Mercer County EMA Director Chad Wilrath, Cassidy Freeman, EMA Weather Specialist, and Shelby County EMA Director Kristy Fryman joined WCSM’s Spectrum to talk about severe weather preparedness and promote an upcoming public event focused on storm safety.

During the program, officials highlighted Wild Weather Night, scheduled for Sunday, April 13 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Mercer County Fairgrounds in the PBS Building. The event will feature WHIO Channel 7 meteorologist Nick Dunn and will give area residents a chance to learn more about severe weather and how to prepare before storms move in.

Fryman said the event will include practical information families can use at home and on the road.

“You’ll also get more in depth on how to build your emergency family plan,” Fryman said. “We’ll go over taking the steps to protect your family, go over what you should have in your go kit, whether it be in your house or in your car. And then also, as you mentioned, we’ll give away some NOAA weather radios.”

Officials also stressed that outdoor warning sirens should not be treated as a primary alert system, since they are designed to warn people who are outside, not those indoors. They also reminded listeners that severe thunderstorm warnings should be taken seriously, noting that dangerous storms can still produce damaging winds and, in some cases, develop tornadoes.

For more information, Mercer County EMA can be reached at 419-586-6468