First responders urge people to have severe weather plan for holiday weekend

Bill Stackhouse and his family have been camping out at Finger Lakes State Park in northern Boone County every Memorial Day and Labor Day weekend for the past three years.

“It’s become a family tradition,” he said while setting up his RV at the campsite Friday.

The Stackhouse family drove from Platte City for their weekend camping trip and reserved their spots months in advance. He said the possibility of severe weather wasn’t going to turn them away.

“We’re hoping it doesn’t move any further north,” he said after checking the radar. “And of course, we should probably question the campground host for a tornado shelter just incase.”

With severe weather in the forecast for much of mid-Missouri this Memorial Day weekend, first responders are asking everyone, not just campers, to have a plan in place.

“Don’t take any chances,” said Assistant Chief Gale Blomenkamp with the Boone County Fire Protection District. “Go ahead and get yourselves to a safe place, enjoy festivities inside with family, wait for a better day.”

Stackhouse said if it rains Saturday they plan on spending the day in Columbia indoors.