On February 28, 2012, thunderstorms entered the Midwest, but meteorologists expected general storm activities, like rain and of course thunder and lightning.

The storm brought powerful winds and tornadoes to Missouri and Kansas. This weather is not expected for Kansas until the middle of March, but with the mild weather this winter, it took many by surprise.

Harveyville, Kan., south of Topeka, was hit hard, leaving the town of 250 devastated with damage to homes and businesses. As a result, there was one reported fatality, 10 injuries and one person is critically injured. The Kansas Task Force-2, a search and rescue team, was deployed to help with search and rescue of the area.

The year started off mild, and it is expected to have storms worse than this round. Storms are unpredictable, as a gentle storm can become violent quickly.

Make sure that you have a safe place in case of bad weather. This includes a room in the center of your house away from windows. Stairs are the best place for a shelter, because houses are built around the stairs. If a pet is not in the safe place or shelter, do not go after them, it puts you and others at risk of danger.

Be safe and always be prepared for the worse that can happen.