KANSAS CITY, Mo. — As we prepare for severe weather Tuesday night, emergency leaders across the Kansas City metro want to make sure you are weather aware and ready for what you may see in your area.

Having a plan is vital. Especially with severe weather storms like late Tuesday night’s when many will either be going to bed or already asleep.

“We have our radar pulled up so we can keep track of what’s going on in real time,” Clair Canaan the assistant director of community preparedness for the Johnson County Emergency Management said.

Canaan and her team here at the Johnson County Emergency Management offices focus on keeping their county safe before, during and after severe weather events happen.

“This is an area where department heads and responders can come to and have an area where they can coordinate and collaborate,” Canaan said.

But not only here they work with officials across the metro monitoring tornadoes and sending vital alerts when danger arises.

“Be prepared if you haven’t made a plan yet now is the time to do that. You can ensure you have the emergency weather alerts turned on, on your cell phone, it’s just under the notifications in your settings. Also the use apps like Facebook, twitter, those social media sites,” she said.

Having a safety kit with flashlights, working batteries, phone charges, food and water is key because you never know how long you’ll have to ride out a storm.

“Being prepared, having that plan, sharing that plan, knowing what that plan is – building emergency kits – making sure you have that put into your safe space, your shelter location,” Canaan said.