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Tornadoes
are one of nature’s most violent storms and can cause death, injury, and
destruction within seconds. Having advanced notice that a tornado is
approaching your area can give you the critical time needed to move to a safe
place for protection. Before severe weather strikes, pay attention to weather
reports and be sure to sign up
for text alerts and download smart phone apps
that provide weather warnings.
While
you may not always receive an official tornado alert in your area, there are
warning signs that can indicate a tornado is near. Page four of the How to
Prepare for a Tornado guide from America’s PrepareAthon!
highlights these signs, including:
- A change in the color of the sky;
- An approaching cloud of debris;
- A strange quiet occurring within or shortly after a thunderstorm; or
- A loud roar that sounds similar to a freight train.
If
you experience these signs, take action immediately and go to the safest place
for protection such as a FEMA safe
room or International
Code Council 500 storm shelter. If you do not have access to one of
these structures, move to a small, interior, windowless room such as a closet
or bathroom, on the lowest level of your building and cover your head and neck
with your arms.
Now
that summer is here you may be looking to fire up the grill at your next family
gathering. While grilling is a popular
way to cook food, it comes with an increased risk of home fires and injuries.
According to the National Fire Protection
Association
(NFPA), an average of 8,000 home fires are caused by grilling, and close to
half of all injuries involving grills are due to thermal burns.
July
is the peak month for grill fires. Learn how to grill safely before you throw
one on the barbie with these NFPA tips:
- Only use propane and charcoal grills outdoors;
- Keep young children and pets away from the grill area;
- Never leave a lit grill unattended;
- Maintain a clean grill by removing grease or fat buildup from the grills and in trays below the grill; and
-
Keep the grill away from your home, deck railings and out from under eaves and overhanging branches.
Protect
your family and home this summer! Get more facts about grilling safety with
this public service announcement from
the U.S. Fire Administration.
The Federal
Emergency Management Agency’s Individual and Community Preparedness Division is
pleased to invite you to a webinar that focuses on practices that will help provide
a positive and accessible experience for CERT participants with disabilities
and others with access and functional needs.
Title: Including People with Disabilities and Others
with Access and Functional Needs in CERT Training
Date: Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Time:
3:00 - 4:30 p.m. (ET)
Guest
speakers:
- Gay Jones, FEMA Office of Disability Integration and Coordination (ODIC)
- Kathryn Gerk, Emergency Services Manager, Richmond, CA Fire Department
- Jennifer Fales, Emergency Management Coordinator, Kansas City, MO Office of Emergency Management
How to
Join the Webinar:
The number of communities taking an active
role in preparing for potential hazards and disasters is growing significantly
thanks to everyone who participated in America’s PrepareAthon! This spring,
registrants signed up more than 7.6 million people to participate. The
following are just a few communities that came together to make a significant
impact in preparedness:
As
part of a statewide drill conducted during the National Weather Service’s
Severe Weather Week, the Spartanburg County, South Carolina Office of Emergency
Management held a countywide tornado drill on March 11, 2015. An estimated
60,000 students participated, as well as multiple businesses.
On April 30, 2015, Brookfield Office
Properties partnered with the Apartment and Office Building Association to
conduct a virtual exercise for residents and property managers in Maryland,
Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Houston, Texas. More than 29,500 people
participated in the exercise focused on apartment and office building
capabilities related to tenant safety and security following a widespread mass
power outage affecting public transportation and other critical infrastructure.
Coinciding with Latino Children’s
Day and National PrepareAthon! Day on April 30, 2015, Los Angeles County, California
planned a series of exercises aimed to prepare its Spanish-speaking community
for disasters, including earthquake and wildfire workshops during which
participants developed family communication plans, built emergency kits, and
learned how to secure home interiors.
In May 2015, the City of Orlando, Florida kicked
off its multi-month PrepareAthon! with a Lightning Preparedness Campaign, and
city officials led drills at recreational facilities, theme parks and public
pools. Throughout June 2015, the City of Orlando has also been promoting
hurricane preparedness to its residents.
Take your disaster preparedness to the next level! America’s
PrepareAthon! has valuable resources to prepare for hurricanes, floods,
earthquakes, wildfires, tornadoes, and winter storms
at ready.gov/prepare.
Stay tuned for more updates as we gear up for National Preparedness Month in
September 2015 and the next National PrepareAthon! Day on September 30. Be
smart. Take part. Prepare.
Disclaimer: The reader recognizes that the
federal government provides links and informational data on various disaster
preparedness resources and events and does not endorse any non-federal events,
entities, organizations, services or products. Please let us know about other events
and services for individual and community preparedness that could be included
in future newsletters by contacting citizencorps@fema.dhs.gov.
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