Tornado and severe-storm readiness in the south metro

Cass County is in western Missouri, where severe weather is common. In spring and summer, storms here can bring tornadoes, strong damaging winds, and flash floods (fast, sudden flooding). The best way to get ready is to know how you’ll get warnings before a storm hits. Here’s who does what. County emergency management runs the local response and the outdoor warning sirens. The National Weather Service is the agency that issues watches and warnings. Missouri SEMA, the State Emergency Management Agency, offers safety tips for the whole state. If you own or rent your home, learn how your insurance handles wind and hail. The deductible (what you pay before coverage kicks in) and the coverage can be different for these. Set up more than one way to get warnings. Sirens are made for people who are outside, not to wake you up indoors. To find the current Cass County emergency-management page and sign up for local alerts, check official sources.