Storm season is here

This week (April 21-25) is Severe Weather Preparedness Week – a good time for all Yellowstone Place residents to consider what they would and should do during times of severe weather.

If you don’t have a NOAA Weather Radio, they’re available at most retail electronics stores, and prices have come down markedly in the last few years. These are excellent devices that can wake you up in the middle of the night, if need be, to alert you to impending severe weather.

If you’re at home when severe weather strikes, here are a few suggestions offered by emergency management folks:

· Go to the basement or small interior room on the ground floor, such as a closet, bathroom or hallway · Get under the stairwell or a sturdy table and cover yourself with pillows or blankets · Avoid the corners and exterior walls of the house · Stay away from windows and do not open the windows.

A few web sites worth visiting for further information include the Rapid City office of the National Weather Service, and the South Dakota Office of Emergency Management, as well as the South Dakota Department of Health.

If you have questions or desire further information, you can call the Lawrence County Emergency Management office in Deadwood at 605-578-2122.