Webster City firefighters Todd Madsen, left, and Don Zehner monitor a grass fire that got out of control at a property on Blueberry Hill Wednesday afternoon. The firefighters were able to keep the fire from spreading beyond a ditch and hill side.

Ready for spring?

This week is Iowa Severe Weather Preparedness week, and Tim Zahn, Hamilton County Emergency Management Coordinator, is encouraging everyone to have a plan.

Today there is a statewide tornado drill scheduled for at 10 a.m. It’s a good time to review with your family the basics for surviving spring’s most unwelcome weather.

Thunderstorms, flooding, high winds, lightning strikes, fires and tornados all make it important for families to create critical life-saving plans.

Does your family have an emergency plan for any of these types of emergencies? Have you practiced it with your family?

If you don’t have a plan, the website Ready Iowa can help with steps to make a plan, create an emergency kit, and help locate the sources to keep you informed. This information is easily accessible at https://ready.iowa.gov/.

“As far as practicing, I think it’s good for everybody to practice their procedures,” Zahn said. “So in a real event, it’s easy to remember. It’s kind of like muscle memory. But practice at the places you frequent most. So whether it’s home or at school, or your business, it’s always good to practice those procedures to remember: what do I need to do when a tornado hits?”

He added, “I would say to prepare you should sign up for emergency alerts with Alert Iowa.” The Hamilton County Alert can be done by going to its website at https://www.hamiltoncounty.iowa.gov/departments/emergency_management/alert_iowa.php.

And look for alerts in Iowa. While there are many storms which cause damage, the worst in Iowa are during tornado season.

“Emergency alerts are huge. The more warning you have, the more time you have to get to safety,” Zahn said. “Go to the lowest part of your house or building away from windows and into an interior room if you can and just huddle down and wait.”

Zahn continued, “If you are in your vehicle, do not go underneath an underpass. That is not the safest place. If you can, outrun it. I’m not saying speed, but you have to get away from that tornado. If you can’t, get to a low spot, get in a ditch or something like that, but get out of your vehicle.”

Lightning strikes or burning of the ditches or fields in the spring can also create an unexpected emergency. The Webster City Fire Department encourages residents who are trying to do a controlled burn to first notify the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Dispatch office both before and after a controlled burn. This is a non-emergency line, at 515-832-8636.