BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – Mother nature does not discriminate. Severe weather can strike anyone, whether it’s flooding, high winds or even a tornado.
In the right conditions at the wrong time, you could come face-to-face with a a life or death situation.
When preparing for flooding in your neighborhood experts with the National Weather Service say you need to assemble an emergency kit, know your risks, prepare your home, charge electronics and do everything you can to leave before waters rise.
But they remind everyone that crossing floodwaters on a roadway can be a deadly decision.
“Don’t drive through flooded waters. If they have an immediate flooding event occurring at their location and they know they’re in a flood prone area just given history of living there. Get out early, base your decision on what you currently see,” said Keith Gunnoe, Mercer County Emergency Management Director.
Power outages can be a side-effect of flooding and the lights could take a hit in the storms heading our way. It will prompt those with generators to use them and that in itself can pose a serious danger if they’re not used properly.
“Make sure that the exhaust is no where near the house or a cracked window or an entrance way. Keep that exhaust away from it to where you don’t have a carbon monoxide situation building in your house and you don’t even realize it,” said Jarried Mcfarland, firefighter, Bluefield, Virginia Volunteer Fire Department.
When the power goes down, the hazard to the public rises for anyone near a downed powerline.
“If a powerline is across a road, stop, pause. Dial 911, stay clear of that line and stay in your vehicle. Do not get out of your vehicle because if somebody does drive over that line, that line could sling across and come in contact with you,” said Mcfarland.
There is the potential for one of the most powerful wind forces known on the planet: tornadoes. That risk can become a reality and people need to remember to seek shelter in their basement if they have one or in the centermost point in their homes and stay away from windows.
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