LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – It’s severe weather season and the American Red Cross urges Arkansans to make sure they are prepared before the storms roll through.

American Red Cross Greater Arkansas Executive Director Lori Arnold said it’s important to have a plan in place and supplies ready for severe weather. That starts with having an emergency kit full of non-perishable food, water bottles and portable chargers in case the power goes out.

Next, identify the safest spot in your home. That is on the lowest level, interior and no windows. Make sure your entire family knows where that safe room is.

“If you’ve got a good closet or if you’ve got a bathroom, something like that is going to be the best place for you to go,” Arnold said. “If you have a cellar or a basement that’s even better. Have something even to protect your heads you know. That’s what a lot of people I know will keep their bike helmets in their safe place in case they need to put those on during a tornado.”

Arnold said severe weather happens often in Arkansas and sometimes people don’t take it as seriously as they should. She urges all Arkansans to make sure they have a plan in place for if and when storms hit.

“Because we get so many tornado warnings and watches we can tend to just sort of put it aside and think it’s not going to happen to me but it could,” Arnold said. “It could happen to any one of us. So first of all making sure everyone knows what the plan is so that you’re prepared, so there isn’t a lot of running around trying to figure out what to do.”

She also said a lot of the storms come during the overnight hours while many people are sleeping so make sure to have a way to get alerts that will wake you up.