It Comes With Very Little Notice:
Randolph County Local Emergency Planning Committee Encourages Preparedness for Tornadoes, Severe Storms
An unusual winter, even for North Carolina, saw more precipitation than usual, warmer temperatures at Christmas, and colder weather not arriving until mid-January. It really makes you wonder what spring has in store for us. It is often a time of unpredictable weather – storms, lightning, tornadoes – all of which can strike with very little or no notice.
March 6 – 12 is Severe Weather Preparedness Week. A reminder for residents of Randolph County to not only have safety plans for home, work and school but to also practice them and prepare an emergency supplies kit.
Randolph County puts safety first when it creates its emergency plans, so residents and emergency personnel can respond quickly when tornadoes or severe storms threaten.
Government agencies, businesses and schools will participate in the annual statewide tornado drill Wednesday, March 9, at 9:30 a.m. All local agencies and county schools are encouraged to practice safety techniques that remind people and students to know where to go and what to do when severe weather strikes.
This drill is for everyone! All residents regardless of where you are should take this opportunity to practice what to do in the event that a tornado touches down where you are. Tornadoes do not occur on your schedule; they can touch down in the morning, while you are at work or your children are at school, or in the middle of the night while you are sleeping.
It is critical to know what to do at work, school and home. Use the tips below to be ready at home for severe weather.
- Discuss family emergency plans and where to go if tornadoes or severe thunderstorms threaten. (A basement is the best option. Or, go to the lowest floor of the house to an interior room with no windows, such as a hallway, pantry or closet.)
- Put together an emergency supply kit and keep it in a location that is easy to access during an emergency.
- Have tornado drills at home. While peak tornado season is in the spring, North Carolina has had tornadoes as early as January and as late as November.
- Keep NOAA weather radios turned on when there are threats of severe weather in your area.
More information on tornadoes and overall emergency preparedness can be found at www.ReadyNC.org. Randolph County emergency officials also urge residents to get the free ReadyNC mobile app, which provides real-time weather and traffic conditions for all parts of North Carolina.
Take time now to get ready. Those residents who have plans and supplies in place fare far better during any emergency than those who do not.
