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Severe Weather Preparedness Week

by | Mar 6, 2017 | Storm Damage

Did you know…

  • North Carolina averages 26 tornadoes, 3 tornado fatalities and 39 tornado injuries each year
  • Tornadoes most frequently occur in the late afternoon and early evening hours
  • Damage from straight line thunderstorm winds can look like and be just as bad as tornado damage
  • on April 16, 2011, there were 30 confirmed tornadoes in NC which is the greatest one-day total for NC on record
  • more people die from flash floods each year than from lightning, hurricanes or tornadoes
  • in the past 10 years, flash flooding has occurred in NC over 1000 times resulting in over hundreds of millions of dollars of damage
  • most flash flooding related death occur in motor vehicles as people attempt to drive through flooded roadways
  • six inches of fast moving water can knock over an adult
  • there are many great FREE cell phone apps that can provide real-time National Weather Service warnings and alerts
  • you can purchase a NOAA Weather Radio for under $40 which can alert you to severe weather in your area while providing 24-7 weather information
  • text messaging and social media can be the best ways to communicate with family members after a major weather disaster because cell and land phone lines can get tied up with emergency calls and data lines may not be affected
  • ReadyNC.org has Family Emergency Plans that you can download

Spring is just around the corner and with it comes the increased risk of severe weather during the spring and summer months.  The National Weather Service has named this week as Severe Weather Preparedness Week in North Carolina in hopes of educating and helping us get ready for what could lie ahead.  Prepare now to make sure you know what to do if a severe thunderstorm or tornado watch or warning is in your area.  Wake County residents are also encouraged to sign up for ReadyWake Alerts  Also, be aware that at 9:30am on Wednesday, March 8th, the National Weather Service will conduct a statewide tornado drill in which all schools and businesses are encouraged to participate.