Although New England weather is notoriously changeable (Mark Twain once said, “If you don’t like the weather in New England, wait a few minutes.”), here in Connecticut, major blizzards and hurricanes are not usually a yearly occurrence, and tornadoes are downright rare. I’ve lived here all my life and didn’t see a tornado until 1989. When we were growing up, a tornado was something that happened in Kansas. Our only frame of reference for tornadoes was The Wizard of Oz.

All that has changed as extreme weather becomes the norm. These days, every time a thunderstorm is predicted it seems to have the word “severe” attached to it, and we regularly receive tornado warnings via our smartphones. Last Tuesday, those warnings turned into reality as a line of severe thunderstorms spawned four tornadoes, several microbursts and straight-line winds in our state within a few hours.

My husband and I had just left the house to run an errand on that beautiful, hot afternoon. Rain was predicted for later in the evening. We were about 20 minutes from home, however, when we received a tornado watch alert. Given the timeframe, we figured we’d be back home before severe weather hit. By the time we got home, the watch had been upgraded to a warning, and the sky was so dark (at 4 p.m.), we had to turn on the lights. We watched the sky turn brownish-green and the tall oaks behind our house swing wildly to and fro.

We were lucky — no tornadoes in our town. Statewide, no one in our family was physically harmed and had no drastic damage to property other than a downed tree that miraculously missed house, garage and power lines. Wallingford, the town where we lived for 20 years until our move last year, was hit hard (fortunately, our friends there may have lost power and trees but not their lives), as were Danbury, Southbury and Hamden. Several state parks are closed due to tree damage and unsafe conditions, including Sleeping Giant Park, a favorite hiking spot whose landscape is forever changed by the loss of trees.

As we travel, we often consider the climate of our destination, deciding what to pack based on the season. But we should also be prepared for the possibility of severe weather events. It’s important to check the weather forecast for your destination before your trip, but it’s even more critical to be able to receive real-time alerts while you’re there.

Free smartphone apps can be lifesavers in the event of severe weather, and there are any number of them available for iOS and Android.

U.S. residents can register for real-time severe weather alerts from local governments or weather apps, and visitors can also sign up in advance of their trip. The National Weather Service provides up-to-the-minute forecasts for local and national weather. Follow the website’s “Safety” link to learn what to do in case of specific weather emergencies — everything from air quality to tornadoes to tsunamis. The NOAA mobile app lets you enter a zip code to receive weather forecasts for that area as well as alerts.

The AccuWeather app also pushes alerts to your device if a warning is issued by the National Weather Service. The American Red Cross offers free apps geared toward specific weather events, such as tornadoes and hurricanes, and includes an “I’m Safe” feature that sends a message to friends and family.

Globally, check out your destination’s resources for weather alerts.

The World Meteorological Organization provides official severe weather observations and warnings. Search the Apple Store or Google Play Store for weather alert apps specific to your destination, such as Weather Alerts Europe. AccuWeather also lets you enter any city name for forecasts and current conditions.

Enjoy safe travels this summer — and keep an eye to the sky!

— Jan Hecht, senior editor