It’s spring in Texas, which means hail, lightning and the occasional tornado watch or warning.
From mid-March through June, Texans can expect strong storms that can come with anything from hail and strong winds to devastating tornadoes.
These storms can be powerful and dangerous, and they can show up with just a few minutes’ notice. It’s always best to have a plan before storms leave you scrambling.
Juan Hernandez, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service, said the most important thing — no matter what kind of storm it is — is to stay informed.
"Being able to receive weather information is essential to making decisions," he said. "It just depends on the weather situation."
Use this guide to help prepare, and follow dallasnews.com and The Dallas Morning News for weather news throughout the springtime storm season.
Do this now
Here are tips from multiple sources, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Federal Emergency Management Agency:
Develop your plan for keeping people, pets and property safe, including picking your safe space.
Stock that safe space with storm essentials: Flashlights with working batteries, a battery-operated radio for weather updates, pet carriers or crates to keep furry friends safe, bicycle or motorcycle helmets in case of flying debris, first aid kit and pillows and blankets. Keep your phone charged or have a battery charger that doesn't rely on electricity.
Download apps for weather reports and be alert for storm watches and warnings. Watches mean conditions are right for severe weather to develop; warnings mean severe weather is imminent.
There should be no confusion of a Watch vs a Warning with this example. A Watch the ingredients are there for something, A Warning it's there. #cltwx #ncwx #scwx #WeatherAware pic.twitter.com/nk5kiM2Sfo
— Brad Panovich (@wxbrad) April 15, 2018
For more on advance prep, read the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's two-page severe weather tip sheet.
How to stay safe during the storm
Do not open windows. Try to get to the north side or northeast corner of a building, since most tornadoes normally approach from the southwest.
If there’s no basement, get to the ground floor away from windows, corners, doors and outside walls. For example, if there’s an interior bathroom with a tub, get in it. If not, choose an interior room and get under a sturdy table or other heavy piece of furniture.
If possible, cover your body with a mattress, sofa cushions, a thick textile like a quilt or duvet, or a sleeping bag. Put on heavy shoes and, if available, a bicycle or motorcycle helmet.
For other tips, including what to do if you're in a mobile home, public place or on the road, click here.
After the storm, don’t be fooled by crooks
After a storm, contractors come out of the woodwork to "help," but some may not be what they appear, says The News' watchdog columnist Dave Lieber.
The Watchdog’s main piece of advice: Be suspicious.
“Use Internet search engines to drill deep into the backgrounds of prospective hires,” Lieber wrote last year. “Use Google to check their names and their company names with these words in separate searches: ‘rip-off,’ ‘complaint’ and ‘scam.’ Are others complaining about them?”
Read all his tips here.
Need something to read while the power’s out?
Check out this biography of legendary storm chaser Tim Samaras, by Dallasite Brantley Hargrove.
Why do we get so many storms?
We're on the outskirts of the region known as tornado alley, but North Texas still gets a good number of severe storms every spring. This is due to our unfortunate location between wet winds coming off the Gulf of Mexico and dry fronts coming down from Canada, according to the Houston Chronicle's SciGuy column.
Why doesn't Texas have basements?
Texas homes are notorious for rarely having basements, the best place to seek shelter from tornadoes. It has to do with our clay soil, says this KERA News report. The soil expands in the winter and shrinks in summer, which could cause cracks in a basement.
Some Texans seeking storm protection build external storm shelters. One Decatur company, for example, offers reinforced closets for almost $3,000, or full shelters for $10,000 or more.
"The peace of mind we have is incredible," Carrollton resident Braden Brown told The News in 2012 after his family rode out a devastating tornado in their wind-resistant shelter. "The investment was nothing compared to the security we have with it."
