prepared is Straight winds can exceed homes, and it is important • Shovel - To help move debris Source: Ready.gov • Candles - Keep a few for in- the first step to surviving 125 miles per hour, and to know what to do if basic and dig out of areas. the turmoil. Make emer- cause as much destruction services have been cut off. gency plans that includes an as a tornado. They are also The first thing to know is emergency supply kit is key very dangerous to aviation. the risk of the storm. Con- to preparing for the unex- Flash floods and flooding tact the local emergency We will be here to pected. are the number one cause of management office, Amer- Thunderstorms are dan- deaths that are associated ican Red Cross Chapter safely restore power gerous because of the light- ning associated with them. with thunderstorms. There are more than 90 and the National Weather Service Office to find out if severe weather Lightning causes an av- fatalities each year. what types of disaster could causes issues! erage of 55-60 fatalities Hail is another danger occur, and what is the best each year and 400 injuries. associated with thunder- way to respond to protect It is always associated with storm. They can be as big as family and friends. thunderstorms and costs a softball that is five inches FEMA has information at 580-928-3366 more than $1 billion in in- in diameter. They also cause www.fema.gov/index.shtm surance losses a year. more than $1 billion in crop find out about how to pre- www.nfecoop.com Tornadoes cause an av- and property damages each pare for different hazards. Bathrooms MAY be a good shelter, provided they are not along an outside wall and have no windows. Contrary to popular belief, there is nothing magically safe about getting in a bathtub with a mattress. 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