JACKSON, Miss. – Flowers, light showers and singing birds are the gifts of springtime, but the warmer weather season also brings something less desirable: thunderstorms, flooding and tornadoes.

As winter nears an end and spring readies its debut, Entergy Mississippi encourages customers to prepare now for the extreme, unpredictable weather the new season will likely bring.

Prepare yourself and your family

• Make a plan. Your family should always know what to do and where to go if disaster strikes. Be sure to discuss important phone numbers, designated out-of-town contacts and the possibilities of staying home or evacuating. Additionally, you should be aware of the emergency plans at work, and if applicable, your children’s school or elderly family members’ residences if they do not live with you. If your household depends on life-support or other medical equipment, it’s important to be prepared for unplanned, extended outages. You can discuss the need for such a plan with your physician.
• Create a kit. When severe weather hits, there is a chance that you and your family may have to survive on your own. Experts agree it’s a good idea to have items such as non-perishable food, plenty of water, flashlights, a first aid kit with extra batteries and a portable phone charger on hand and easy to access in case of storms.
• Keep up with weather updates. Install a smart phone app that will alert you when severe weather is in the area or sign up for emergency alerts on your smartphone. A weather radio with a loud alarm can also help wake you when severe weather threatens overnight.