It's hard to watch this video, taken by a local CBS affiliate news crew in the wake of the tornado that struck Oklahoma City in 2013, killing 24 people, and not think what you would do about your pet in similar circumstances.
http://youtu.be/BUc1ZgXiQGs
According to the National Weather Service, our region's tornado season typically runs from April until June. But the NWS warns that tornadoes can strike the area year-round, and do so with little or no warning. It's tough enough to get ourselves prepared for severe weather, or any other natural disaster for that matter, so what can we do to get our dogs and cats ready?
The American Humane Association has information you can use, as does the Humane Society of the United States here, here, and here. There's also a list of 15 tips at dvm360.com. And you can support the work of humane societies like Calloway County's in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Illinois as well as animal shelters near you:
McCracken County Humane Society
Mayfield-Graves County Animal Shelter
Project Hope Humane Society, Metropolis, Illinois
Ken-Tenn Humane Society, Union City, Tennessee
Henry County Humane Society, Paris, Tennessee
This is by no means an exhaustive list of the shelters, humane societies, and rescue organizations in our region, but if you're looking for information, it's a start!
