{"id":437453,"date":"2026-03-02T00:02:52","date_gmt":"2026-03-02T06:02:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/?p=437453"},"modified":"2026-03-02T15:01:40","modified_gmt":"2026-03-02T21:01:40","slug":"tom-cole-getting-ready-for-another-storm-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2026\/03\/02\/tom-cole-getting-ready-for-another-storm-season\/","title":{"rendered":"Tom Cole: Getting ready for another storm season"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9\">\r\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/m6r7rHkgeCY?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">Rep. Tom Cole (R-Oklahoma): <a href=https:\/\/youtu.be\/m6r7rHkgeCY>Rep. Cole\u2019s Weekly Chat | Week of 2.23.26<\/a>\r\n<\/figcaption>\r\n<div class=\"h3-responsive font-weight-bold\">Staying Prepared<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"date\">Monday, March 2, 2026<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"byline\">By Rep. Tom Cole (R-Oklahoma) <A href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TomColeOK04\"><I aria-hidden=true class=\"fab fa-twitter\"><\/I><\/A><\/div>\r\n<div class=\"source-website\"><A \r\nhref=\"https:\/\/cole.house.gov\/\">cole.house.gov<\/A><\/div>\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nIt is March &#8212; the official start to the Spring season. However, in Oklahoma, springtime means more than just blooming flowers and warmer weather. It also means that storm season is coming.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nAs Oklahomans, we are not na\u00efve to extreme weather and tornadoes. However, that does not mean we shouldn\u2019t prepare and be ready for it when severe weather conditions do come.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nFirst, it is important to be aware. Keep your eyes and ears on the news and make sure to follow all the guidelines given by the National Weather Service. To receive real time alerts from the National Weather Service, safety tips, and help finding safety shelters, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fema.gov\/about\/news-multimedia\/mobile-products\">download the mobile FEMA app here<\/a>.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\n <a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2026\/03\/02\/tom-cole-getting-ready-for-another-storm-season\/tomcolebillanoatubbychrisanoatubby\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-437468\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1588\" data-attachment-id=\"437468\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2026\/03\/02\/tom-cole-getting-ready-for-another-storm-season\/tomcolebillanoatubbychrisanoatubby\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/02\/TomColeBillAnoatubbyChrisAnoatubby.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2048,1588\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Tom Cole, Bill Anoatubby and Chris Anoatubby\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;Tom Cole, Bill Anoatubby and Chris Anoatubby&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;From left: Rep. Tom Cole (R-Oklahoma), Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby and Chickasaw Nation Lt. Governor Chris Anoatubby. Photo: &lt;a href=https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/share\/p\/17sTMtEEJL\/&gt;Congressman Tom Cole&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/02\/TomColeBillAnoatubbyChrisAnoatubby.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/02\/TomColeBillAnoatubbyChrisAnoatubby.jpg\" alt=\"Tom Cole, Bill Anoatubby and Chris Anoatubby\"  class=\"size-full wp-image-437468\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"figure-caption\"> From left: Rep. Tom Cole (R-Oklahoma), Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby and Chickasaw Nation Lt. Governor Chris Anoatubby. Photo: <a href=https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/share\/p\/17sTMtEEJL\/>Congressman Tom Cole<\/a><\/figcaption>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nAdditionally, you should go ahead and prepare a severe weather kit now to have on hand throughout tornado season. Emergency kits should always contain a flashlight, water, a whistle, a first aid kit, and batteries. For more resources and helpful tips on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ready.gov\/kit\">building your emergency kit, click here<\/a>.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nYou should also have a clear and concise plan for your household to follow in the event of severe weather. Your plan should include where to shelter, an evacuation route, how to communicate with your loved ones, and how you will receive emergency weather alerts. For <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ready.gov\/plan\">guidance on creating a plan, click here<\/a>.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nYou should also prepare a plan at your place of employment and child\u2019s schools. You should ask your place of employment to review a plan together with employees. You can also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ready.gov\/kids\">find resources here to help ensure your children<\/a>, their educators, or others responsible for their safety have a plan.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/plugins\/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FTomColeOK04%2Fposts%2Fpfbid028HPLDSNFKn64KQpJAoy2vE4QGKL2v3YwViPWe9v4eeMWRqAu7Bg2j3PpsKcoUxyyl&#038;show_text=true&#038;width=500\" width=\"500\" height=\"581\" style=\"border:none;overflow:hidden\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share\"><\/iframe><p><\/p>\r\nIf a tornado does hit your home and causes a loss of power, it is important for you to know what is safe to use for backup energy and heat sources. Be careful that you are using portable generators and combustion or gas-burning appliances as intended. It is critical for you to know this, as if certain sources are used inappropriately, you can be exposed to toxic carbon monoxide. To find <a href=\"https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/emergencies-iaq\/emergencies-and-indoor-air-quality-iaq#safely\">information from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on this, click here<\/a>.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nFinally, if your home suffers damage from a tornado, make sure to report the damage so the state of Oklahoma can accurately understand how much damage the storm has caused. This is vital for obtaining the appropriate level of federal support.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nAs Oklahomans, we know that we must be ready to face a tornado at just a moment\u2019s notice. The best way to ensure our own safety is to be prepared. Please take all the necessary steps and stay safe.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\n<HR><DIV class=\"row\">\r\n<DIV class=\"col-md-4\"><IMG class=\"img-fluid wow fadeIn\" \r\nsrc=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2019\/05\/30\/tomcole.jpg\" \r\nitemprop=\"image\"><\/IMG><\/DIV>\r\n<DIV class=\"col-md-8\"><EM>Tom Cole, a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation, is serving his eleventh term in the U.S. Congress as the elected representative of Oklahoma&#8217;s 4th Congressional District. He is recognized as an advocate for taxpayers and small business, a proponent for a strong national defense and a leader in promoting biomedical research. He is considered the foremost expert in the U.S. House of Representatives on issues dealing with Native Americans and tribal governments.  He is the Chairman, the top Republican leadership position on the committee, of the powerful House Appropriations Committee, which he has served on since 2009. He also previously served as the Chairman of the House Rules Committee. Cole and his wife, Ellen, have one son, Mason, and reside in Moore, Oklahoma. <\/EM><\/DIV><\/DIV><HR>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In Oklahoma, springtime means more than just blooming flowers and warmer weather. It also means that storm season is coming.","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":437468,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_vp_format_video_url":"","_vp_image_focal_point":[],"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18,11,19,9,14],"tags":[5366,283,3469,284,559,840,48,127,85,297,102],"class_list":["post-437453","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-education","category-environment","category-health","category-opinion","category-politics","tag-119th","tag-climate-change","tag-disasters","tag-energy","tag-epa","tag-fema","tag-house","tag-oklahoma","tag-republicans","tag-tom-cole","tag-youth","no-wpautop"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/02\/TomColeBillAnoatubbyChrisAnoatubby.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pcoJ7g-1PNH","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/437453","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=437453"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/437453\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":437492,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/437453\/revisions\/437492"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/437468"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=437453"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=437453"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=437453"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}