Severe Weather Awareness Week and Upcoming Trainings

Douglas County Emergency Management has partnered with the Topeka National Weather Service and the Kansas Division of Emergency Management to request your participation in “Kansas Severe Weather Awareness Week” activities March 3-7, 2014.  The annual statewide tornado drill will take place at 1:30PM, Tuesday, March 4^th.

Citizens of Douglas County live each day with the risk of severe weather. “Kansas Severe Weather Awareness Week” is the perfect time to create and practice your severe weather plan at home, school, work, or any other place you or your family frequents.  All Douglas County citizens should be aware of the appropriate steps to take in order to ensure safety should severe weather strike at your location.

Our office recommends that each household and business have more than one way to receive alerts, so you can stay ahead of the severe weather threat by receiving severe weather watches, warnings, and other vital information directly from the National Weather Service.  Douglas County offers a free call notification system, IRIS, in which you can customize which weather alerts you would like to receive and on which devices. Visit http://bit.ly/IRIS_Info for details and to sign up. Another option is to purchase an All Hazard NOAA Weather Radio and have it programmed for Douglas County and/or surrounding counties, Check the battery in your weather radio regularly to be sure you’ll be able to receive important information even when the power is out. 

Each day of Severe Weather Week, Douglas County Emergency Management will be focusing on different severe weather safety and preparedness topics.

• Monday:  Watches and Warnings
• Tuesday: All-Hazard NOAA Weather Radios and Outdoor Warning Sirens
• Wednesday: Thunderstorms and Lightning
• Thursday: Floods/Flash Floods
• Friday: Preparedness

Emergency Management is also sponsoring a Severe Weather Challenge. Each day of Severe Weather Awareness Week, EM will post a challenge on our social media sites. Individuals who successfully complete all five challenges will be entered into a drawing to win the opportunity to activate the Outdoor Warning Sirens on a scheduled test day.

Upcoming Trainings:

Weather 101 is scheduled for Tuesday, March 25^th at South Middle School. The presentation will include information about severe thunderstorm development, identification of important features, and safety and preparedness tips. All Hazard Radios will be sold with on-site programming available.

The 14^th Annual Douglas County Severe Weather Symposium will be on Saturday, April 12, 2014, from 7:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. at KU Memorial Union (1301 Jayhawk Blvd.) in Lawrence, Kansas.

This day is designed to train and expand your knowledge in advanced storm development, spotter safety, and the importance of spotter reports. The presentations will include incredible storm videos, experts in the field from the National Weather Service and the private sector, and will conclude with Panel discussion with the presenters and local television meteorologists. The Symposium is for Storm Spotters, but is open to the public.

The fee for the Symposium is $15.00 which includes a light breakfast and meal ticket.   Online registration, speaker biographies, parking and lunch options, and more can be found online at http://bit.ly/DCEMSymposium or join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/DCEMSevereWeatherSymposium.

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 at: http://www.douglas-county.com/depts/em/em_home.aspx.  You can also follow us on Facebook (facebook.com/dgcoem) and Twitter (dgcoem). Please contact us directly at 785-832-5259 if you have any questions regarding preparedness activities for your home, office or other organization.