Severe Weather Awareness Week Prepares Residents For Emergencies

LEESBURG, VA — Severe Weather Awareness Week will take place in Leesburg from March 15 to March 19. The week is being promoted by the National Weather Service and the Commonwealth of Virginia to prepare residents for possible extreme weather events.

The event is the first-ever weather preparedness week in Virginia. Each day, participating localities will focus on a different aspect of severe weather to encourage awareness, readiness, and safety.

• Monday, March 15: Watches, Warnings, and Preparedness
• Tuesday, March 16: Tornados
• Wednesday, March 17: Thunderstorms
• Thursday, March 18: Floods
• Friday, March 19: Lightning

Joe Dame is the emergency management coordinator for the town of Leesburg. He noted that residents should follow the town's Facebook page each day to learn more about the selected topics.

"We’ll be providing viewers with new content every day, which will include more information on Alert Loudoun and how to sign up for alerts, including a number of how-to videos, safety tips, and Facebook Lives," Dame said. "Our goal is to help prepare our residents in the event of a weather emergency. We’ll also share what the Town does to prepare and cleanup following a storm."

The National Weather Service helps individual state's plan their awareness weeksthroughout the year. "Living in the most severe weather prone country in the world, your best defense is to be both prepared and informed," the National Weather Service website says. They also encourage residents to pay attention to weather warnings, and have a readiness plan in case of severe weather.

On Tuesday, March 16, the town of Leesburg will conduct their annual tornado drill at 9:45 a.m. Local businesses, schools, and families are encouraged to participate, according to a news release from the town.