Georgians Encouraged to Prepare for Potential Disasters During Severe Weather Awareness Week

(ATLANTA) – Severe Weather Awareness Week kicks off today in Georgia, a time when residents are encouraged to set aside a few minutes each day to prepare for unexpected events, practice emergency response procedures for all types of weather and learn more about local threats. With last week’s snowstorm and the recent record-breaking cold temperatures highlighting the effects of severe weather, representatives of Georgia Emergency Management Agency’s Ready Georgia campaign say there is no better time to learn how to protect yourself and your loved ones in the event of a disaster. 

The activities begin today with Family Preparedness Day, when all Georgia households are encouraged to program their NOAA Weather Radios and create a family communications plan. On Wednesday, when tornado safety is emphasized, citizens are encouraged to participate in a statewide tornado drill between 9 and 9:30 a.m.

Severe Weather Awareness Week’s specific observations are:

Monday, Feb. 3 – Family Preparedness/NOAA Weather Radio Day

Tuesday, Feb. 4 – Thunderstorm Safety

Wednesday, Feb. 5 – Tornado Safety (and statewide tornado drill)

Thursday, Feb. 6 – Lightning Safety

Friday, Feb. 7 – Flood Safety (alternate tornado drill date) 

To help Georgians prepare for severe weather, Ready Georgia offers tools that residents can use to create an emergency supply kit, develop a communications plan and stay informed about potential threats. An interactive website provides detailed information on Georgia-specific emergency preparedness and allows users to create a personal profile and receive a customized checklist and family communications plan. Employers can use the Ready Your Business guide to create custom contingency plans, and children can visit the ReadyKids page for age-appropriate information, videos and games. For preparedness on the go, families can also download Ready Georgia’s free mobile app.

For more information on how to prepare for severe weather, visit www.ready.ga.gov or contact your local EMA. 

About Ready Georgia
Ready Georgia is a statewide campaign designed to educate and empower Georgians to prepare for and respond to natural disasters, pandemic outbreaks, potential terrorist attacks and other large-scale emergencies. The campaign is a project of the Georgia Emergency Management Agency/Homeland Security (GEMA) and provides a local dimension to Ready America, a broader national campaign. Ready Georgia aims to prepare citizens for maintaining self-sufficiency for at least 72 hours following an emergency, and uses an interactive website, free mobile app, broadcast and print advertising and public awareness media messaging to reach its audiences. Ready Georgia is also on Facebook and YouTube.