Cherokee County Emergency Management Agency encourages residents to prepare during Severe Weather Preparedness Week starting Feb. 7.
“Now is a great time to participate in Severe Weather Preparedness Week. This way, folks can start planning ahead of time for weather emergencies,” said Cherokee County EMA Director Daniel Westbrook. “This weeklong event helps you and your family learn what steps need to be taken to ensure your safety.”
During Severe Weather Preparedness Week, Cherokee County EMA will be releasing preparedness information across their social media accounts focusing on a different severe weather threat each day and providing information on how to best prepare for them. The schedule and topics include:
Monday, Feb. 7 – Family Preparedness/NOAA Weather Radio Day (including Mass Notification Systems, NOAA Weather Radio and Wireless Emergency Alerts)
Tuesday, Feb. 8 – Thunderstorm Safety (Hail, Damaging Wind Threats and Impacts)
Wednesday, Feb. 9 – Tornado Safety (Weather permitting: The National Weather Service will conduct a NOAA Weather Radio Test Warning Message at 9 a.m. The test is designed to help trigger statewide schools, businesses and other groups to practice their severe weather/tornado safety actions and procedures.)
Thursday, Feb. 10 – Lightning Safety
Friday, Feb. 11 – Flash Flooding and Flood Safety
Residents can expect to receive guidance on creating response plans when warnings are issued, as well as information on building Ready Kits containing necessary supplies after a disaster strikes.
“Residents are also strongly encouraged to have more than one way to receive a watch or warning from the National Weather Service,” said Westbrook. “Outdoor Warning Sirens are meant to alert individuals in an outdoor setting, such as a park, and should not be relied upon as your primary way to receive a tornado warning. Additionally, NOAA Weather Radios, Wireless Emergency Alerts or weather apps on a smart phone, and local television broadcasts are also good ways to receive a watch or warning.”
Cherokee County offers a free mass notification system called CodeRED to all residents that provides phone, text, and/or email alerts for weather watches and warnings. For more information on CodeRED or to register visit www.cherokeega-ema.org and click on the CodeRED icon or text CHEROKEEALERT to 99411.
For information on Severe Weather Preparedness Week follow Cherokee County EMA on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CherokeeEMA and Twitter at www.twitter.com/ema_CherokeeGA. For additional preparedness information, please visit Cherokee County Emergency Management at www.cherokeega-ema.org and FEMA’s preparedness website at www.ready.gov.
