Last Updated on February 12, 2022 6:41 pm
March 5-11, 2017 is Severe Weather Preparedness Week in North Carolina. This week the National Weather Service and the North Carolina Department of Public Safety are teaming up to bring this severe weather safety campaign to all of North Carolina’s residents. With warmer weather quickly approaching, now is the time to prepare for the severe weather season. If each North Carolina resident would take a few moments this week to learn about severe weather safety and implement a safety plan, then we would all be better off when severe thunderstorms and tornadoes inevitably strike our state and the likelihood of injury and fatalities caused by severe weather could be minimized.
Schools and government buildings statewide will hold tornado drills Wednesday, March 8, at 9:30 a.m. to practice their emergency plans. Test messages will be broadcast on National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weather radios and the Emergency Alert System. All North Carolinians are encouraged to participate in the drill.
The keys to severe weather safety
| Know Your Risk
The first step to becoming weather-ready is to understand the type of hazardous weather that can affect where you live and work, and how the weather could impact you and your family. Check the weather forecasts regularly and visit readync.org to learn more about becoming prepared. |
Pledge to Prepare and Take Action
Pledge to prepare by visiting readync.org. Take the first step to make sure that you and your family are prepared for severe weather. This includes building an emergency kit, filling out a family safety and communication plan, keeping important papers in a safe place, and having multiple sources for weather alerts. |
Be an Example
Once you have taken action to prepare, get involved, and share your story with your family and friends. Studies show that many people use social media in the event of a disaster to let relatives and friends know that they are safe. This is an important trend because people are most likely to take preparedness steps if they observe the preparations taken by others. |
This year's North Carolina Severe Weather Preparedness Week will combine multiple awareness weeks while focusing on tornadoes, large hail, lightning, flash flooding, and damaging straight-line winds. Click on each image to learn more about staying safe during that type of weather hazard.
