Emergency management talks severe weather preps in Lexington
LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) — With the potential of severe weather on Monday night going into Tuesday night, officials with Lexington-Fayette Emergency Management say preparations should start now.
Especially for those who live in mobile homes.
“Weather is unpredictable,” says Emily Fay with Lexington-Fayette Emergency Management adding that part of your plan should also include identifying shelter locations if it won’t be in your home and how and when will you get there.
She adds, “a day ahead, you want to make sure you’re prepared. So that includes having a go kit emergency preparedness plan, discussing what you’re going to do with your family. So if there’s severe winds, staying away from windows and doors, where in the house you’re going to meet, make sure you have your pets, when you get to that safe place.”
Fay also says that if for some reason you can’t leave your home to go into a shelter, “when severe weather strikes, you want to be in the center and the interior portion of your home with no windows, no doors, like a bathroom that doesn’t have any windows or even an interior hall closet, a linen closet. All of that can be thrown out in the hallway and put back in later. But we can replace your stuff we can refold your sheets but we can’t replace your life.”
Adding that you should stay weather aware.
“It’s important to throughout the night to be checking your phone, or the weather to make sure that you haven’t missed a notification that would alert you to a warning or a watch for a tornado, so staying connected is very important,” also added, Sarah Nusbaum, corporate communications manager for Kentucky Power.
Fay says those who live in a mobile home should take extra caution, “so the unfortunate thing about manufacturing mobile homes is that they are not safe in severe weather. The best thing to do is have a plan in place before weather happens, where you’re gonna go, make sure your friends and your neighbors are ready and put that plan in action, when severe weather starts, so you can’t shelter in your home, have a place to go.”
In the event that treacherous weather does occur, “stay away from downed power lines. If you see those stay as far away as possible and assume that any damaged electrical equipment is energized. Call 911 and your power company to report any downed power lines that you may see,” also said Nusbaum.
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