Meteorological spring is in full swing, bringing the threat of severe weather back onto our radar. Now is the time for a refresher on some safety tips to keep you and loved ones safe during the active season.
Severe weather can happen at any point in a season, but typically we see an uptick in activity during the spring and summer months. This week we have the threat of severe weather headed our way, and it's best to know how to understand weather jargon and terminology before the storms arrive.
When talking about a storm, Meteorologists like to categorize the severity of storms through things like Watches and Warnings. You can think of a watch like baking a cake; you have all the ingredients laid out in front of you ready to mix into the bowl, but the cake is not yet baked. A Warning is a little more serious. A Warning can be understood as the ingredients have been mixed and the cake is in the oven. A Warning means the cake is baked!
A Watch: A storm has the potential to cause damage to oneself or one's property. Consider taking shelter now.
A Warning: Damage is imminent and shelter should be taken immediately.
There are multiple things taken into consideration when tracking and predicting a storm, so it is always best to have your phone charged and weather radio on stand-by (with back up batteries!!) for active weather. Have ways to get up to the minute updates.
Have a plan of action with your family and housemates. Designate a shelter space with everyone in the household and make sure they have easy access to get to that location. A safe space is anywhere on the main or lower level of a house without windows and has at least one wall between it and the outside environment. A great example of a safe space is a basement corner or room without windows. If you do not have a basement, a hallway closet or bathroom without windows will suffice. Not everyone has these types of spaces available to them, so in the case of severe weather and limited safe locations, getting into a bathtub with a helmet and pillows for your head is an okay alternative. Lastly, if you have young or elderly relatives in the home, make sure you have the conversation of where you live and how to talk to someone for help. A good example of that is: Hi, my name is so and so and I live on this street with (name someone from your household).
Please look to local Meteorologist or the National Weather Service for updates and not random people on social media. WMAR's Most Accurate Weather Team will be monitoring conditions for Wednesday very closely and will keep the public up to date on any changes to the system. Please be safe this storm season, and check back for more updates and tips!
