Severe Weather Preparedness Week: Family Preparedness Plans

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - February 3 through February 7 is ‘Severe Weather Preparedness Week’ across the state of Georgia.

Each day of this week, we will be covering various severe weather topics to better prepare you and your family for any weather situation that may arise this spring.

Monday’s topic is “Family Preparedness Plans & NOAA Weather Radios.” When making any severe weather plan, the first step is to prepare an emergency home kit. This would include flashlights, clothes, important documents, and enough non-perishable food and water for you and your family to survive for at least 72 hours.

The next question you need to ask yourself is, “Are you storm-ready?”

The answer to this question should change depending on what type of weather event we are expecting. Regardless, first determine if your home will provide a good location to take shelter. If your answer was no, then you’ll want to consider finding a neighbor or friend who lives close by with adequate accommodations and plan that arrangement ahead of time.

Once that has been determined and you’ve got your weather kit ready to go, it’s time to make sure you keep your devices charged and stay updated as the severe weather pushes through. During this time, you can always get the latest information on the forecast, current conditions, and watches/warnings issued on the WTOC Weather App. Plus, you also can get more detailed information on NOAA radio.

NOAA Weather Radio is a nationwide network of radio stations broadcasting continuous weather information directly from National Weather Service (NWS) offices across the country.

The broadcasts include warnings, watches, forecasts, current weather observations, and other hazard information, 24 hours a day. They can be found in many electronics stores, or purchased directly from radio manufacturers and outlets found on the Internet.

One of the major keys to understanding if or how bad the weather is while using technology like this is to make sure you know what county you live in. On both the WTOC weather app and NOAA Weather Radios, watches and warnings are normally issued by the county instead of the city.