Be weather aware

Alexis Barker 
NLJ News Editor
 
It is time again for severe thunderstorms and maybe even tornadoes in Weston County, according to Gilbert Nelson, the interim director for the Weston County Department Homeland Security. The public needs to be aware of the potential hazards that can come with these storms, he said. 
According to Nelson, people need to be aware of what the weather is doing and the potential risks associated with lightning, heavy rain, high winds and possible tornados. There are several ways to keep up-to-date on severe weather activity and the easiest of those is in the palm of your hand, he said. 
“Almost everyone has a smart phone, so you should download a weather app. You will get alerts, watches and warnings directly to your phone,” Nelson said. “My app will even tell me about lightning strikes and how close they are.” 
Nelson suggests that everyone with a smartphone download a credible weather app so they can see where the storms are and their capabilities directly on their phone. 
CodeRED, an emergency notification and alerting system for government agencies, is also used in Weston County, according to Nelson. Alerts through the system are sent out by call, text and email. 
“If you haven’t signed up for CodeRED, you should,” Nelson said. “You can go to the Weston County Homeland Security page on the county website to sign up, or you can stop by the homeland security office or call me to sign up over the phone.”
Nelson will also notify the radio station of any severe weather alerts, as well as getting them out on social media through the Weston County page on Facebook. 
In instances of bad weather, Nelson will call shelters throughout the county, letting them know that they may have to open their doors. 
“We want to make sure people are not going out to find shelter if it is safer to shelter in place,” Nelson said. The county does have several tornado shelters, but at times it is safer to stay home, he said. 
“We will make sure there is the opportunity to shelter if you live in a trailer or have no other option and want to go to a shelter,” Nelson said. 
People should seek shelter if lightning is close or if there are heavy rain, high-speed winds, dark clouds or rotation in the clouds. 
“If you see any rotation, get to a shelter or an interior room or basement. If it is lightning, hail, heavy rain or high winds get indoors and away from windows,” Nelson said. 
Anyone experiencing severe weather is encouraged to report occurrences to local dispatch. 
“People can report heavy rain, high winds, rotation in the clouds, if there is hail and the size,” Nelson said. “Whatever they feel is necessary to report.”
He said that reports can also be made directly to the National Weather Service but for safety reasons he recommends contacting dispatch first because they will report to the National Weather Service either way.