Published September 24, 2026 at 5:00 AM CDT

Despite it not feeling like it yet, the summer heat will eventually end. Severe weather can happen at any time — especially as we transition to fall — and there are a few steps you can take to feel prepared.

Chris Noah is the director of disaster management and business continuity at Parkland Health and he offers these pointers for staying prepared for severe weather.

Apps typically source weather information from the National Weather Service and are very reliable when it comes to getting you the most updated information.

Noah says you'll want to find a place that is as close to the center of your home as possible, preferably a small room with no windows.

"Sometimes that might be a closet, might be an interior bathroom, and in those spaces you want to pre-plan," he said.

Noah says thinking ahead about what you may need in advance is a big help.

"For example, it's 3 o'clock in the morning, you get a tornado warning, you go to your shelter space, do you have shoes in that shelter space to wear?" he said. "Do you have extra clothes? Do you a little bit of drinking water? If you have kids, do they know how to get there? Just a little of planning ahead will save you a lot of heartache in the end."

There are lists online, like this one from the Red Cross, that detail items you can add to your emergency kit. The task could seem daunting, but Noah says to take it a little at a time.

"What we recommend is go look at those lists, pick three or four of the topics that you can fix today, such as a flashlight or batteries, and go get that done today," he said. "And then next week, while you're setting up dinner with your family, talk through 'hey, what do we think we might need in case we have a tornado?'"

Ron Corning is a co-host of KERA's NTX Now. Got a tip? Email Ron at rcorning@kera.org.

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