As you are all aware, we have had our fair share of severe weather this spring. Although I do not plan on making a habit out of this, I feel like I should share the importance of taking serve weather warnings seriously and taking care of your family in the event of a disaster.
In case you do not know my background, I have a “Master’s in Disasters” AKA a Master’s of Science in Emergency Management and Homeland Security…I live this disaster preparation stuff daily as it is my job to make sure all state and local governments as well as Universities and K-12 Schools have plans to continue operations during and after disruptive events. When disasters happen, my agency has the responsibility of restoring statewide communications working with public and private providers.
There are some great resources out there to help keep you and your family safe this storm season, here are 5 of my favorites:
1. NOAA Weather Radio or a subscription to an Emergency Notification Weather System
These radios are available at most Kroger stores or online in many locations and for around $20 you can’t beat it. You can program these radios to tell of impending storms, floods or tornados in your area. They can run on batters and some can run on a hand crank…worth the investment. For more information you can check out http://www.weather.gov/nwr/ .
Caleb and I also subscribe to Weather Call 7 from KATV Channel 7 and it warns of impending disasters tailored to your specific locations down to your street address. This service is less than $10 a year and is a great peace of mind to have.
2. Family Disaster Kit
No matter what the disaster, you should have a kit prepared for your family that includes at a minimum:
1 gallon of water per person per day to drink & 1 extra gallon for cleaning
Non-Perishable Food-We like to keep things that we will eat normally and cycle it out as the expiration approaches…cheese crackers, granola bars, ramen noodles, tuna salad packs, canned chicken, etc.
Waterproof matches or a magnesium fire starter
First Aid Supplies
Medications
Gloves
Pet food and bowls
Blanket
Deodorant
Soap
Toothbrush
Hand sanitizer
Change of clothes and close toed shoes
Steno with holder for heating food or water
Small cooking pot
I keep the items listed above in the trunk of my car in two backpacks (because I’m crazy like that) and a large selection of items at home. I encourage everyone to have a few things prepared in bag that they can grab in a hurry.
3. Family Disaster Plan
This one is important especially if you and your spouse work in separate towns or have family in other areas. A great resource for creating this plan is www.ready.gov which has templates to meet your family’s specific needs. These plans should include things such as where you would meet, who you should call and your utility providers contact information.
4. Resources: Arkansas Severe Weather Watchers
I have to give a shout out to the Arkansas Severe Weather Watchers page on Facebook. I highly recommend that you befriend this volunteer group of individuals that are dedicated to warning citizens of impending severe storms, primarily tornados. Grant Merrill and the gang are involved in different aspects of media within the state in their day jobs, but provide some great life saving information during storms.
5. Want to help? Get some Training!
Have you always wanted to know what to look for in a funnel cloud? You should look into storm spotter classes taught to citizens through the National Weather Service Sky Warn Program…more information can be found at http://www.srh.noaa.gov/lzk/?n=skywarn.htm .
In addition to first aid and CPR, Red Cross provides all types of training geared towards disaster response and recovery. For more information check our there website http://www.arkansasredcross.org .
Community Emergency Response Team Training is offered by most counties within the state and throughout the USA to teach citizens how to respond to small fires, basic search and rescue techniques, first aid and disaster psychology. These courses will help you to become more self-sufficient and in a position to help your neighbors in the event of a disaster. http://www.adem.arkansas.gov/ADEM/Divisions/Admin/CERT/index.aspx
Please be careful out there over the next few days. Be aware of warnings in your area and most of all take your tornado precautions as soon as the warnings are issued!
