First Alert Weather In-Depth: Knowing what to do in severe weather

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Did you know it’s Severe Weather Awareness Week for New York State? A number of state agencies are involved in highlighting the dangers of severe weather and educating the public on how to protect themselves from the hazards of flooding, tornadoes and severe thunderstorms.

As the season progresses, inevitably folks living across the Rochester area will see some stormy weather. But, what can you do to protect your family? It begins with a family plan in order to be prepared before the storm arrives in your neighborhood.

First, it is important to know your safe place in the home and choose a family meeting place. Secondly, have your emergency supply kit ready. This should include such things as a flashlight, batteries, cash, medication, a radio, and non-perishable food. And lastly, stay informed about the weather. Severe weather can change quickly from minute to minute and location to location.

It is important to know the National Weather Service watch and warning system. A “watch” means there is the potential or the ingredients for severe weather. A “warning” means the severe weather is actually happening or is imminent for a specific location. A great way to remember this is that you are always “watching for the warning.”

News 10NBC First Alert weather is similar, but we try to simplify the communication process. We use the color coded News10NBC Threat Tracker. A green color tells you to expect just a low impact event with no severe weather. A yellow color means there is potential for isolated severe weather with a moderate impact for some in our community. And then there is a red color — which is a big concern for more widespread and a high impact type of weather.  We also  have the flexibility to display this over the short term which is very specific for 24 hours or less. Or this can be a longer term notification which is three to five days into the future.

Fundamentally, it really it comes down to effective communication and the ultimate goal of just keeping you and your family safe.