Today
marks the start of the first ever National Severe Weather Preparedness Week!
The Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) recently partnered to designate April
22-28, 2012, as National Severe Weather Preparedness Week. IAVM and AVSS are joining their efforts in calling upon
all Americans, in every area of the country, to Be a Force of Nature.
IAVM's AVSS
Severe Weather Planning and Preparedness Program is committing to Being a Force
of Nature and pledging to know our risk, take action and be an example for our
families and community by sharing the steps we took. Because we all live in
areas prone to the recent severe weather and tornado outbreaks, we were abruptly reminded that
this weather can strike anywhere, at any time.
Just last year, there
were more than 1,000 weather-related fatalities and more than 8,000 injuries.
Severe weather knows no
boundaries and affects us all. Building a Weather-Ready Nation requires the action of every individual and community, so Be a Force of Nature!
Be a Force of Nature by
making a public pledge to be prepared at ready.gov/severe-weather.
What can you do to
Prepare?
Knowing your risk,
taking action and being an example by sharing your knowledge and actions with
your social network are just a few steps you can take to be better prepared and
assist in saving lives.
Know Your Risk: Every state in the U.S. has
experienced tornadoes and severe weather, everyone is exposed to some degree
of risk.
Pledge and Take
Action: Be
Force of Nature by taking the pledge to prepare at Ready.gov/severe-weather.
When you pledge to prepare, you will take the first step to making sure that
you and your family are prepared for severe weather. This includes filling out
your family communications plan that
you can email it to yourself, putting an emergency kit together, keeping important papers and valuables in a safe
place, and getting involved. Visit www.Ready.gov/severe-weather for
more on family preparedness for severe weather.
Be an Example: Once you have taken action and
pledged, share your story with your family and friends. Create a video and post
on a video sharing site, post your story on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, comment on a blog, or any other social media
site you’re on. Technology today makes it easier than ever to be a good example
and share the steps you took to help us achieve the vision of a Weather-Ready
Nation.
Information on the
different types of severe weather such as tornadoes, severe thunderstorms and
flooding is available at www.weather.gov and www.ready.gov/severeweather or
the Spanish- language web site www.listo.gov.