Fishers residents should be ready for several days of unsettled and potentially severe weather, according to the National Weather Service and Hamilton County Emergency Management.

Severe thunderstorms are possible late today into tonight across central Indiana, with damaging wind, heavy rainfall and localized flash flooding listed as the primary threats.

The threat does not end there. The Weather Service says thunderstorms will be possible at times through the week, with the potential for multiple rounds of severe storms through Wednesday night. Damaging winds and heavy rainfall again top the list of concerns.

Two ways to get warned

Hamilton County Emergency Management is using the extended stretch of active weather to remind residents to check how they receive alerts — both outside and inside the home.

Outdoor warning sirens are designed to warn people who are outdoors when severe weather threatens. They are not built to be heard reliably inside a house, especially with windows closed, air conditioning running or a television on.

For indoor alerts, the county recommends an all-hazards weather radio, which sounds an alarm when a warning is issued for your area, even overnight.

Residents are also encouraged to keep more than one way to receive warnings — a weather radio, alerts on a mobile phone and local media coverage — since any single method can fail during a power or network outage.

Before the storms arrive

A few steps worth taking before the first round moves in:

• Charge phones and any backup battery packs.
• Know where you would shelter: a basement, or an interior room on the lowest floor away from windows.
• Bring in or secure patio furniture, trash bins and other loose items that damaging wind could throw.
• Avoid driving through flooded roadways. Water depth is difficult to judge, and the roadbed underneath may be washed out.
• Check on neighbors who may not receive alerts, including older residents and anyone living alone.

Forecasts can change quickly. Residents should keep up with the latest information from the National Weather Service office in Indianapolis and from Hamilton County Emergency Management as the week goes on.