FORT EUSTIS, Va. –
In 2012, the United States suffered more than 450 weather-related fatalities and nearly 2,600 injuries. Images of "Superstorm Sandy" and the recent blizzard in the northeast U.S., which killed nearly 20 people, are still fresh in the minds of Americans affected by Mother Nature's wrath.
We cannot prevent severe weather, but we can prepare for the worst and know what to do when the going gets rough.
March 3-9, 2013 is National Severe Weather Preparedness Week, hosted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration (NOAA) to emphasize the need for individuals, families, businesses and nonprofits to prepare emergency plans in the event of severe weather.
Many Americans associate the threat of tornadoes solely with the flat expanse of the Great Plains or the Midwest U.S. However, every state in the union has experienced tornadoes historically, with 46 states reporting a confirmed tornado in 2012 - everyone is exposed to some degree of risk.
Nationwide, there were 936 tornadoes reported in 2012, with 206 in April alone. Property and crop damage from tornadoes in 2012 was estimated at $1.6 billion.
Even more of an immediate threat in the Hampton Roads area, hurricanes carry the potential to cause billions of dollars in damage, as well as life-threatening flood and wind damage, including flying debris.
Between 1970 and 1999, more people lost their lives from freshwater inland flooding associated with tropical cyclones than from any other weather hazard related to such storms.
In the event of a hurricane, tornado or severe winter weather event, planning and preparation is the best way to ensure your and your family's safety. Ensure that you and your family members know about your surroundings and risk for specific weather. Stay informed by having multiple sources for weather alerts.
Mark Junghans, the 733rd Mission Support Division emergency management chief, recommends the following steps in preparing for weather's worst:
- Have an emergency plan in place, and know what to do before severe weather strikes. Exercise the plan with your family and post it in your home where visitors can see it. When tailoring your plans, consider working with others to create networks of neighbors, relatives, friends and co-workers who will assist each other in an emergency.
- Discuss your needs and responsibilities and how people in the network can assist each other with communication, care of children, pets, specific needs like the operation of durable medical equipment or how to inform someone with a hearing loss about impending severe weather.
- Identify an appropriate shelter in your home, neighborhood and community ahead of time. Share this with your neighbors. Learn how to strengthen your home and business against severe weather. Pass this information on at a community gathering, local service organizations or faith-based meeting.
- Find out from local government emergency management how you will be notified for each kind of disaster and sign up for additional alerts through social media and local news. Understand these local warning systems and signals and share your knowledge with your coworkers, friends. Email these resources to your friends or post them to your social media account.
- Build an emergency kit. This kit should contain first aid and survival items, such as water for each person, food, a battery-powered or hand-crank radio, a NOAA Weather Radio with extra batteries, flashlights, first aid supplies, and more. For a list of supplies to build a comprehensive kit, visit www.ready.gov/basic-supplies-kit.
Junghans said the most important thing to do is to be engaged and develop a preparedness process.
For more information on disaster preparedness, check out these resources:
- Be Ready Air Force: http://www.beready.af.mil
- Ready Army: http://www.acsim.army.mil/readyarmy/ra_kids.htm
- U.S. Army Public Health Command's Emergency Preparedness & Response Website: http://phc.amedd.army.mil/topics/emergencyresponse/Pages/default.aspx
- NOAA/National Weather Service Severe Weather Awareness Website:
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/severeweather/index.shtml
- NOAA Weather-Ready Nation Website:
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/com/weatherreadynation
- Virginia Tornado History: http://www.vaemergency.gov/news/history/tornado
- Ready Virginia: http://www.vaemergency.gov/ReadyVirginia and the Ready Virginia App.
The Ready Virginia mobile app, created by the Virginia Department of Emergency Management is an interactive tool that makes it easier than ever to be prepared for emergencies. The free app for iPhone and Android devices provides emergency planning and guidance and other robust features not previously available in any mobile application. Get it by visiting: http://www.vaemergency.gov/News/readyvirginia/mobileapp
- Ready Hampton Roads: http://readyhamptonroads.org/Resources/Home.aspx
- FEMA's Ready.gov Website: http://www.ready.gov/severe-weather