Friday, March 1, 2013

FEMA: Severe weather season is here. “Be a Force of Nature”

Release Number: 

R6-13-021
Release Number: 
R6-13-021

DENTON, Texas – Severe weather season is here. This is a perfect time of year to “Be a Force of Nature” and get ready for any type of disaster.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is excited to team up with the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to help spread the word about preparedness during National Severe Weather Preparedness Week, which runs from March 3 – 9. It’s a nationwide effort designed to increase awareness about the severe weather that affects individuals, families and communities.
“Each year, many people are killed or seriously injured by tornadoes and other types of severe weather, despite advance warning. Last year, there were more than 450 weather-related deaths and nearly 2,600 injuries,” said FEMA Region 6 Administrator Tony Robinson. “We are encouraging people to take simple steps to ensure they and their families are ready for any type of disaster.”
These steps include:
• Knowing Your Risk: Understand the type of hazardous weather situations that can affect where you live and work. Check the weather forecast regularly; obtain a NOAA weather radio; and sign up for localized alerts from emergency management officials.
• Take Action: Pledge to prepare at www.ready.gov/severe-weather. This includes developing a family communication plan; putting an emergency kit together; staying informed by listening to your local officials; and getting involved.
• Be An Example: Once you have taken action and pledged to prepare, share your story with your family and friends. Create a YouTube video, post your story on Facebook, comment on a blog or send a tweet.
More preparedness information and ideas can be found at www.weather.gov, www.ready.gov-severe-weather or the Spanish-language sitewww.listo.gov.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

Follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/femaregion6 and the FEMA Blog at http://blog.fema.gov.


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Every year in California thousands of wildfires start throughout the state. In most cases, the dispatch center sending the initial resources to a wildland fire will designate a name for the fire, but the first on scene engine or fire official can also name the incident. Fires are usually named for the area in which they start – a geographical location, local landmark, street, lake, mountain, peak, etc. Quickly naming the fire provides responding fire resources with an additional locater, and allows fire officials to track and prioritize incidents by name. For example during the Southern California Fire Siege of 2003, the largest wildland fire in California history, the Cedar Fire in San Diego County, was named after the Cedar Creek Falls area where it started. The destructive Old Fire, which burned during the same time period in San Bernardino County, was named after the road along which it started - Old Waterman Canyon Road.
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