OTTAWA — This week is Severe Storm Awareness Week. Franklin County emergency management director Alan Radcliffe said now is the time to prepare, not when the sirens start blowing. That includes an emergency plan on what do whenever a severe thunderstorm warning is issued, he said. No one should ever ignore or downplay severe thunderstorms because they can the potential – and often do – spawn sudden tornadoes, as well as hail, high winds and possible flash-flooding from heavy rains, he said. And lightning and flash-floods from severe thunderstorms kill more people than tornadoes, he said. If a family doesn’t have a basement as refuge, they should designate a room with heavy furniture in the interior of the house, or be prepared to shelter with neighbors who have basements, he said.
Monday, March 12, 2 p.m.
