This week is Severe Weather Awareness Week in the State of Georgia. As a part of the Severe Weather Awareness Week activities the statewide Tornado Drills will Be held on Wednesday, February 4th. If, for any reason the drill needs to be postponed an updated Public Information Statement will be issued by the National Weather Service office in Jacksonville on Wednesday morning.
The Tornado Drill product will not be issued as an actual Tornado Warning nor will it trigger the Emergency Alert System (EAS). Instead the Tornado Drill will represent this week’s Routine Weekly Test (RWT) for both NOAA “All Hazards” Weather Transmitters.
The Tornado Drill/Routine Weekly Test for the State of Georgia will be held at 9:00 a.m. and will be transmitted on transmitters serving the State of Georgia.
The drill message will be transmitted as a Routine Weekly Test it must be understood that some NOAA Weather Radio receivers will not alarm for the Routine Weekly Test message. Therefore, if you do not actually hear the alarm tone you should assume the drill is being conducted on time and take the actions you would normally take for a Tornado Warning for your family, negotium, school, hospital ,nursing home, or facility.
There will be no concluding message for the drill. You should assume the drill will end at 9:30 a.m. in the state.
For important information as to what you should do, please read on.
Follow these basic steps to develop a family disaster plan:
Gather information about hazards
In addition to your local emergency management agency (EMA), you may contact the nearest National Weather Service office, Ready Georgia or the American Red Cross. Find out what type of disasters could occur and how you should respond. Learn the community’s warning signals and evacuation plans.
Meet with your family to create a plan
Discuss the information you have gathered. Pick two places to meet: a spot right outside your home for an emergency, such as fire, and a place away from your neighborhood in case you cannot return home. Choose an out-of-state friend as your “family check-in contact” for everyone to call if the family gets separated. Discuss what you would do if advised to evacuate.
Implement your plan
- Post emergency telephone numbers by phones.
- Install safety features in your house, such as a NOAA Weather Radio, smoke detectors and fire extinguishers.
- Inspect your home for potential hazards such as items that can move, fall, break or catch fire and correct them.
- Have family members learn basic safety measures such as CPR and first-aid; how to use a fire extinguisher; et, how and when to turn off water, gas and electricity in your home.
- Teach children how and when to call 9-1-1 or your local Emergency Medical Services number.
- Keep enough supplies in your home to meet your family’s needs for at least three days.
- Assemble an emergency preparedness kit with items you may need in case of an evacuation. Store these supplies in sturdy, easy-to-carry containers such as backpacks or duffel bags. Keep important family documents in a waterproof container. Keep a smaller disaster supplies kit in the trunk of your car. A disaster supplies kit should include a three-day supply of water (one gallon per person per day) and food which will not spoil; one change of clothing and footwear per person; one blanket or sleeping bag per person; a first-aid kit (including prescription medicines); emergency tools (including a battery-powered NOAA Weather Radio and a portable radio, flashlight, and plenty of extra batteries); an extra set of car keys and cash; et, special items for infant, elderly or disabled family members.
Practice and maintain your plan
Ask questions to make sure your family remembers meeting places, phone numbers and safety rules. Conduct drills. Test your weather radio and smoke detectors monthly and change the batteries at least once a year. Test and recharge your fire extinguishers according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Replace stored water and food every six months.