Lake County Emergency Management is observing Severe Weather Awareness Week Jan. 14-18 by participating in community events and a social media campaign. The week offers an opportunity to educate citizens about severe weather hazards affecting Central Florida, such as hurricanes, wildfires and tornadoes.
“We recommend families take a moment to use the tornado drill as an opportunity to practice and ensure that they are prepared for severe weather,” said Spencer Kostus, Emergency Management Operations Coordinator. “It can save lives.”
As part of Lake County’s awareness efforts, residents are urged to participate in a statewide tornado drill at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 16. The National Weather Service will issue a practice Tornado Warning and broadcast a test message on NOAA Alert Radios. Residents should consider themselves under a Tornado Watch, meaning they should monitor the weather and be prepared to go to a safe place in the event of a warning.
During the drill, just like in real life severe weather situations, residents should listen to watch and warning messages to determine the threat and decide what protective actions to take. This can include “duck and cover,” going to the lowest floor in a building or hiding in a bathtub or under a stairwell.
Those participating in the tornado drill are encouraged to share photos of their protective actions on social media with the hashtag #LCTornadoDrill, for an opportunity to be featured on Lake County Emergency Management’s social media accounts: www.twitter.com/lakeemergency and www.facebook.com/LakeCountyFLEmergencyManagement
Additionally, Emergency Management staff will be available at upcoming events offering information and giveaways regarding severe weather safety.
Comments