As much as I love spring for the return of greenery and flowers, I hate the storms that come with it.

I was reminded of this last Thursday, when a lot of us heard tornado sirens and were told to take shelter. To say I was terrified might not be an exaggeration.

I had just been thinking about the Oliver family preparedness plan because I’ve realized that it must change. In the past when the sirens have gone off, we’ve always headed to our basement, where I’ve felt a measure of safety when storms roll through.

This year, however, I’m coming to grips with the fact that my husband, Tony, who has early onset Alzheimer’s disease, no longer can manage the steep stairs to the basement. Even last year, it was becoming difficult, but he was able to do it, albeit slowly and carefully. Not anymore.

Most of the time this is a good thing. I’d rather not have him have a tumble.

I faced this issue in the past when I was caring for my mother, who had vascular dementia. However, she was still “with it” enough to know that she could scoot down the stairs on her butt if we really needed her to get to the basement. That, or Tony was able to help her down the stairs safely. After all, she was only about 98 pounds. Sadly, Tony still outweighs me, and his ability to understand what I need him to do is not where it needs to be.

However, during an emergency, not having the basement as an option is going to be problem. Our house is small and there are a lot of windows. In fact, we don’t have an interior room, and we no longer have a bathtub. Our bathroom has a lot of glass, which also isn’t ideal.

What I came up with is to go to the end of the hallway, close the doors to the bedrooms and bathroom and brace ourselves in the sturdiest corner. I grabbed a couple of comforters to put over our heads if necessary. It’s not perfect, but it’s better than nothing.

The National Weather Service (spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/safety.html) also offers these helpful tips:

• At home, practice a family tornado drill at least once a year.
• Store protective coverings (mattress, sleeping bags, heavy blankets, etc.) in or next to your shelter space.
• Avoid windows.
• Get in the basement or under some kind of sturdy protection (heavy table or work bench) or cover yourself with a mattress or sleeping bag.
• Know where very heavy objects (pianos, refrigerators, waterbeds, etc.) rest on the floor above and do not go under them.
• If you do not have a basement, go to the lowest floor and into an interior room. A closet or a bathroom is recommended.
• If you’re in a vehicle, remember that they are easily tossed and destroyed by tornadoes. Take shelter in a sturdy building. If that’s not possible, lie flat in a low spot or ditch as far from the road as possible to avoid flying vehicles. Do not park under a bridge or underpass.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency suggests that families have enough food, water and supplies on hand to go for at least 72 hours.

Several websites provide useful information about how to build a “go kit”:

• FEMA: ready.gov.
• American Red Cross: redcross.org.
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: noaa.gov.

Historically, most of the tornadoes in Illinois occur from March to June. However, we all know they can happen at any time. These days, with an increase in severe weather just about everywhere, the likelihood of something happening here becomes more of a real possibility. Our weather has been so crazy this spring that I suppose we shouldn’t be surprised anymore when violent storms develop.

In our case, the readiness plan has changed. Your plan might need to change, too. That’s why it’s so important to get one in place. Before you need it.

• Joan Oliver is the former Northwest Herald assistant news editor. She has been associated with the Northwest Herald since 1990. She can be reached at jolivercolumn@gmail.com.