Dear Douglas County Citizen... Severe Weather Preparedness Tips

03/09/2009
Dear Douglas County Citizen, Douglas County Emergency Management, Topeka National Weather Service, Kansas Emergency Management Association, and the Kansas Division of Emergency Management have joined to request your participation in "Kansas Severe Weather Awareness Week" March 9 - 13, 2009. The annual statewide tornado drill will take place during the day, Tuesday, March 10th in the early afternoon, with a backup date of Thursday, March 12th. Enclosed in this packet is tornado and severe weather information that can be used by you, your family and your employer for preparedness activities. Feel free to duplicate and distribute this information as necessary. Douglas County residents live with the threat of severe weather year round. The Kansas Severe Weather Awareness Week is a great time to prepare for severe weather. Citizens should take this time to practice their severe weather safety plan at home, work, school or other public locations that they frequent. In addition, everyone should develop a safety plan for times when they are participating in outdoor recreation activities, sporting events, or working outdoors. Each Douglas County citizen should know what to do and where to go should severe weather strike their location. In addition to planning, our office also recommends that you purchase an NOAA All Hazards Radio for your home and office. It's like having your own personal tornado siren in your home or office. We encourage citizens to purchase one of these radios and have it programmed to your county and/or surrounding counties to receive severe weather warnings and information directly from the National Weather Service. Douglas County Emergency Management makes NOAA All Hazard Radios available at cost ($30.00). You may purchase one at the office today! As always, Douglas County Emergency Management looks forward to serving and assisting you in preparing for severe weather. You can download preparedness information directly from our website www.douglas-county.com. Please feel free to contact us at 785-832-5259 if you have any questions regarding preparedness activities for your home, office or other organization. We offer information, resources and speakers for all citizens of Douglas County. Sincerely, Teri Smith, Director

Related Links:
Douglas County Emergency Management Website - http://www.douglas-county.com/depts/em/em_home.aspx
Dear Douglas County Citizen - Severe Weather Preparedness Tips - http://www.douglas-county.com/depts/em/preparedness/docs/pdf/severeweatherawareweek_letter.pdf
Preparedness Tips - http://www.douglas-county.com/depts/em/preparedness/em_preparedness.aspx?category_id=

Media Contact:
Jillian Rodrigue, Assistant Director
Emergency Management Department
785-838-2459
jrodrigue@douglas-county.com