The Georgia Severe Weather Awareness Week is February 1-5, 2016. Severe Weather Awareness Week is designed to prepare citizens for the upcoming severe weather season. One of the major activities during the week will be the Statewide Tornado Drill, which will be conducted by the Georgia Emergency Management Agency and the National Weather Service on Wednesday February 3, 2016, during the morning hours. Personnel from the Griffin and Spalding County public safety departments, in coordination with the Spalding County Office of Homeland Security, will be at our local schools to assist with school tornado drills on that day. In addition, it is requested that all citizens take a moment to practice and plan for severe weather during this week, especially on the day of the tornado drill. The READY GEORGIA campaign tells us that “during severe weather, emergency workers might need at least 72 hours to open roadways and restore utilities. When Georgians are prepared to survive independently, the potential for tragic outcomes is greatly reduced. During the awareness week, each day will have its own focus:
- Monday February 1: Family Preparedness / NOAA Weather Radio Day
- Tuesday February 2: Thunderstorm Safety
- Wednesday February 3: Tornado Safety and Prepareathon! for Tornado Safety
- Thursday February 4: Lightning Safety
- Friday February 5: Flood Safety
Always, stays informed about severe weather and have an understanding of the following:
- Find out what type of disasters could occur and how you should respond.
- Learn your community’s warning signals and notification system.
- Familiarize yourself with the terms that are used to identify severe weather, such as advisories, watches and warnings.
- Monitor NOAA weather radio, commercial radio, television and the internet to stay informed of severe weather conditions.
READY GEORGIA is a statewide campaign designed to educate Georgians to prepare for and respond to natural disasters and other large scale emergencies. The campaign is a project of the Georgia Emergency Management Agency and aims to prepare citizens for maintaining self-sufficiency for at least 72 hours following an emergency.
For more information on preparing for severe weather, visit the READY GEORGIA link on the Georgia Emergency Management Agency webpage www.gema.ga.gov or contact the Spalding County Office of Homeland Security at 770-228-2129.