Severe Weather Awareness Week continues this week, and today’s focus is preparedness.

Adair and Guthrie County Emergency Management Deputy Coordinator Jeremy Cooper says that an important part of being prepared is to have a bag of emergency supplies where it’s easily accessible, and then have a plan in place for whatever weather events may happen in the area. He tells Raccoon Valley Radio that your home isn’t the only place to make sure a preparedness plan is in place.

“Same thing at your office though. You want to make sure that you kind of have your items in check, everything gathered in kind of one location, whether you’ve got a go bag at work or not, and know where your work storm location would be as well. So if you don’t know, it’s probably a good plan to talk to your boss or your employer about what that plan is, and maybe talking to them about practicing what that plan is.”

Cooper mentions that some items a person may want in their bag of supplies is water, shelf stable food, and a battery-powered or crank radio. He adds that the radio is a great option to have in case electricity goes out, as a battery-powered or crank radio can work without a wired connection, and allows the individual to still stay up to date on what is going on with the storm.