With Severe Weather Forecast This Week, Red Cross Reminds Coloradans to Be Prepared

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Media contact: Catie Ballenger, [email protected], (970) 261-6282

DENVER, Colo. (June 23, 2026) — With an active week of potential severe weather ahead across portions of the state, the American Red Cross of Colorado is reminding Coloradans to be prepared ahead of weather that may occur, including hail, damaging winds and tornadoes like those that affected portions of northeastern Colorado on Monday.

One of the most important things you can do to be ready for severe weather is to know where you will shelter and to have a plan. The Red Cross and National Weather Service recommend the following:

Find a safe room built to withstand high winds. This can be a basement, storm cellar, or an interior room with no windows on the lowest level of a sturdy building.
If you live in an apartment and cannot move to a lower floor, shelter in an enclosed hallway in the center of a building.
If you are at work or school, follow your severe weather or tornado plans and proceed to your shelter location quickly and calmly.
Stay away from windows and do not go to large open rooms such as cafeterias, gymnasiums or auditoriums.
Do not shelter from severe weather inside of a shed, storage facility or dugout, or underneath a tree, bleachers or a highway overpass. These locations will not provide adequate protection from lightning, hail, damaging winds or tornadoes.
Mobile, manufactured, trailer homes and recreational vehicles are not safe in high wind events. Plan ahead by finding a sturdy building to shelter in.

Additionally, follow these preparedness tips to be ready for severe weather or any other emergency:

Make sure you are signed up for local emergency alerts and know how to receive updates, whether from local news, a weather radio, or the Red Cross Emergency App.
Know how your community will alert you in case of a tornado. Some may use outdoor sirens, while others may use text messaging. Have multiple ways to receive an alert.
Have an emergency plan for severe weather and practice that plan. Make sure your plan also includes a meeting place and related information in case you are outside your home during an emergency.
Have a backup battery or a way to charge your cell phone, and in case of a power outage, have a battery-powered radio. Plan for extra electrical needs, such as medical equipment.
Have an emergency kit, including food, water, medicine and copies of any personal, financial and medical records (either as a digital backup or a secure hard copy).
Learn emergency skills, such as first aid or CPR. The Red Cross offers training on these topics; visit https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class to register.

More tips on how to be prepared for severe weather can be found on the Red Cross of Colorado website.

About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or follow us on social media.