March 14-March 18 Severe Weather Awareness Week
Monday is preparedness day. Make a plan, and keep all members of the family informed of the plan. Establish for someone to be responsible and in charge. Next, practice the plan in case of severe weather. A severe thunderstorm is a storm that has hail of 1″ in diameter or larger, 60 mph winds or greater, or a tornado.
Tuesday is a Tornado Safety Day and there will be be a state wide tornado drill at 1:30PM. Do not be alarmed if you hear sirens at this time. It is a drill. This would be a great time to practice where you and your family, school, or work, would go in case of a tornado. Away from windows, and on the lowest floor, preferably in a basement is the best place to be during a severe storm. A closet, or bathroom on the lowest level is the next best place.
Wednesday is Flash Flood Safety Day.Many people do not realize the power of flowing water. Trees, buildings, automobiles, and people are easily swept away by flood waters. It only takes six inches of swiftly flowing can knock a person over and two feet of water will make most vehicles float. Last year, twenty people died due to flooding in Missouri. Every death involved a vehicle. Many of these deaths occurred at LOW WATER CROSSINGS. Low water crossings are roads that are built through small creeks and streams. As the name implies, during low water, you can usually drive through. However, when the water rises, especially when it rises quickly during flash flooding, low water crossings become DEATH TRAPS.
Thursday is Severe Thunderstorm Day.Avoid traveling in a severe thunderstorm – delay your travel plans until the storms pass or get off the road and seek shelter in a building. When a severe thunderstorm threatens, follow the same safety rules you do if a tornado threatens. Go to a basement if available. If not, go to the lowest level of the building and move to a small interior room or hallway. Stay away from doors and windows. If time permits move your vehicle into a garage or carport to help prevent damage.
Friday is Communication NOAA Weather Radio Day.There are many ways to receive National Weather Service (NWS) warnings. Download the ABC17 Weather App to receive alerts sent to your phone when alerts are sent out. Getting a NOAA weather radio is a great way to get the latest updates and alerts from the National Weather Service. Be sure to have a weather radio plugged into a wall with batteries, in case of a power outage.A NOAA Weather Radio is one of the few devices available that can warn you of impending severe weather 24-hours a day. During severe weather, NWS warnings will interrupt the routine weather broadcasts with the warning. If your radio is set to alert mode, it will turn on automatically, set off an alarm, and broadcast the message.
