With tornado season fast approaching, local emergency management officials are utilizing a number of tools to prepare.

One is an incident support team which includes 14 volunteers who will be tasked in part with performing damage assessments in the case of a tornado. Warren County Emergency Management Director Mike Thornton said his agency created the support team in August 2025 and just in the first few months of 2026 the group has participated in a number of training sessions.

“They (the group) have been working very hard, heavily focused on severe weather dynamics as well as doing exercises related to damage assessments, storm spotting and different emergency center operations,” Thornton said.

He said the team will also work in the emergency operations center in the event of a storm, monitoring radar as a situation evolves.

Thornton said the group has already engaged in over 40 hours of training and includes residents from all walks of life. He said the group meets once a month on a Friday for a four to five hour training session.

“They have gone from regular citizens to basically emergency managers,” he said. “If we have severe weather they are ready to perform.”

Thornton said another important tool is the public at large and keeping them informed of any severe weather issues.

“Our severe weather season begins in March and it starts to increase as we go into May and June,” Thornton said, noting that technically severe weather lasts the whole year.

Thornton said that during a severe weather incident, emergency management officials are urging people to have 72 hours of food, a gallon of water per person, hygiene products and other items. He said this is based on a program out of North Carolina called “First 72 On You.”

“If we have a large-scale disaster, it may take 72 hours for first responders to get to you,” Thornton said.

Thornton said those with health issues should also create a medical plan for the 72-hour window. He gave as examples backup power sources for oxygen machines or other devices used in the home.

In addition to tornado risks, Thornton also suggested residents take flash flood warnings and watches very seriously as flash flooding is the leading cause of deaths from severe weather events.

He said in many cases, it is also important to have a weather radio handy in case of emergencies. Thornton said there have been severe weather events where modern communication devices like cell phones receive no signal and so it can be difficult for people to get notifications if they don’t have an alternative means to receive such info.

Thornton said in the case of tornadoes it is important to get to the lowest most interior portion of your home to protect yourself if you cannot make it to a shelter in time. He said upper floors and garages are typically the first failure point in the case of severe storms. He said those living in mobile homes should do what they can to seek a designated shelter prior to any severe weather occurring.