INDIANAPOLIS–No matter where you live, you should be prepared in case a tornado hits, said Tom Sellas, the Homeland Security Commander for the City of Indianapolis. He said when tornadoes hit, like the two in Nashville, you should be prepared for power outages and to be able to take care of yourself.

“Preparation plays a big role because when it’s as devastating as it is in Nashville, it’s gonna be difficult for resources to get to you,” said Sellas. “Your power’s gonna be out. You might not be able to get to the supermarket. The supermarket might be damaged. Things like that you need to be prepared for.”

Sellas said you should have three days of food and water and a supply of batteries for your radio, weather radio and phone.

Sellas said each city and town has its own preparedness procedures. In Indianapolis, Homeland Security tests warning systems regularly, not just sirens, but other ways to get warnings out, like smartphones.

“We do rely on the National Weather Service to get that initial notification,” he said.

Sellas said when bad weather is approaching, you should be paying attention to your phone or radio and TV to get warnings. He said sirens are also a way to get warnings, but shouldn’t be your only resource.

“Tornado sirens are made for people who are outside to warn them. If you’re in a building it’s always good to have your phone set up to receive alerts or to have some type of weather radio that will alert you if something is happening,” he said.

 

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