Today is the final day of severe weather awareness week and preparedness is the focus of the day. Larry Smith, Washington and Keokuk County Emergency Management Coordinator, explains people should have emergency kits in their basements or safe places that consists of non-perishable food, bottled water, medications, cash, a radio and batteries. The kits should be enough to sustain each person for up to 72 hours.

Smith states people should also have some emergency supplies in their cars. He adds people should also have food and water for their pets, as well as vaccination records.

For the complete interview with Smith click here.

The KCII staff is on call around the clock, every day of the week for instances of severe weather and consists of trained weather spotters. Also, KCII is connected to area authorities with Emergency Alert System equipment and is in direct contact with the National Weather Service and Weather Eye meteorologists. When the power goes out we stay on air with our back up generators.