Contact:
Randy Gehl
Public Information Officer
563-589-4151 (office)
563-599-2448 (cell)
rgehl@cityofdubuque.org
www.cityofdubuque.org
March 1, 2013 - For Immediate Release
Severe Weather Preparedness Week, March 3-9
DUBUQUE, Iowa – The City of Dubuque is promoting National Severe Weather Preparedness Week, March 3-9, 2013. Severe weather knows no boundaries and affects every individual; by knowing your risk, informing others, and taking action, you can be prepared for when severe weather strikes.
Sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Severe Weather Preparedness Week is a nationwide effort to increase awareness and preparedness for severe weather. Nearly every region of our country experiences some form of severe weather such as tornadoes, thunderstorms, floods, or winter storms. In 2012, there were more than 450 weather-related fatalities and nearly 2,600 injuries nationwide.
KNOW YOUR RISK
The first step to becoming weather-ready is to understand the type of hazardous weather that can affect you and the area where you live and work. The Dubuque area has the potential to experience a wide variety of severe weather year-round, from torrential rains to tornadoes and heat advisories to blizzards. One of the most recent severe weather events in Dubuque happened in July 2011 when over 10 inches of rain fell in less than a 24-hour period.
PLEDGE AND TAKE ACTION
FEMA encourages people to “Be a Force of Nature” by taking the Pledge to Prepare at www.ready.gov/severe-weather. When you pledge to prepare, you take the first step to ensure that you and others are prepared for severe weather. This includes filling out a family communications plan, assembling an emergency kit, keeping important papers and valuables in a safe place, and getting involved.
Aside from checking the weather forecast regularly, consider obtaining a NOAA Weather Radio and subscribing to an emergency alert communication system. The City of Dubuque offers a CodeRED Emergency Notification system, a high-speed phone communication service for emergency notifications and other important messages, including weather-related emergencies. To sign up for CodeRED notifications, visit www.cityofdubuque.org/codered. You can also subscribe to various phone or e-mail emergency alerts from the National Weather Service at www.weather.gov/subscribe.
BE AN EXAMPLE
Once you have taken action, share your story with family and friends. Share the resources and alert systems you discovered through your social media network. Studies show that individuals need to receive messages a number of ways before acting—be one of those sources.
A storm spotter training class will be held on Tuesday, March 26, at the Dubuque County Emergency Management Agency, 14928 Public Safety Way, from 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. This free class is open to the public and covers severe weather hazards including thunderstorms and tornadoes. For more information, call Tom Berger at 563-589-4170.
CityChannel Dubuque will air “Severe Weather Spotter Training” on March 8 at 6 a.m, March 14 at 6:30 p.m., and March 17 at 11 p.m. The program can also be viewed online at www.cityofdubuque.org/media.
For more information and tips on severe weather preparation, check out www.cityofdubuque.org/severeweather.
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