Homeowners across Acadiana are doing what they can to prepare for the severe weather.

As Heath, KLFY’s chief meteorologist mentioned we’re expecting some pretty heavy rain and strong winds tonight, which could cause concern for things like trees with broken branches. However, Heath says there’s also some other issues that could arise from outdoor furniture and trash cans.

With most of Acadiana under a tornado watch Tuesday evening, residents in Lafayette say they are getting a head start of preparations, “I tried to tie things down because it’s really gusting, and it’s going to bloom. If your furniture and if you have the light furniture yard furniture it’s going to blow around,” Shelton Broussard told KLFY.

Broussard says a recent bout of bad weather taught him a lesson when it comes to securing lawn furniture and decorations, “It’s not going to be where they left it that morning, I mean that night. When they get up that morning it’s going to be either in the neighbor’s yard like with me, or it’ll be on the other side of the yard,”

Lighter items should definitely be taken inside to avoid safety risks. Things like patio furniture and decorations are especially at risk of being airborne. “Going to someone’s window, or someone that’s walking. Yeah, I tied the furniture down, way down or something,” added Broussard.

Lafayette resident Braydon Grinell says he’s spent most of his evening trying to escape the wind and rain that have already started, “I’ve pulled over in my truck to remove some branches out of the road and I didn’t get caught in the rain walking home from campus and messed up a bunch of my school notes,” Grinell says he’s also started to bring in any items from the yard that could cause problems in stormy weather, “If a trash can gets blown into the road you need to pick it up so it doesn’t impede traffic.”