Severe Weather Season - Are you Ready?
Here in North Alabama we are in a geographic region known for strong storms, damaging winds, and tornadoes. The months of March, April, and May are typically the most active for severe weather in our area. Advance planning and increased awareness will help Alabama residents survive potentially deadly storms.
Before the onset of severe weather season, take a moment to check your preparedness plans. Make sure your NOAA weather radio has fresh batteries in it. Make sure you have a means of receiving severe weather information. Make sure you know what you should do if threatening weather approaches. Are you signed up for UAH UAlert emergency notifications?
For more information on Alabama's severe weather seasons and other weather hazards inherent to Alabama, and for tips on preparing for these weather events, please review the Alabama All Hazards Awareness publication, produced cooperatively by the National Weather Service and the Alabama Emergency Management Agency.
UAH is pleased to announce that it is a National Weather Service StormReady University and has just been recertified for 2014-2017. UAH is one of only six universities in Alabama to achieve this certification, and one of only 150 universities across the nation to be certified a StormReady University. StormReady communities are better prepared to save lives from the onslaught of severe weather through advanced planning, education, and awareness.
Are You Ready?
Ask yourself these questions to find out if you are ready for the next emergency situation. Remember — it's not a question of if, but when the next crisis will occur. Be prepared.
Links to federal and State readiness sites:
Why is Emergency Preparedness Important?
Emergencies can come without warning at ay time. Being prepared physically and psychologically to handle unexpected accidents or disasters is an individual as well as an organizational responsibility. Your safety is of primary importance.
The safety and security of students, faculty, staff, and visitors is everyone's responsibility. Emergency preparedness activities are important to help provide a solid framework for organizing people and actions to control or respond to the effects of a disaster or crisis situation. FEMA defines preparedness as "those activities, programs, and systems that exist before an emergency and that are used to support and enhance response to an emergency or disaster." Emergency preparedness includes not only emergency action planning (evacuation, sheltering, etc.), but also actions that can be taken beforehand to lessen the impact of (mitigate) or prevent the occurrence of an incident and resume normal operations as quickly as possible following an incident.
This web site contains instructions, examples, forms and templates, training links, and other resources to assist you with developing and maintaining your department's Building Emergency Action Plan and Continuity of Operations plan.
