It’s ‘Fall Severe Weather Preparedness Week’ in Mississippi

Governor Bryant has declared this week, October 22nd-26th, as ‘Fall Severe Weather Preparedness Week’ in Mississippi.

The National Weather Service, Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), and other supporting organizations are providing you with information throughout the week about severe weather safety. They stated that advanced planning and increased awareness will help residents of Mississippi survive these deadly storms.

Severe weather watches and warnings are ineffective if the public does not receive the message or is not knowledgeable of the safety procedures to follow. The purpose of Mississippi Fall Severe Weather Preparedness Week is to provide people with the knowledge necessary to protect their lives when severe weather threatens, especially during the fall and winter months. In addition, this is a time to think about preparing for any winter weather or cold weather we experience in Mississippi.

Whether in the form of severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, or flash floods, severe weather can develop very quickly. Once a tornado approaches, or flooding develops, it is too late to start working on a preparedness plan. When severe weather develops, and warnings are issued, we must take immediate action to protect ourselves. Preparing for severe weather is the theme of this program.

So how does one prepare for severe weather? For a severe weather preparedness plan to be successful, it must include the following:

• knowledge of terminology such as watches and warnings
• a thorough knowledge of safety rules to follow when severe weather strikes
• a reliable method of receiving emergency information
• the designation of an appropriate shelter
• drills to test the plan

On Wednesday, a tornado drill will be conducted at 9:15 am, using the Routine Weekly Test through NOAA Weather Radio All-Hazards, and they strongly encourage local emergency managers, school officials, businesses, and home owners to participate in this drill. The best way to learn what to do when severe weather approaches is to practice when the weather is not threatening.

A video chat involving Mississippi National Weather Service offices was held to discuss various severe weather preparedness topics several years ago. The video chat can be viewed below.