Whether it’s on social media, the weather person on TV, or a directive from the National Weather Service, the phrase “stay weather aware” is something many in the Midwest are familiar with. Without understanding context, it might seem like a clever “catchphrase” to get people to pay attention, but does it actually work?
At a basic level, weather aware means staying informed and alert to changing conditions that can impact you, your family, your business, and ultimately your community. But more importantly, you need to have a fundamental understanding of what “changing conditions” are. Here are two of the most important during severe weather season:
- Timing and Duration of a Storm
- What type of hazards (tornado, wind, hail, flooding) are going to impact you?
Simple, right? Only if you have the information delivered to you in an easy-to-understand, timely manner can you adapt and determine whether and what to do during a severe weather event! And this is where it gets unnecessarily complicated.
- National Weather Service alerts are usually quite timely, but don’t always give you exact timing.
- Broadcast stations can do well at providing visuals, but are often too broad and won’t talk about your area.
- Free weather apps can provide a base visual on radar… if you have the time to wait for the advertisement to go away…
- But… none of these allow you to chat DIRECTLY with a meteorologist 24/7.
Clarity offers safety, security, and peace of mind all in one application. While having multiple sources can mitigate you “missing” a key piece of information, it just takes too much time when your family or business is on the line. You don’t need it when you have it all in one!