Severe Weather Preparedness

severe-weather-preparedness

Severe weather could happen at any time, anywhere.

In a weather emergency, being prepared to act quickly could be a matter of survival. This is especially true during the threat of severe weather.

The deadliest and most destructive tornado of 2013, an EF-5 on May 20 in Moore, Oklahoma with wind speeds of 210 mph killed 24 people, injured 377, and caused more than $2 billion in property damage. Even though severe weather was anticipated days in advance, many in the impacted areas did not have a plan and were caught unprepared.


 
Spring tends to produce more tornadoes. They’re also not uncommon in fall. During November 2013, a late season tornado outbreak that struck seven Midwestern states became the most active tornado day of 2013 with a total of 74 tornadoes.
 

Here’s what you can do to prepare for severe weather:

 

KNOW YOUR RISKS

Hurricanes, tornadoes, storms – every state in the United States experiences severe weather.

 

Map of severe thunderstorm watches per year

map-of-average-number-severe-thunderstorm-watches-per-year
Full size

 

Map of tornado watches per year

map-of-average-number-tornado-watches-per-year
Full size

 

TAKE ACTION

Make a plan, build a kit, and have the gear for emergency alerts…

 

Make A Plan

Your family may not be together when a disaster strikes so it is important to plan in advance: how you will get to a safe place; how you will contact one another; how you will get back together; and what you will do in different situations.

FamilyCommunication Tips

Identify a contact such as a friend or relative who lives out-of-state for household members to notify they are safe. It may be easier to make a long-distance phone call than to call across town, so an out-of-town contact may be in a better position to communicate among separated family members.

Be sure every member of your family knows the phone number and has a cell phone, coins or a prepaid phone card to call the emergency contact. If you have a cell phone, program that person(s) as “ICE” (In Case of Emergency) in your phone. If you are in an accident, emergency personnel will often check your ICE listings in order to get a hold of someone you know. Make sure to tell your family and friends that you’ve listed them as emergency contacts.

Text messages (also known as SMS or Short Message Service) can often get around network disruptions when a phone call might not be able to get through.

Build A Kit

A disaster supplies kit is simply a collection of basic items your household may need in the event of an emergency.

Try to assemble your kit well in advance of an emergency. You may have to evacuate at a moment’s notice and take essentials with you. You will probably not have time to search for the supplies you need or shop for them.

You may need to survive on your own after an emergency. This means having your own food, water and other supplies in sufficient quantity to last for at least 72 hours. Local officials and relief workers will be on the scene after a disaster but they cannot reach everyone immediately. You could get help in hours or it might take days.

Additionally, basic services such as electricity, gas, water, sewage treatment and telephones may be cut off for days or even a week, or longer. Your supplies kit should contain items to help you manage during these outages.

Emergency Alerts

Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) are emergency messages which can be pushed to newer cell phones for things like severe weather, etc. There are other various free apps which are readily available for smart phones.

Weather radios for the home or portable weather radios for on-the-go should be an essential ‘must-have’ prep for severe weather preparedness. Most all of them today have technology to automatically alert you of approaching severe weather based on your selection of transmitting stations.

NOAA Weather Radio Basics

 

BE AN EXAMPLE

Once you have taken action to prepare for severe weather, share your story with family and friends to inspire them to take action.

 

 
National Severe Weather Preparedness Week (MAR 2-8, 2014)
nws.noaa.gov
ready.gov

4 Comments

  1. We are having such crazy weather right now, I dread Tornado season. Saturday it was 80 degrees and Sunday it was sleeting and freezing the roads!!! Good grief. Guess ya got to be prepared for anything no matter where you live.

  2. If you live in a place where freezing occurs a bottle or two of Heet might be a good idea. It encapsulates water in the gas tank to prevent fuel line, etc issues.

  3. Violent weather in the Ohio Valley isn’t new, but it is getting unpredictable. When the weather men scratch their heads, or change the forecast 3-4 times a day, you know something is wrong. We are always borderline, the line could be south of the river, or maybe north of the river? Is always a mix, more one way or another. We try to be prepared for anything. We have a cellar, so instructions for the family are to use it. Don’t wait for me to say when? If I’m not home, go anyway, don’t wait for me to call. Its too easy not to take precautions. Being careless can add multitude of problems. Stay safe!

  4. Our weather has been crazier than normal this year. People are not accustomed to driving on ice. There are so many accidents every time a storm moves through. They have asked everyone to conserve power because so many people are sucking energy for heat. One day heat, next day a/c.

    Most of us do not have a cellar. The soil shrinks and swells so much. You MUST water your foundation and lawns to keep it from cracking. Imagine having a cellar. It would crack and bulge under all that pressure. Then water would probably flood it.

    So under a tornado threat it is always go to the safest room in your house. I always tend to want to run. The kids and hubby like to watch, I am in the car ready to go. haha With a football helmet on.

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